Motivation

Question 1

Who and when invented the polygraph machine?

Answer 1

John Agustus Larson, 1921

Question 2

What is another name commonly used for the polygraph machine?

Answer 2

Lie detector

Question 3

What are the two psychological factors that contributes to success?

Answer 3

Motivation and Emotions.

Question 4

What is motivation?

Answer 4

Motivation refers to the various psychological and physiological factors that cause a person to act in a specific way at a particular time.

Question 5

What are the three characteristics of motivation?

Answer 5

1. Energized: Motivation provides the energy to take action.
2. Direct: Motivation guides actions toward a specific direction.
3. Intensities: The level of motivation varies, such as mildly motivated, moderately motivated or highly motivated.

Question 6

How many types of motivation theories are there? What are they?

Answer 6

There are three types of motivation theories.

1. Content Theory: Also known as theories based on needs, they focus on what motivates people based on their needs.
2. Process Theory: In process theory, we study how people give meaning to rewards and make decisions on work-related behavior.
   Ex: someone will be motivated by getting ₹100 but at the same time another one might not be motivated because he is already rich
3. Reinforcement Theory: This theory explains how people’s behavior is influenced by environmental consequences.
   i.e., when an individual does something, the environment reacts to it, which in turn motivates further behavior.

Question 7

What are the Content theories of motivation?

Answer 7

1. Hierarchy of Needs Theory
   
   • Presented by Abraham Maslow
   • Presented by McClelland
2. Two-Factor Theory (Presented by Herzberg)
3. ERG Theory (Existence, Relatedness, and Growth)
4. Acquired Needs Theory
   .
   (Various other theories also form part of content theories of motivation.)

Question 8

What are the process theories of motivation?

Answer 8

1. Equity Theory
2. Expectancy Theory
3. Goal Setting Theory

Question 9

What are the must-study 10 theories of motivation for the entrance exam?

Answer 9

1. Instinct Theory
   
   • Presented by Freud
   • Presented by MacDougall
   • Presented by William James
2. Biological Approach of Motivation
3. Drive Theory of Motivation
4. Maslow’s Need Theory
5. McClelland’s Need Theory
6. Two-Factor Theory
7. Equity Theory
8. Expectancy Theory
9. McGregor’s Participative Theory
10. Urwick’s Theory

Question 10

What are the instincts listed by McDougall?

Answer 10

William McDougall identified a variety of instincts that guide human behavior. Some key instincts listed by McDougall include:

1. Hunting Instinct / Hunger Instinct: The drive to seek food for survival.
2. Rejection of Substance: The instinct to avoid harmful substances.
3. Sexual Instinct / Sexual Intercourse: The drive for reproduction.
4. Crying
5. Laughter: A social and emotional response tied to joy or amusement.
6. Comfort: The instinct to seek physical or emotional comfort.
7. Sleep/Rest: The natural need for rest and refreshment.
8. Migration: The instinct to move to new locations, often for survival or better conditions.
9. Parental Instinct / Maternal and Paternal Instincts: The instinct to care for and nurture and protect offspring.
10. Gregariousness / Social Instinct: The desire to engage in social bonding and relationships.
11. Self-assertive Instinct: The desire to express individuality and assert one’s will.
12. Submission: The tendency to yield or submit in certain situations.
13. Curiosity: The drive to explore and learn the unknowns.
14. Escape: The instinct to flee from danger or threat.
15. Pugnacity Tendency to engage in aggressive or combative behavior, often in response to threats or challenges, ready to fight.
16. Construction: The instinct to build and create communities or structures.
17. Acquisitive Instinct: The drive to acquire resources, such as food, wealth, or power.
    etc…

Question 11

What are the Instinct Theories explained by three different psychologists?

