Chapter 5: Motivation, Emotion, and Stress

Question 1

Motivation

Answer 1

The purpose, or driving force, behind our actions.

Question 2

Extrinsic Motivation

Answer 2

External forces, coming from outside oneself, create extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation can include rewards for showing a desired behavior or avoiding punishment if the desired behavior is not achieved.

Question 3

Intrinsic Motivation

Answer 3

Motivation that comes from within oneself is referred to as intrinsic motivation. This can be driven by interest in a task or pure enjoyment.

Question 4

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation Example

Answer 4

A student who takes interest in the subject matter at hand and has the goal of mastering the content is driven by intrinsic motivation, while the goal of achieving high grades is considered extrinsic.

Question 5

What can reduce intrinsic motivation?

Answer 5

Introducing external reward.

Question 6

What are the factors the influence motivation?

Answer 6

Instinct, Arousal, Drive, Needs.

Question 7

Instinct Theory

Answer 7

People perform certain behaviors because of these evolutionarily programmed instincts.

Question 8

Arousal Theory

Answer 8

People perform actions to maintain arousal, the state of being awake and reactive to stimuli, at an optimal level.

Question 9

Yerkes–Dodson Law

Answer 9

Shows that performance is optimal at a medium level of arousal. Performance is worst at extremely low and high levels of arousal.

Question 10

Drives

Answer 10

Internal states of tension that beget particular behaviors focused on goals.

Question 11

Primary Drives

Answer 11

Primary drives are related to bodily processes. They include the need for food, water, and warmth.

Question 12

Secondary Drives

Answer 12

Secondary drives stem from learning and include accomplishments and emotions (such as the desire for nurturing, love, and aggression).

Question 13

Drive Reduction Theory

Answer 13

States that motivation arises from the desire to eliminate drives, which create uncomfortable internal states.

Question 14

Needs

Answer 14

Motivators that influence human behavior.

Question 15

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 15

The most basic (bottom) needs must be met first.

Question 16

Self Determination Theory

Answer 16

SDT emphasizes the role of three universal needs: autonomy, the need to be in control of one’s actions and ideas; competence, the need to complete and excel at difficult tasks; and relatedness, the need to feel accepted and wanted in relationships.

Theorists explain that these three needs must be met in order to develop healthy relationships with oneself and others.

Question 17

Incentive theory

Answer 17

Explains motivation as the desire to pursue rewards and avoid punishments.

Question 18

Expectancy–value theory

Answer 18

States that the amount of motivation for a task is based on the individual’s expectation of success and the amount that success is valued.

Question 19

Opponent-process theory

Answer 19

Explains motivation for drug use: as drug use increases, the body counteracts its effects by changing its physiology, leading to tolerance and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Question 20

What is one thing that motivates human sexual behavior?

Answer 20

Sexual motivation is related to hormones (estrogens, progesterone, and androgens) as well as cultural and social factors.

Question 21

Physiological Component of Emotion

Answer 21

Changes in the sympathetic nervous system.

Question 22

Behavioral Component of Emotion

Answer 22

Facial expressions and body language.

Question 23

Cognitive Component of Emotion

Answer 23

The subjective interpretation of the feeling being experienced.

Question 24

Universal Emotions

Answer 24

Paul Ekman described 7 basic emotions: Happiness, sadness, contempt, surprise, fear, disgust, and anger.

Question 25

James–Lange theory

Answer 25

Nervous system arousal leads to a cognitive response in which the emotion is labeled.

Question 26

Cannon–Bard theory

Answer 26

The simultaneous arousal of the nervous system and cognitive response lead to action.

Question 27

Schachter–Singer theory

Answer 27

Nervous system arousal and interpretation of context lead to a cognitive response. One must analyze the environment in relation to nervous system arousal.

Question 28

Amygdala

Answer 28

Involved with attention and fear, helps interpret facial expressions, and is part of the intrinsic memory system for emotional memory.

Question 29

Thalamus

Answer 29

Sensory processing station. It routes information to the cortex and other appropriate areas of the brain.

Question 30

Hypothalamus

Answer 30

Releases neurotransmitters that affect mood and arousal. It largely dictates emotional states.

Question 31

Hippocampus

Answer 31

Creates long-term explicit (episodic) memories.

Question 32

Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 32

Involved with planning, expressing personality, and making decisions.

Question 33

Ventral Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 33

Critical for experiencing emotion.

Question 34

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 34

Involved in controlling emotional responses from the amygdala and decision-making.

Question 35

What are the two stages of stress appraisal?

Answer 35

Primary Appraisal and Secondary Appraisal

Question 36

Primary Appraisal

Answer 36

The initial evaluation of the environment and the associated threat. This appraisal can be identified as irrelevant, benign–positive, or stressful. If primary appraisal reveals a threat, stage 2 appraisal begins.

Question 37

Secondary Appraisal

Answer 37

Directed at evaluating whether the organism can cope with the stress. This appraisal involves the evaluation of three things: harm, or damage caused by the event; threat, or the potential for future damage caused by the event; and challenge, or the potential to overcome and possibly benefit from the event.

Question 38

Distress

Answer 38

Occurs when experiencing unpleasant stressors.

Question 39

Eustress

Answer 39

Result of positive conditions. Eustress can include life events such as graduating from college, achieving a high score on the MCAT, getting married.

Question 40

The sequence of physiological responses is called?

Answer 40

The “general adaptation syndrome”. The three stages are: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.