CH 11 Psych

Question 1

What is motivation?

Answer 1

need or desire that energizes behavior and direct it towards a goal

Question 2

What are the theories of motivation we covered and how do they explain motivation? How do they
differ from each other?

Answer 2

-Instinct Theory: motivations are a form of instincts
-Drive Reduction Theory: inborn propensities; the primary motivation behind all human behavior is to reduce ‘drives’ where a ‘drive’ is a physiological imbalance and state of arousal or discomfort which is triggered by a person’s physiological or biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and the need for warmth (homeostasis)
-Arousal Theory: motivated to attain a personal, optimal level of arousal. optimal arousal level is genetically influenced.

Question 3

What are instincts? What are the problems with Instinct Theory?

Answer 3

-instincts are “inborn tendencies,” automatic, involuntary, unlearned, complex behaviors that are triggered by certain stimuli and consistent within a species
-the Instinct Theory states that motivations are a form of instincts, however, human behavior is influenced by learning and experience

Question 4

What is homeostasis?

Answer 4

the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes

Question 5

What is arousal?

Answer 5

general activation level of body and brain

Question 6

What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? How are the six categories of needs hierarchically arranged?

Answer 6

-explains the psychology of human motivation
-you need to fill them IN ORDER, things you need to survive are on the bottom
Bottom to top:
o Physiological needs - hunger and thirst
o Safety needs - feeling that the world is organized and predictable; feeling safe and secure in your environment
o Belongingness and love needs - to love and be loved, to belong and be accepted, to avoid loneliness and separation
o Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, competence, and independence; need for recognition and respect from others
o Self-actualization needs - to live up to our fullest and unique potential
o Self-transcendence needs - to find meaning and identity beyond the self

Question 7

What does set-point refer to regarding body weight?

Answer 7

-Set point theory states that the human body tries to maintain its weight within a preferred range, many people stay within a more or less small range of body weight throughout their adult life
-homeostasis for body weight

Question 8

What is basal metabolic rate?

Answer 8

Basal metabolic rate is the number of calories your body needs to accomplish its most basic (basal) life-sustaining functions

Question 9

How do our brains manipulate basal metabolic rate, activity level, and hunger to maintain the set-point?
When an organism’s weight rises above its set point, the organism is likely to experience a(n)….

Answer 9

-Hypothalamus - receives signals from the organs (stomach, intestines, liver) and blood regarding hormones, fullness, nutrients, and eating, and tries to pull it altogether and satisfy it
-if you are under your basal metabolic rate, you will get hungry
-decrease in hunger, increase in basal metabolic rate

Question 10

Can you change your set-point?

Answer 10

-The set point can be changed with two essential ingredients: time and support
-more likely with gradual changes

Question 11

What evidence suggests that body weight is influenced by genes?

Answer 11

-identical twins raised apart had a higher correlation in body weight than adopted siblings raised together
-kids with obese parents are more likely to have a higher body weight

Question 12

Do the body weights of adopted individuals resemble their adoptive parents or their biological parents
more?

Answer 12

biological parents, but environmental factors definitely influence them

Question 13

In what ways might genes influence body weight?

Answer 13

Genes contribute to the causes of obesity in many ways, by affecting appetite, satiety (the sense of fullness), metabolism, food cravings, body-fat distribution, and the tendency to use eating as a way to cope with stress

Question 14

What are some environmental influences on eating?

Answer 14

more food could be available, with other people, a variety of food, quality of food
-attitude of society towards different types of food or bodies

Question 15

Are people bullied more for their race, their weight, or their sexual orientation?

Answer 15

studies show weight

Question 16

What does it mean that hormones mainly have a permissive influence on sexual behavior in humans?

Answer 16

-sex hormones are released during sexual activity
-permissive effect—different levels of hormones released don’t increase or decrease sexual behavior, all levels of hormones released increase drive…permissive function of hormones means one hormone exerts its full effect only in the presence of other hormone

Question 17

Why is the brain said to be the most important sexual organ?

