Psychology Chapter on Motivation

Motivation

• Motivation drives individuals towards achieving goals, functioning as an internal process.

Types of Motivation

• Intrinsic motivation arises from within the individual, encompassing personal satisfaction and enjoyment.
• Extrinsic motivation is influenced by external factors, such as rewards, recognition, or incentives.

The Overjustification Effect

• Occurs when external rewards diminish intrinsic motivation, making individuals less inclined to engage in activities they previously found enjoyable.

Instincts

• Instincts are unlearned behavioral patterns triggered by environmental stimuli, inherent to an individual's nature.

Homeostasis

• Refers to the body's ability to maintain internal balance, adapting to external changes to sustain equilibrium.

Drive

• Described as an excitatory state resulting from homeostasis disruption, acting as a motivating force behind behavior.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

• Establishes a relationship between arousal and performance: optimal performance is achieved at a certain arousal level, beyond which performance may decline.

Self-Efficacy

• Involves an individual's belief in their ability to succeed in specific contexts or complete particular tasks.

Satiation

• Refers to the act of satisfying a need or desire, particularly in the context of hunger or other drives.

Set-Point Theory

• Suggests every person has a determined weight range their body prefers to maintain, typically allowing a variation of about 10%.

Alfred Kinsey

• Renowned for conducting large-scale surveys of sexual behavior, significantly advancing the study of human sexuality.

Homosexual Population Statistics

• Approximately 10% of individuals identify as exclusively homosexual.

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

• Proposes that emotional experiences are triggered by physiological arousal; the physical response leads to the feeling of emotion.

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

• Contrasts with the James-Lange theory, suggesting that physiological reactions and emotional responses occur simultaneously upon stimulus exposure.

Emotional Regulation

• Involves managing emotional responses to experiences, allowing for socially appropriate reactions and the ability to control spontaneous emotional expressions when necessary.