3/5 Flashcards
Instinct theory
physical and mental instincts such as curiosity and fearfulness cause us to act. Instincts are inherited automatic species-specific behaviors
Drive reduction theory
focuses on internal states of tension, such as hunger, that motivate us to pursue actions that reduce the tension and bring us back to homeostasis, which is internal balance
Incentive theory
beyond the primary motives of food, drink, and sex that push us toward a goal, secondary motives or external stimuli such as money, approval, and grades regulate and pull us toward a goal
Arousal theory
each of us has an optimal level of arousal necessary to perform tasks which varies with the person and the activity. Arousal is the level of alert- ness, wakefulness, and activation caused by activity in the central nervous system. According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, for easy tasks, moderately high arousal is optimal; for difficult tasks, moderately low is optimal; and for most average tasks, a moderate level of arousal is optimal
Hunger
increases with stomach contractions, low blood sugar, high insulin levels that stimulate the lateral hypothalamus (LH); high levels of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, GABA, and neuropeptide Y that stimulate the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN); environmental factors such as the sight and smell of desired foods; and stress. Stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) stops eating behavior
Anorexia nervosa
eating disorder most common in adolescent females characterized by weight less than 85 percent of normal, abnormally restrictive food consumption, and an unrealistic body image.
Set point
a preset natural body weight, determined by the number of fat cells in our body
Bulimia nervosa
an eating disorder characterized by a pattern of eating binges involving intake of thousands of calories, followed by purging, either by vomiting or using laxatives
Thirst
increases with mouth dryness; shrinking of cels from loss of water and low blood volume which stimulate the lateral hypothalamus; and sight and smell of desired fluids
Pain
promotes avoidance or escape behavior to eliminate causes of discomfort
Sex
necessary for survival of the species, but not the individual. Testosterone levels in humans seem related to sexual motivation in both sexes
Heterosexuality
a tendency to direct sexual desire toward people of the opposite sex
Homosexuality
a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another person of the same sex
Bisexuality
a tendency to direct sexual desire toward people of both sexes
Need for achievement
a desire to meet some internalized standard of excellence, related to productivity and success. People with a high need for achievement choose moderately challenging tasks to satisfy their need
Affiliation motive
the need to be with others; is aroused when people feel threatened, anxious, or celebratory
Intrinsic motivation
a desire to perform an activity for its own sake
Extrinsic motivation
a desire to perform an activity to obtain a reward such as money, applause, or attention
Overjustification effect
where promising a reward for doing something we already like to do results in us seeing the reward as the motivation for performing the task. When the reward is taken away, the behavior tends to disappear.
Evolutionary theory
emotions developed because of their adaptive value, allowing the organism to avoid danger and survive. We often know how we feel before we know what we think
James-Lange theory
conscious experience of emotion results from one’s awareness of autonomic arousal
Cannon-Bard theory
the thalamus sends information to the limbic system and cerebral cortex simultaneously so that conscious experience of emotion accompanies physiological processes
Opponent-process theory
following a strong emotion, an opposing emotion counters the first emotion, lessening the experience of that emotion. On repeated occasions, the opposing emotion becomes stronger
Schachter-Singer two factor-theory
we determine an emotion from our physiological arousal and then label that emotion according to our cognitive explanation for the arousal
