AP Psychology Unit 8: Motivation, Emotion, and Stress Flashcards
Motivation
A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
Instinct
A complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and unlearned
Instinct Theory
Now replaced by the evolutionary perspective. It focuses on genetically predisposed behaviors and labels them as motivations for our actions. It named behaviors but did not explain them
Physiological Needs
A basic bodily requirement (food, water, oxygen)
Drive-Reduction Theory
The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy its needs
Homeostasis
A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of ay aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level
Incentive
A positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior
Arousal Theory
Our need to maintain an optimal level of arousal motivates behaviors that meet no physiological need (such as our yearning for stimulation and our hunger for information)
Yerkes-Dodson Law
The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases
Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety needs and them psychological needs become active
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Order
- Physiological needs
- Safety needs
- Belongingness and love needs
- Esteem needs
- Self-actualization needs
- Self-transcendence needs
Physiological Needs
The first level of Maslow’s hierarchy. The need to satisfy hunger and thirst
Safety Needs
The second level of Maslow’s hierarchy. The need to feel that the world is organized and predictable; need to feel safe
Belongingness and Love Needs
The third level of Maslow’s hierarchy. The need to love and be loved, to belong and be accepted; need to avoid loneliness and separation
Esteem Needs
The fourth level of Maslow’s hierarchy. Need for self-esteem, achievement, competence, and independence; need for recognition and respect from others
Self-Actualization Needs
The fifth level of Maslow’s hierarchy. The need to live up to our fullest and unique potential
Self-Transcendence Needs
The last/sixth level of Maslow’s hierarchy. The need to find meaning and identity beyond the self
What Causes Hunger
- Stomach pangs/contractions
- The brain/hypothalamic activity
- Appetite hormones (leptin, ghrelin, orexin)
- Blood sugar/glucose levels
Glucose
The form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues. When its level is low, we feel hunger.
Ghrelin
A hunger-arousing hormone secreted by an empty stomach
Set Point
The point at which your “weight thermostat” may be set. When your body falls below this weight increased hunger and a lowered metabolic rate may combine to restore lost weight
Basal Metabolic Rate
The body’s resting rate of energy output
Neophobia
Dislike of unfamiliar things. For example, many Americans dislike Japanese food like nattó
Situational Influences on Eating
- Arousing situations cause people to eat more
- People eat more when eating with others
- People eat more when offered a large serving size
- People eat more when there is a wider selection of food
- People eat more of the foods they are offered first
Obesity
Defined as a body mass index (BMI) measurement of 30 or higher
Overweight
Defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher
Leptin
A hormone that decreases hunger. Secreted from the fat cells
Asexual
Having no sexual attraction to others
Testosterone
The most important male sex hormone. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs during the fetal period and the development of male sex characteristics during puberty
Estrogens
Sex hormones, such as estradiol, that contribute to female sex characteristics and are secreted in greater amounts by females than by males. Estrogen levels peak during ovulation. In nonhuman animals, this promotes sexual receptivity.
Sexual Response Cycle
The four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson - excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution
Refractory Period
In human sexuality, a resting period that occurs after orgasm, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm. The refractory period in men is longer than that in women