Behavioral Sciences Ch 5. Motivation, Emotion, and Stress Flashcards
Motivation
The purpose, or driving force, behind our actions
Extrinsic motivation
Based on external circumstances
Intrinsic motivation
Based on internal drive or perception
Primary factors that influence emotion
Instincts, arousal, drives and needs
Instincts
Innate, fixed patterns of behavior in response to a stimuli
Instinct theory
A theory of motivation, people perform certain behaviors because of these evolutionarily programmed instincts
Arousal theory
People perform actions to maintain arousal at an optimum level
Arousal
The state of being awake and reactive to stimuli
Yerkes-Dodson law
Shows that performance is optimal at a medium level of arousal
Drives
Internal states of tension that beget particular behaviors focused on goals
Primary drives
Related to body processes
Secondary drives
Stem from learning and include accomplishments and emotions
Drive reduction theory
Motivation arises from the desire to eliminate drives, which create uncomfortable internal states
Maslows hierarchy of needs
Prioritizes needs into five categories: physiological needs (highest priority), safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization (lowest priority)
Self-determination theory
Emphasizes the role of three universal needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness
Incentive theory
Explains motivation as the desire to pursue rewards and avoid punishments
Expectancy-value theory
States that the amount of motivation for a task is based on the individuals expectation of success and the amount that success is valued
Opponent process theory
Explains motivation for drug use: as drug use increases, the body counteracts its effects, leading to tolerance and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms
Emotion
State of mind or a feeling that is subjectively experienced based on circumstances, mood, and relationship
Three components of emotion
Cognitive (subjective), behavioral (facial expressions and body language), and physiological (changes in the autonomic nervous system)
Seven universal emotions
Happiness, sadness, contempt, surprise, fear, disgust, anger
Theories of emotions
James-Lange theory, Cannon-Bard theory, Schachter-Singer theory
James-Lange theory
Nervous system arousal leads to a cognitive response in which the emotional is labeled
Cannon-Bard theory
The simultaneous arousal of the nervous system and cognitive response lead to action
Schachter-Singer theory
Nervous system arousal and interpretation of context lead to a cognitive response
Limbic system
The primary nervous system component involved in experiencing emotion, includes the amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex
Amygdala
Involved with attention and fear, helps interpret facial expressions and is part of the intrinsic memory system for emotional memory
Thalamus
Sensory processing station
Hypothalamus
Releases neurotransmitters that affect mood and arousal
Hippocampus
Creates long-term explicit (episodic) memories
Prefrontal cortex
Involved with planning, expressing personality, and making decisions
Ventral prefrontal cortex
Critical for experiencing emotion
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Involved in controlling emotional responses from the amygdala and decision making
Stress
The physiological and cognitive response to challenges or life changes
Primary appraisal
Classifying a potential stressor as irrelevant, benign-positive, or stressful
Secondary appraisal
Directed at evaluating if the organism can cope with the stress, based on harm, threat, and challenge
Stressor
Anything that leads to a stress response and can include environment, daily events, workplace or academic settings, social expectations, chemicals, and biological stressors
Psychological stressor examples
Pressure, control, predictability, frustration, and confliect
General adaption syndrome
Three stages are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
Stress management aspects
Psychological, behavioral, and spiritual
