Psychology Motivation and Social Psychology

Motivation

• Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Rewards:
  • Intrinsic rewards are internal satisfaction (e.g., enjoying a task).
  • Extrinsic rewards are external incentives (e.g., money, grades).
  • Intrinsic rewards are best for creative, passion-driven tasks.
  • Extrinsic rewards are effective for straightforward, repetitive tasks but may hinder creativity.
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
  • Five levels: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
  • Lower needs must be met before higher ones.
  • Basic needs (e.g., hunger, safety) are crucial for learning.

Social Psychology

• Social Attitudes:
  • Individualism emphasizes personal independence (common in Western cultures).
  • Collectivism focuses on group goals and harmony (common in Eastern cultures).
• Cognitive Biases:
  • Halo effect: A positive trait influences overall judgment (e.g., thinking a kind teacher is intelligent).

Key Experiments

• Asch's Conformity Study: People conform to group opinions, even if wrong.
• Milgram's Obedience Study: People obey authority, even harmful orders, especially under pressure.

Sleep

• Stages of Sleep:
  • NREM (Non-REM) includes light to deep sleep, crucial for physical recovery.
  • REM (Rapid Eye Movement) is the dreaming stage, essential for memory and learning.
• Why We Sleep:
  • Sleep consolidates memories and restores physical health.
  • Sleep deprivation negatively impacts learning and focus.

Stress and Happiness

• Stress:
  • Stimulus-based stress is from external factors (e.g., deadlines).
  • Response-based stress involves physical or emotional reactions.
  • Appraisal-based stress is interpreting events (e.g., seeing an exam as a threat).
  • Eustress is positive stress (e.g., preparing for a performance).
  • Distress is harmful stress (e.g., chronic financial issues).
• Coping Strategies:
  • Problem-focused coping addresses the issue directly.
  • Emotion-focused coping manages emotional responses.
• Happiness:
  • Three-factor model of happiness consists of pleasant life (hedonic), good life (engagement), and meaningful life (purpose).
  • Major events temporarily affect happiness; people usually return to baseline levels.

Psychological Disorders and Treatments

• Defining Disorders:
  • Disorders involve significant dysfunction in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
  • Challenges include subjective interpretation and stigma.
• Diathesis-Stress Model:
  • Combines genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. (e.g., stress causing depression in someone predisposed).
• Treatments:
  • Psychotherapy (e.g., Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy): Changes negative thoughts and alters behaviors.
  • Biomedical Therapy: Medications or procedures targeting biological causes (e.g., antidepressants).