Answer 11

1. Sigmund Freud’s Freudian Motivation Theory:
   
   • Freud posited that unconscious psychological forces, such as hidden desires and motives, shape an individual’s behavior.
   • Two Types of Instincts:
     
     • Life Instinct (Eros): Includes activities necessary for survival, such as sexual activities, eating, etc.
     • Death Instinct (Thanatos): individuals presenting death instincts through engaging in aggressive behavior or dangerous activities without considering the threat, e.g., fighting, stunts.
       (sometimes we could find that individuals are not hearing themselves while they are doing dangerous activities. when individual involved in dangerous activities without thinking about their threat and consequences that is death instinct)
2. William McDougall’s Instinct Theory:
   
   • Defined instinct as an inborn capacity for a purposive action.

• According to McDaugal there are two characteristics of instincts:
  
  • There must be inborn capacity
• and there is a purpose.

So if there are inborn capacity for purposive action, we can say that is instinct
- Examples:
Ability to suck (Infant sucking),
Ability to speak (to make communication)
Ability to cry (infant crying to get something/ to get attention).

3. William James’s Instinct Theory:
   
   • James argued that any behavior exhibited by an individual without prior exposure or education or experience and no matter it is inborn capacity or not, that is instinct according William James.
   • Example: A mother taking care of her baby, which is not an inborn capacity but a behavior that develops over time.

Question 12

Who are the three theorists contributed to the instinct theories of motivation ?

Answer 12

1. Sigmund Freud
   
   • Life Instinct (Eros)
   • Death Instinct (Thanatos)
2. William McDougall
3. William James

Question 13

When did McDougall claim that humans were motivated by a variety of instincts?

Answer 13

in 1908, McDougall claimed that humans are motivated by a variety of instincts in his book “An Introduction to Social Psychology”.

Question 14

Which hormone serves as a stop-eating signal to the brain?

Answer 14

CCK (Cholecystokinin): A hormone that acts as a stop-eating signal to the brain. It is released in the small intestine and helps regulate appetite by promoting satiety.

Question 15

Which part of the hypothalamus acts as the hunger center (start eating center), and which part of the hypothalamus acts as the satiety center (stop eating center)?

Answer 15

• Lateral Hypothalamus: Acts as the hunger center, stimulating the drive to eat.
• Ventromedial Hypothalamus: Acts as the satiety center, signaling fullness and stopping the urge to eat.

Question 16

What are the hierarchy needs of Abraham Maslow?

Answer 16

Abraham Maslow (1954) proposed a hierarchy of needs consisting of 5 levels divided into 3 categories:

1. Basic Needs:
   
   • Physiological Needs: Food, water, warmth, rest.
   • Safety Needs: Security, safety.
2. Psychological Needs:
   
   • Belongingness and Love Needs: Intimate relationships, friends.
   • Esteem Needs: Prestige, feeling of accomplishment.
3. Self-fulfillment Needs:
   
   • Self-actualization: Achieving one’s full potential, including creative activities.

Question 17

According to Masters and Johnson, mental or physical stimulation causes sexual arousal in which phase?
Options:
a. Orgasm
b. Resolution
c. Excitement
d. Plateau

Answer 17

Answer: c. Excitement

Explanation:
The sexual response cycle, as proposed by Masters and Johnson (1966), includes four stages:
1. Excitement: The initial phase triggered by physical or mental erotic stimuli, such as kissing, petting, or viewing erotic images, leading to sexual arousal.
2. Plateau: The plateau phase is the period of a heightened state of sexual excitement prior to orgasm. The phase is characterized by an increased heart rate and blood circulation to the genital areas and other parts of the body in both sexes, increased sexual pleasure with increased stimulation, and further increased muscle tension

3. Orgasm: Orgasm is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle and the peak of sexual pleasure experienced by both males and females. It is accompanied by rhythmic muscle contractions in the lower pelvic muscles, which surround both the anus and the primary sexual organs.
4. Resolution: The resolution phase occurs after orgasm and allows the muscles to relax, blood pressure to drop and the body to slow down from its excited state. The refractory period is part of the resolution phase and is the time frame in which usually a man is unable to orgasm again, though women can also experience a refractory period.

