Psychology Motivation Theories

Motivation

• Defined as the wants or needs that drive behavior towards specific goals.
• Two main types: intrinsic (internal satisfaction) and extrinsic (external rewards).

Types of Motivation

• Intrinsic Motivation: Actions taken for personal satisfaction.
• Extrinsic Motivation: Actions taken to obtain rewards from others.

Theoretical Perspectives

• William James: Suggested behavior is instinct-driven for survival.
• Instinct: Refers to biologically-driven, species-specific behaviors that are not learned.
• Drive Theory of Motivation: Proposes motivation stems from the need to maintain homeostasis.
• Optimal Arousal/Yerkes-Dodson Law: Motivation is influenced by the need to achieve an optimal level of arousal.

Arousal Levels

• Low Arousal: Associated with boredom.
• High Arousal: Can lead to anxiety.

Self-Efficacy

• Defined as the belief in one's capabilities to execute tasks.
• Albert Bandura: Introduced the concept of self-efficacy as a source of motivation.

Hunger and Satiety

• Satiation: Absence of hunger, signaled by leptin (a hormone released by fat cells).
• Metabolic Rate: Refers to the energy expended over time.
• Set-point Theory: Hypothesis that individuals have a specific weight range they naturally maintain.

Eating Disorders

• Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS): Genetic disorder characterized by intense hunger and low metabolism.
• Eating Disorders: Include abnormal eating behaviors, with types such as:
  • Bulimia Nervosa: Binge eating followed by purging.
  • Binge Eating Disorder: Regularly consuming excessive amounts of food.
  • Anorexia Nervosa: Maintaining significantly low body weight through starvation or excessive exercise.

Human Sexuality Research

• Alfred Kinsey: First to conduct extensive human sexual behavior research, challenging misconceptions of female sexuality.
• Masters and Johnson: Conducted research that involved direct observation of sexual activities with physiological measurements.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

• Sexual Orientation: Emotional and erotic attraction to others.
• Gender Identity: Personal sense of being male or female; does not always correspond to biological sex.
• Gender Dysphoria: Discomfort with one’s biological sex, leading to a desire to live according to one’s gender identity; requires a significant duration and distress for diagnosis.

Emotion

• Defined as a subjective state often described in feelings.
• Mood: A longer, less intense emotional state not directly tied to specific experiences.

Theories of Emotion

• James-Lange Theory: Emotions result from physiological responses; the emotional experience follows the body's response.
• Cannon-Bard Theory: Proposes simultaneous emotional experience and physiological arousal.
• Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory: Emotions arise from physiological arousal interpreted through a cognitive lens based on context.
• Lazarus' Cognitive-Mediational Theory: Holds that emotions are determined by the appraisal of stimuli.