Chapter 11 - Motivation Flashcards
1
Q
motivation
A
- need or desire that energizes behaviour and directs it towards a goal
- grounded in emotion -> we are motivated to do things that make us feel good (and vice versa)
2
Q
4 theories of motivation
A
- instinct
- drive-reduction
- optimum arousal
- hierarchy of needs/motives
3
Q
instinct theory
A
- focuses on the way insticts (unlearned behaviours) influence behaviour (aka: evolutionary perspective)
- strengths: consistent with animal literature
- weakness: thousands of instincts needed to explain human behaviour (this theory labels, not explains)
4
Q
drive-reduction theory
A
- physiological need creates an aroused tension state (drive) -> motivates an organism to satisfy the need and return to baseline
- states that we need to return to homeostasis
- pushed by needs (ie. hunger); pulled by incentives (ie. smell of baking bread)
- weaknesses: how do we explain curiosity or play? Why would we get bored?
5
Q
optimum arousal theory
A
- we seek optimum levels of arousal
- too little = boredom; too much = stress -> we want to get to optimum midpoint
6
Q
hierarchy of needs/motives theory
A
- Maslow: certain needs have priority over others
- physiological -> safety -> love and belongingness -> esteem -> self-actualization
- supported by hunger comes first study: when participants were only fed 1/2 their typical food intake for 6 months, they lost interest in social activities, love, etc. and became obsessed with food
7
Q
3 key motivations
A
- hunger
- sex
- belongingness
8
Q
hunger from a biopsychosocial perspective
A
- biology: stomach contractions, glucose, hypothalamus
- psychology: memory (amnesia patients eat frequently if given food), taste (influenced by both body chemistry and culture), eating disorders
- sociocultural aspects: culturally learned taste preferences
9
Q
sex from a biopsychosocial perspective
A
- biology: estrogen and testosterone (like fuel in a car -> if there’s enough fuel/hormones, you can go/have sexual motivation - the tank doesn’t need to be full)
- psychology: external stimuli (what we see, read, hear, etc.), imagined stimuli (fantasies), predictors of sexual restrain among adolescents = intelligence, religiosity, higher presence of father in a girl’s life, volunteering
- socio-cultural motivation: family and society values, religiosity, etc.
10
Q
sexual orientation
A
- a person’s preference for emotional and sexual relationships with individuals of the same sex, the opposite sex, and/or either sex
- stats can differ greatly depending on how you define sexuality (ie. asking people to define themselves as “homosexual” = lower stats; asking people to define themselves as “not heterosexual” = higher stats)
11
Q
origins of sexual orientation
A
- not due to aspects of mothering/fathering, fear/hatred of opposite gender, current level of sex hormones, childhood sexual factors, or environmental factors
- homosexuality exists in animal kingdom
12
Q
biology of sexual orientation
A
in homosexual men, anterior hypothalamus is smaller; anterior commissure is larger
13
Q
genetics of sexual orientation
A
- homosexuality seems to run in families
- identical twin is more likely than fraternal twin to share twin’s sexuality
- fruit flies can be genetically engineered to act like opposite sex during courtship
14
Q
prenatal hormones and sexual orientation
A
- animals: exposure of female sheep fetus to testosterone results in homosexual behaviour
- humans: exposure of male or female fetus to female hormones results in attraction to males (correlational)
15
Q
belongingness needs
A
- separation from others increases need to belong
- from evolutionary perspective, belongingness helped protect against predators, procure food, reproduce, etc.
- affects our emotions (happiness, depression), thoughts (“I want people to like me”), and behaviours (increasing social acceptance)