Question 18

A research participant eats half a bowl of M&M candies, and then stops eating. How would a motivation researcher using drive reduction theory explain this participant’s behavior?

Options:
a. Humans are instinctively driven to eat sugar and fat when presented to them.
b. The Yerkes-Dodson law explains that people will eat food when presented to them, but usually in moderate amounts in order to avoid being perceived as selfish.
c. The primary drive of hunger motivated the person to eat, and then stop when she/he regained homeostasis.
d. The research participant was satisfying the second step on the hierarchy of needs: Food needs.
e. Each person uses incentives in order to determine what to be motivated to do. This person decided on a hunger incentive and ate half the candies.

Answer 18

Answer: c. The primary drive of hunger motivated the person to eat, and then stop when she/he regained homeostasis.

Explanation:
Drive Reduction Theory proposed by Clark Hull suggests that we are motivated by primary drives (like hunger) and secondary drives. Once we satisfy these drives (e.g., eating when hungry), we restore homeostasis (balance). In this case, the participant stops eating once the drive of hunger is satisfied.

Further Clarification on Primary and Secondary Drives:
In the Drive Reduction Theory of Motivation, a drive refers to an internal state of tension or arousal that motivates an individual to take action to reduce this tension and restore a state of balance (homeostasis). Drives are categorized into primary drives and secondary drives:

• Definition: These are innate, biological drives essential for survival.
• Characteristics:
  
  • Present at birth.
  • Directly linked to physiological needs.
  • Universal across all individuals.
• Examples:
  
  • Hunger (drives eating behavior).
  • Thirst (drives drinking behavior).
  • Sleep (drives resting behavior).
  • Avoidance of pain (drives protective behaviors).

• Definition: These are learned or acquired drives that develop through experience and association with primary drives.
• Characteristics:
  
  • Not innate; learned through social and environmental interactions.
  • Associated with fulfilling emotional or social needs.
• Examples:
  
  • Desire for money (because it helps buy food, shelter, etc.).
  • Academic achievement (associated with gaining respect or fulfilling ambitions).
  • Social approval (to satisfy belongingness needs).

• Primary drives are biologically rooted and essential for survival.
• Secondary drives are culturally or socially acquired and help meet psychological or emotional needs.

The theory suggests that individuals are motivated to act to reduce these drives, thereby achieving balance or satisfaction.

Question 19

Mark has invited his younger brother to the movies. That day, he receives an invitation to a party from a girl he wants to date. He wants to go to the party but has looked forward to his plans with his brother. Mark is experiencing which type of conflict?

Options:
a. Multiple approach-avoidance conflict
b. Approach-avoidance conflict
c. Approach-approach conflict

Answer 19

Answer: Approach-approach conflict

Explanation:
Approach-approach conflict occurs when an individual faces a choice between two equally desirable goals or options. In this case, Mark is torn between going to the party (which is attractive because of his interest in the girl) and spending time with his brother (which is also appealing). Both options are attractive, creating a conflict.

Question 20

What is the eating disorder characterized by self-starvation, extreme food restriction, and a fear of gaining weight, despite being underweight?

Answer 20

Anorexia Nervosa
- Cause: Primarily psychological, driven by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image.
- Behavior: Self-starvation, extreme food restriction, and obsession with body weight and shape.
- Outcome: Dangerous weight loss and malnutrition, with individuals often seeing themselves as overweight despite being underweight.

Question 21

What is the genetic disorder characterized by constant hunger, leading to overeating, along with developmental delays and low muscle tone?

Answer 21

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)
- Cause: A genetic condition caused by the absence of certain genes on chromosome 15.
- Behavior: Individuals experience constant hunger due to a dysfunction in the brain’s hunger regulation, leading to overeating.
- Outcome: Overeating can result in life-threatening obesity, but it is not driven by a distorted body image.
- Key Fact: PWS is also associated with developmental delays, short stature (குல்லம்), and emotional challenges.

