Psychology 202 Notes (Motivation) PDF

Psychology 202 Notes (Motivation) ================================= 9-10-24, 9-12-24, 9-17-24 ========================= Motivation: A process that influences the initiation, direction, intensity, and persistence of behavior. Sources of motivation: - Physiological/ biological- Soccer game; thir...

Psychology 202 Notes (Motivation) ================================= 9-10-24, 9-12-24, 9-17-24 ========================= Motivation: A process that influences the initiation, direction, intensity, and persistence of behavior. Sources of motivation: - Physiological/ biological- Soccer game; thirsty - Emotional -- Girlfriend broke up; he is upset - Cognitive -- Doubts; can't do it - Social -- Friends doing something; so, they do it Theories of motivation: - Instinct Doctrine: Innate biology produces instinctive behaviors, or automatic behavioral tendencies. (Born with it, instinct behavior) - Drive Reduction Theory: Behavior is motivated by biological needs and attempts to reduce the psychological drives that result from those needs - Arousal Theory: - Physiological arousal -- Level of activation of several system - People try to maintain an optimal level of arousal, which varies from person to person Incentive Theory: Behavior is motivated by incentives, or external rewards and punishment (Money; work) - Expectancy- Value theory - Behavior is determined by expectation of attaining goal and incentive value of that goal Hunger and Weight Regulation: - Biological influences - Signal from stomach - Glucose levels in the blood - Hormones - Ghrelin: Increases appetite - Neural circuits involving the hypothalamus - Psychological influences: - Eating is reinforced by taste and hunger reduction - Attitudes, habits, and beliefs also influences - Environmental influences: - Food availability - Food taste and variety - The sight and smell of food - Social factor - Cultural norms Social Motivation: Why do we affiliate? - Evolutionary Theory: Reproduction and survival - Psychological Reasons: - Life satisfaction - Positive stimulation - Emotional support - Attention Differences in social motivation: - Some individuals are more socially oriented - All individuals seek some social contact and some time alone - Try to maintain our own optimal range of social contact Achievement Motivation: - A positive desire to accomplish tasks and strive for standards of excellence. - Achievement behavior can come from: - Motive for success - Fear of failure - People with both at a disadvantage because of anxiety from fear of failure - High motive and low fear are best for challenging or important tasks Learning orientation: - Goal is personal improvement and perfecting skills - Enjoy challenge Performance Orientation: - Goal is outperforming others - Seek feedback from others Relations and conflicts among motives: Maslow's Need Hierarchy  Motivational Conflict: - Approach-Approach Conflict: Two attractive alternatives - Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict: Two undesirable alternatives - Approach-Avoidance Conflict: An option with positive and negative features - Multiple Approach-Avoidance Conflict: Several alternatives with both positive and negative features Emotions: Characteristics of emotions: - Temporary - Positive, negative, or both - Vary in intensity - Important adaptive functions - Emotions involve thought processes - Thoughts can trigger emotions - We evaluate and interpret our emotional experiences - Emotions involve a pattern of physiological response - Brain activity - Autonomic nervous system - Heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones, etc. 1. Amygdala is the central emotions in the brain - Voluntary -- Pyramidal motor system - Genuine -- Extrapyramidal motor system - Left hemisphere is more involved in positive emotional experience - Right hemisphere is anger and depression - Right hemisphere is more dominate in emotions overall - Emotions bring on an action tendency, or motivation to behave in certain ways - Including expressing the emotion and managing the emotion Theories and research Emotions: James's peripheral theory: The body's physiological reactions determine the subjective emotion we experience Cannon's central theory: The brain creates our experience of emotions Cognitive theories: The combination of physiological response and cognitive interpretation determines the emotion Research Evidence: - One study investigated how cognitive appraisal influence physiological arousal Researchers... - Manipulated cognitive appraisal by showing a video with different soundtrack - Measured sweat gland activity as an indicator of physiological arousal Dependent variable: What is being measured Independent variable: What is being manipulated - Another study investigated how physiological arousal influenced cognitive interpretation Researcher... - Manipulated physiological arousal with different injections - Measured level of amusement when watching Excitation transfer theory: - Physiological arousal from one experience can affect emotions in a new situation - Example- after exercise, people experience more intense anger and attraction Communicating Emotions: - Facial expression - Some are innate - Social and cultural factors also influence Positive Emotions: - Associated with broadened thinking and creativity - Facilitate sociability, altruism, and conflict resolution - Linked to better physical health and longer lifespan What makes people happy? Factors that are not important: - Wealth - Intelligence - Age Factors that are important: - Social relationships and being married - Gratitude, optimism, good self-esteem - Downward comparison -- seeing ourselves better than standard - Personality -- extraversion, conscientiousness - Religiousness and spirituality - Genetic predisposition