Motivation Flashcards
What is motivation?
Interplay between nature (the bodily “push”) and nuture (“pulls” from personal experiences, thoughts, and cultures)
Nature and nuture
What is instinct?
Complex behavior with a fixed pattern throughout a species and is not learned
Source of motivation
What is evolutionary theory?
Genes predispose some species-typical behavior
What are psychological needs?
Create an aroused and motivated state
any need that is essential to mental health or that is otherwise not a biological necessity
What is a drive?
Pushes us to reduce psychological needs
What is drive-reduction theory?
When a need increases, so does our drive to reduce it
What is homeostasis?
Maintenance for a steady internal state
What is arousal theory?
Human motivation aims not to eliminate arousal but to seek optimum levels of arousal. Having all our biological needs satisfied, we feel driven to experience stimulation.
Who developed the hierarchy of needs?
Maslow
What are the 6 needs in the hierarchy?
Physiological - satisfy hunger, thirst
Safety - feel world is organized and predictable
Belongingness and love - avoid loneliness and separation
Esteem - self esteem, achievement, competence, independence, recognition, respect
Self-actualization - need to achieve
Self-transcendence - find meaning and identity beyond the self
In what order can you meet various needs in the hierarchy?
Physiological Safety Belongingness and love Esteem Self-actualization Self-transcendence
Are stomach contractions necessary for hunger?
No
Why do our bodies keep track of glucose?
Regulates hunger
What happens when blood glucose levels drop?
Your brain will trigger hunger
What happens when the arcuate nucleus releases hormones?
Stimulates appetite
What happens when the arcuate nucleus is destroyed?
Animals will show no interest in food and start starving
What happens when the hypothalamic region that secretes appetite stimulating hormones is destroyed?
Animals can’t stop eating and become obese
What is ghrelin and what is its function?
Hunger-arousing hormone
Where does ghrelin get secreted from?
Empty stomach
What role does ghrelin play in bypass surgery?
The surgery seals off part of the stomach, it produces less ghrelin, and decreases appetite
What is the ecology of eating and what are some examples?
Situation influences on eating
Friends and food - eat more
Serving size - affects how much people eat
Stimulating selections - eat more if something looks good
Nudging nutrition - offering children carrots before they picked up other food resulted in 4x higher carrot intake
When do hormones rise and fall for each sex?
Rise:
Females - estrogen peak at ovulation
Males - relatively constant
Fall: Later in life
Females - menopause
Males - decline more gradually
Why were social bonds important for our ancestors?
Higher chances of survival
According to Ryan & Deci (2000), what three needs do people strive to satisfy?
Self-determination Theory:
- Competence: having knowledge and ability
- Autonomy: a sense of personal growth
- Relatedness: having social connections
How does fulfilling these needs (competence, autonomy, relatedness) affect health and well-being?
Increases health
Reduces stress
Boosts self-esteem
What is motivation achievement and why does it matter?
A desire for significant accomplishment, for mastering skills or ideas, for control, and attaining a high standard
Children with top 1% intelligence scores were found 40 years later - most successful were more ambitious, energetic, and persistent
Self-discipline has surpassed intelligence test scores in predicting school performance, attendance, and graduation honors
What are the two types of motivation and how are they different?
Intrinsic Motivation - the desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake
Extrinsic Motivation - behaving in certain ways that gain external rewards or avoid threatened punishment