Question 22

Imprinting is rooted in __________.
Options:
a. Drive reduction
b. Conditioning
c. Homeostasis
d. Unconscious desire
e. Instinct

Answer 22

Answer: Instinct

Explanation:
Imprinting is an instinctual process that occurs early in life, where certain animals form attachments to the first moving object they see, usually their parents. This concept was famously studied by Konrad Lorenz with geese. Imprinting provides an evolutionary advantage by ensuring that young animals stay close to their parents for protection, feeding, and learning. This instinct is crucial for survival and attachment formation. Similar to this concept, John Bowlby proposed that attachment behaviour in human infants evolved for the same reasons.

Question 23

What is the correct sequence of events of hunger motivation?
Indicate your answers using the codes given below:
1) Energy level set to its point
2) A bout of eating
3) Presence of an energy deficit
4) Satiation
5) Hunger

Answer 23

Answer: 3, 5, 2, 1, 4

Explanation:
1. Presence of an energy deficit: The body detects an energy imbalance (deficit).
2. Hunger: This triggers the feeling of hunger, motivating the person to seek food.
3. A bout of eating: (bout means - period of an activity) The individual begins eating to replenish energy levels.
4. Energy level set to its point: The body’s energy levels return to the set point, which is the desired balance of energy.
5. Satiation: The person feels satisfied and no longer desires to eat further.

This sequence reflects how the body regulates hunger and eating based on energy balance.

Question 24

The maintenance of steady states of temperature and blood pressure are examples of ____________________.

Answer 24

Answer: Homeostasis

Explanation:
Homeostasis refers to the body’s ability to maintain stable internal conditions (such as temperature, blood pressure, and other vital processes) despite external changes. The body uses feedback systems to regulate these processes, ensuring that they remain within a range that supports optimal functioning. For example, when body temperature rises, mechanisms like sweating are activated to cool the body down, maintaining a steady state.

Question 25

Abraham Maslow is most closely linked to the notion of:

Options:
a. Drives
b. Instinct
c. Self-actualization

Answer 25

Answer:
Self-actualization

Explanation:
Abraham Maslow is most closely linked to the notion of self-actualization. (notion means: idea) Maslow saw human behaviour as motivated primarily by a drive toward growth and fulfilment of needs, ranging from the most basic physiological needs to higher psychological needs such as belonging and self-esteem. At the highest level of the hierarchy is self-actualization in which individuals are motivated to reach their fullest potential.

Question 26

Which theory predicts that work motivation will be low if an employee perceives that increased effort will have little or no effect on his/her performance?

Answer 26

Answer:
Expectancy Theory

Explanation:
Expectancy theory proposes that work motivation is dependent upon the perceived association between performance and outcomes and individuals modify their behaviour based on their calculation of anticipated outcomes. The theory emphasizes that individuals make decisions based on their expectations of future outcomes.

Question 27

What is the order of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 27

Answer:
Physiological, Safety, Belongingness, Esteem, Self-actualization

Explanation:
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs begins with physiological needs (such as food, water, and shelter), followed by safety needs (such as security and stability). The next level is belongingness and love needs (such as relationships and affection), followed by esteem needs (such as self-respect and recognition). Finally, at the top of the hierarchy is self-actualization, where individuals strive to realize their fullest potential and personal growth.

Question 28

A person whose survival needs are met but whose meta needs are unfulfilled falls into a:

Options:
a. Experiences despair
b. Apathy and Alienation
c. Syndrome of decay
d. All a., b. and c. are correct

Answer 28

Answer:
All a., b. and c. are correct

Explanation:
Meta needs refer to higher-level needs such as personal growth, self-fulfillment, and the pursuit of meaning. When these needs are not fulfilled, a person may experience despair (a sense of hopelessness), alienation (feeling disconnected from others or society), and apathy (lack of interest or motivation), leading to a syndrome of decay (a state of deterioration or stagnation).

(Deterioration refers to the process of decline or decrease in well-being or functionality. Stagnation, on the other hand, refers to a lack of progress or growth, where an individual might feel stuck and unable to move forward in life.)

