11.1 emotion and motivation Flashcards
basic motivation
short term goals
determined by primitive biological signals about our current needs
-ex. our brain receives info when our body requires food, and the brain directs us to fix the deficiencies
Drives
stimulation that our brain generates to push us to address basic biological needs
Homeostasis
processes that allow us to maintain balance in our biological systems
Allostasis
processes that allow us to develop a state of readiness for anticipated future demands on our biological systems
ex. ppl might get in the habit of eating a big breakfast both to maintain energy levels after not eating anything since the previous day, homeostasis would be the goal in that case, and to ensure sufficient energy for preforming physically demanding tasks in the hours between morning and lunchtime, in that case allostasis is the goal
hypothalamus
gives us feeling of hunger
in the ventral medial region
statiation
the experience of being full and uninterested in eating any more
glucostats
- the hypothalamus receives info about glucose levels based on messages sent by special neurons called glucostats
- when the hypothalamus receives info about a drop in glucose levels, it simulates feelings of hunger
cholecystokinin or CCK
when we eat, expansion of our intestines stimulates neurons to release CCK. when the hypothalamus detects enough CCK it stimulates feelings of satiation
ppl love fatty foods
because it reflects our history when we needed high in fat foods to survive
sugar releases dopamine similar to cocain
if eating were just about satisfying hunger how would we explain luaus, undersea restaurant,…
food advertising seeks to get us to think of our food choices as lifestyle and identity choices
there is often cultural pressure for us to eat everything set in front of us, even when we are already full
in the bottomless bowl of soup study, ppl who had soup imperceptibly replaces at 70 % more soup
unit bias
the bias to behave as though the amount of food we receive is just the right amount for us to achieve satiation
social facilitation
when we eat more bc of the behaviour or expectations of other people
ex. when eating less would offend a dinner party host
or when witnessing other people snacking stimulates us to eat more
minimal eating norm
social contexts that discourage very much eating, as on a first date
this is a type of social influence on behaviour that falls under the heading of impression management
-apparently, people vary on how susceptible they are to this type of social norm
Modeling
when the behaviours of others during a social event causes us to restrain our appetite
Obesity
an eating disorder in which ppl consume more food than they require to sustain their biological processes
-tends to be especially problematic poorer neighbourhoods and communities partly bc healthy/nutritious food is more expensive than high calorie/ low nutrition junk food
anorexia nervosa
chronic under-eating to the point of self-starvation, combined with a fear of gaining weight and negative views about one’s body size, and a lack of concern about the dangers of being underweight
bulimia nervosa
when eating behaviour follows a pattern of resisting the urge to eat, followed by binge-eating, and then purging with self induced vomiting, extreme exercise, or using laxatives
anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa
seem to originate from a desire for more control
the absence of control elsewhere encourages unhealthy efforts to gain control over one’s weight resulting in under eating or binging and purging
reproduction suppression hypothesis
females that don’t feel well supported tend to binge and diet as a coping strategy
eating disorders that result in low body fat may be a way for women to reduce the chance of becoming pregnant when they are under stress or when they do not feel ready or well supported
this is possible bc low body fat suppresses menstruation- an outcome called amenorrhea
the media is not helping us prevent eating disorders
thanks to insisting on displaying unattainable body shapes as the deal
- also bc of retouching and photo editing, media depictions of the ideal body are often literally unattainable
- fantasy images and stories that communicate messages about beauty and ideal body shape provided by entertainment media are also not helping
sex drive
the human need for sexual contact represents a basic biological need
the drive that motivates us to seek out sexual contact is called LIBIDO
Alfred Kinsey
conducted the first scientific investigating into the sexual behaviour of Americans
The Kinsey scale
his research led him to conclude that homosexuality and heterosexuality are the two extremes of a sexual orientation continuum
37% of males
13% of females had homosex experience that resulted in an orgasim
the reasons why ppl have sex can vary
for physical reasons
to help attain a goal
for emotional reasons
because of insecurity
William masters and Virginia Johnson
-first detail investigation of human sexual response
sexual response cycle
consists of four stages -excitement -plateau -orgasm -resolution these graphs show how there is mor variability in the female cycle than the male one, bc women do not reach organism as often and bc women can sometimes have multiple orgasms without any refractory period. the typically much longer refractory period in men is the duration of time after orgasm during which having another orgasm is not possible
orgasms and resolution
the hypothalamus generates the orgasm the point of intense pleasure and release during the sexual response cycle in both men and women
-following orgasm, the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to release a hormone, called OXYTOCIN
Oxytocin
the chemical basis for the feelings of attachment, trust and intimacy that is also commonly referred to as love
sexual orientation
ones preference for engaging in sexual activity with opposite sex partners (heterosexuality), same sex partners (homosexuality), either (bisexuality) and so on
an update on the search for the cause of homosexuality
there has been no evidence supporting theories suggesting that homosexuality is a consequence of parenting practices or any particular type of childhood experience
- brain studies have revealed that homosexual men may have a smaller hypothalamus, but that evidence is rather inconsistent and unconvincing
- twin studies reveal that heritability of homosexuality is between .3 and .6, but the highest heritability estimates tend to be observed for homosexuality in men
- maybe sexual orientation varies for the same complicated reasons that dining preferences vary
- unfortunately, discrimination based on sexual orientation continues and likely results in underestimates of the true prevalence of homosexuality and bisexuality
gender roles
socially and culturally defined expectation about how male and female members of a society should think and act
sexual scripts
socially and culturally defined expectations about the sexual behaviour of male and female members of a society
traditionally, gender roles have tended to reward males for fulfilling the roles of promiscuous playboys, whereas women often face scorn and denigration for engaging in the same type of sexual behaviour
the evolutionary explanation for males greater interest in sexual promiscuity emphasizes the whole issue of pregnancy and child raising again…
as well as males higher levers of testosterone
testosterone
hormone responsible for sex driving in men and women
another idea is that gender roles have been defined by the gender with the most _______, which has traditionally been ______
power
men
-this idea has support from the growing similarity in male and female gender roles and sexual scripts as we move toward more gender equality
three important trends have resulted in a moved toward greater gender equality in western countries that have also resulted in a greater similarity in the sexual scripts of men and women
- ongoing movement in support of equal rights for women
- long trend of women entering the workforce and earning their own salaries
- invention of the birth control pill in the 1960s
sex guilt
or the negative emotional feelings one might have after engaging in sexual behaviour that conflicts with ones personal attitudes about sex, may still deter a person
sex in advertising
humans find sex a difficult thing to ignore
motivations
the biological and psychological processes that compel us to act to achieve essential goals