Answer 17

-sex drive originates in the hypothalamus, also affects how we respond to “dirty talk” and sexual stimulation
-amygdala: also affects how we respond to “dirty talk” and sexual stimulation
-hormones are released in brain, we would have no drive/motivation if not for the brain

Question 18

In what ways can porn have negative effects on people’s attitudes and sexual behaviors?

Answer 18

-creates unrealistic expectations of what sex is like
-depicts sex/women in an unrealistic ways, men are less likely to be satisfied with a future partner

Question 19

Is there a genetic influence on sexual orientation? What is the older-brother effect?

Answer 19

-genes may be involved, not too much, influenced by experiential and sociocultural factors too though
-higher correlation of twins’ sexual orientation than other siblings
-The fraternal birth order effect is the tendency for older brothers to increase the odds of homosexuality in later-born males
-boys who have older brothers are more likely to grow up to be gay than boys with other sisters/boys that are the oldest siblings
-mechanism not know, perhaps a defense mechanism released by mother while the younger brother is in the womb

Question 20

How is sexual orientation like handedness?

Answer 20

-heterosexual individuals are somewhat more likely to be right-handed than are homosexual individuals
-right handed men with several older brothers are more likely to be gay

Question 21

What do studies indicate regarding the effects of social rejection?

Answer 21

-How accepted and valued we feel by others has a big impact on our self-esteem
-Lost relationships make a big impact on our lives
-Loneliness is as much a predictor on death as smoking 15 cigarettes a day
-rejections/ostracism leads up to perform worse on cognitive tasks after being rejected
-More likely to be violent towards those that ostracize us (lack of empathy)
-The same areas that light up when we’re in physical pain light up when we’re in emotional pain

Question 22

What is intrinsic motivation?

Answer 22

Desire to do a task because it is inherently enjoyable

Question 23

What is extrinsic motivation?

Answer 23

Doing a task for an external reward/approval to avoid punishment/ostracism by others, can have an effect on intrinsic motivation

Question 24

What can happen when someone is given extrinsic
motivators for activities that are already intrinsically motivated (this is known as the over-justification
effect)?

Answer 24

-External motivators result in decline of intrinsic motivation
-when we are offered extrinsic motivators to engage in an activity that already has intrinsic motivators, our intrinsic motivation to engage in that task declines
-when extrinsic motivators for an instrinsically enjoyable task are removed, less inclined to engage in that activity
-Ex: children were told to color, some were given a prize and the other was not. A week later, children came back, and none were offered prizes; as a result, the children that were initially given rewards colored less

Question 25

What is I/O psychology?

Answer 25

Industrial and organizational psychology, an applied discipline within psychology, is the science of human behavior in the workplace to increase productivity and satisfaction

Question 26

What are some factors that influence worker productivity and satisfaction?

Answer 26

-clear expectations, praise and feedback, control and input
-the more satisfied you are, the more likely you are to be more productive
-if there is a sense that their efforts control their rewards/extrinsic motivators (if I put in more effort, I will get paid more, I will put in more effort vs. if I put in more effort, I will still get paid the same amount)
-harnessing people’s individual strengths—creates a feeling of value
-challenging and specific goals

Question 27

What is the Yerkes-Dodson law?

Answer 27

-an empirical relationship between stress and performance: performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point.
-Easy or simple task, higher level of arousal
-Difficult tasks, slightly lower level of arousal
-Moderately difficult tasks, moderate level of arousal

Question 28

What is meant by affiliation need?

Answer 28

the desire to have personal relationships with other individuals, which manifests itself in the urge to form friendships and attachments and to join organizations and enjoy social gatherings

Question 29

What is ostracism?

Answer 29

Ostracism – being ignored and excluded by individuals or groups – threatens individuals’ psychological and physical well-being