Question 29

The desire for mastery, excellence, and accomplishment is known as:

Options:
a. Perceptual motive
b. Achievement motive

Answer 29

Answer:
Achievement motive

Explanation:
The achievement motive is the desire to accomplish goals, seek success, and attain excellence in various aspects of life.

Question 30

Which brain structure is most centrally involved in hunger motivation?

Answer 30

Answer:
Hypothalamus

Explanation:
The hypothalamus plays a central role in hunger motivation.
- Stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus triggers hunger, encouraging eating.
- Stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus suppresses hunger and signals the organism to stop eating.
Other brain structures are involved in various functions but are not as directly linked to hunger regulation as the hypothalamus.

Question 31

Maslow believed that higher needs are expressed only when the prepotent physiological needs are:

Options:
a. Dissatisfied
b. Satisfied
c. Saturated
d. Stabled

Answer 31

Answer:
b. Satisfied

Explanation:
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that higher-order needs (like self-actualization) can only be pursued when lower-order, basic physiological needs (like food, water, and shelter) are satisfied.

Question 32

People with high self-esteem tend to attribute failure to _________ factors and success to ______ factors.

Options:
a. Internal; external
b. External; internal

Answer 32

Answer:
b. External; internal

Explanation:
People with high self-esteem use self-protective mechanisms to maintain their confidence. They attribute failures to external factors (e.g., bad luck, unfair circumstances) and successes to internal factors (e.g., effort, ability). This strategy helps preserve their self-esteem. In contrast, individuals with low self-esteem are more likely to do the opposite, attributing failures to themselves and successes to external causes.

Question 33

If the ventromedial hypothalamus of a rat is destroyed:

Options:
a. The rat will starve to death
b. The rat will only eat when it feels hungry
c. The rat will begin to feel full
d. The rat will become obese

Answer 33

Answer:
d. The rat will become obese

Explanation:
The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) plays a key role in regulating hunger and creating a sense of satiety (fullness). If the VMH is destroyed, the signal to stop eating is disrupted, causing the rat to overeat and become obese. This phenomenon has been observed in experiments where VMH destruction resulted in excessive eating and significant weight gain. Same kind of obesity also seen by a Viennese physician - Alfred Frohlich, in his human patients affected with tumor near hypothalamus.

Question 34

Which of the following is not a level in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Options:
a. Self-actualization
b. Safety
c. Physiological
d. Sexual gratification
e. Esteem

Answer 34

Answer:
d. Sexual gratification

Explanation:
Sexual gratification refers to the fulfillment of sexual desires or pleasures. While physiological needs in Maslow’s hierarchy include basic bodily functions such as food, water, and shelter, sexual gratification is not explicitly categorized as a separate level. Maslow’s hierarchy consists of physiological needs, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization as the core levels.

Question 35

If a person does not eat for a period of time, it causes a need for food. This need produces a state of tension. The tension energizes the person to act in some way to find food, thereby returning the body to homeostasis. This is an example of which theory?

Answer 35

Answer:
Drive reduction theory

Explanation:
The drive reduction theory explains that a physiological need (such as hunger) creates a drive (state of tension) that motivates an organism to act to satisfy the need, thus reducing the tension and restoring balance (homeostasis).

Question 36

Which of the following is a secondary motive?
Options:
a. Curiosity
b. The desire for money
c. Physical contact
d. Hunger
e. Thirst

Answer 36

Answer:
The desire for money

Explanation:
Secondary motives are learned motives, unlike primary motives, which are innate and biological. The desire for money is a secondary motive as it is acquired through experience and learning, often influenced by social and cultural factors.

Additional note: This concept is explained by learning theories, such as operant conditioning, which highlight how secondary motives develop through reinforcement and association with primary needs.

Question 37

Which theorist distinguished between deficiency motivation and growth motivation?

Answer 37

Answer:
Abraham Maslow

Explanation:
Abraham Maslow distinguished between two types of motivation. He presumed that people are motivated in two ways. 1. Deficiency motivation, 2. Growth motivation

• Deficiency motivation refers to restoring physical or psychological equilibrium.
• Growth motivation refers to moving beyond stability to new challenges and satisfactions.

Question 38

Assertion (A): Every cigarette pack has a verbal and pictorial warning of the negative consequences of smoking.
Reason (R): Inconsistent cognitions have motivational properties.

Options:
a. A is true but R is false
b. Both A and R are false
c. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
d. A is false but R is true

Answer 38

Answer:
Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

Explanation:
1. Pictorial warnings on cigarette packs are used to reduce the appeal of smoking and motivate smokers to quit. The visual impact of these warnings triggers emotional responses, which help in reducing the positive attitudes toward smoking.
2. According to Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1957), when there is an inconsistency between the smoker’s positive attitude toward smoking and the negative attitude towards the warning, it creates cognitive dissonance. This inconsistency generates discomfort, motivating the individual to resolve the dissonance, potentially by quitting smoking. Thus, inconsistent cognitions (positive feelings about smoking versus negative feelings about the warnings) can lead to a motivational drive to change behavior.

Further Clarification:
Cognitive Dissonance Theory posits that people are motivated to reduce the discomfort caused by inconsistent cognitions.
Cognitive Inconsistency refers to the state of holding conflicting cognitions (thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, etc.). For example, if a person believes both that smoking is harmful but also enjoys smoking, they are experiencing cognitive inconsistency (cognitive dissonance), which causes discomfort.
(dissonance means inconsistency)

Question 39

Drive reduction aims to restore a steady state of physiological equilibrium known as _________.

Answer 39

Answer:
Homeostasis

Explanation:
Homeostasis is a state of physiological equilibrium obtained when tension or a drive has been reduced or eliminated.

Question 40

What is the chemical formula of dopamine?

Answer 40

Answer:
C₈ H₁₁ NO₂

Question 41

What is the reward pleasure center in the brain?

Answer 41

Answer:
Nucleus Accumbens

Explanation
The Nucleus Accumbens is a key brain structure involved in the reward and pleasure system. It plays a central role in reinforcing pleasurable experiences and motivating behavior by processing dopamine signals. This area is activated in response to rewarding stimuli such as food, social interactions, and addictive substances.

Question 42

What are the two specific areas of the brain responsible for reward and motivation?

Answer 42

Answer:
Nucleus Accumbens and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)

Explanation
1. Nucleus Accumbens (NAc):
- Located in the basal forebrain (basal means: bottom layer of), it is a critical component of the brain’s reward system.
- The NAc processes dopamine released from the VTA, reinforcing rewarding behaviors and motivation.

2. Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA):
   
   • Found in the midbrain, the VTA is a primary source of dopamine.
   • It connects to the NAc and other brain areas, initiating the reward pathway and influencing motivation and pleasure.

Together, these areas form the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which is fundamental to experiencing reward and motivation.

Question 43

Whenever we do something that makes us happy and feel good, that time there will be a dopamine secretion in _______ and ______ area of the brain.

Answer 43

Answer:
Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)

Explanation
- Nucleus Accumbens (NAc): This area is a key part of the brain’s reward system, where dopamine reinforces feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.
- Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA): Dopamine neurons in the VTA release dopamine into the NAc and other areas, initiating the reward response.

These regions work together to regulate the “feel-good” experiences associated with rewarding activities.

Question 44

VTA is rich with _______________ neurons.

Answer 44

Answer:
Dopaminergic

Explanation:
The Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) contains a high concentration of dopaminergic neurons, which play a critical role in reward, motivation, and emotional regulation.

Question 45

Suppose if there is a stimulation in VTA, it’s going to influence _______ and _________ area of the brain.

Answer 45

Answer:
Limbic System and Cortical Areas

Explanation:
The Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) is a critical part of the brain’s reward system. Stimulation of the VTA influences the limbic system (which is involved in emotion, motivation, and memory) and cortical areas (which include regions related to higher cognitive functions, such as the prefrontal cortex).
(Cortical area means: the upper part of the brain)