Motivation

Question 1

Motivation

Answer 1

An internal state or condition that directs behaviour.

Motives= one’s needs or desires.

Question 2

Instinct theory: explains human behaviour as motivated instincts

Answer 2

Instincts= innate automate, and unlearned responses activated by stimuli in environment.
Problem: cannot explain learned secondary motivations (eg. avoid exams).

Question 3

Drive reduction theory: drive is unpleasant state of arousal or tension caused by a need

Answer 3

Drive impels organism to engage in behaviour to satisfy and reduce tension.
Maintenance of homeostasis: important for survival (eg. food, water); social homeostasis (maintaining contact with special others).
Taste reactivity test: sodium chloride solution- response depends on sodium level in the body (indication on physiological state on motivation).

Question 4

Arousal theory: aim of motivation is to maintain an optimum level

Answer 4

Yerkes-Dodson law- medium level of arousal increases performance.
Reticular activating system (RAS)- extends from medulla to forebrain; controls motor areas in spinal cord and increases arousal and attention in various cortical areas.

Question 5

Incentive theories: motivations have appetitive and consummatory phases

Answer 5

Appetitive phase (incentive)- means necessary to get to an end situation/goal; wanting; incentive.

• Depending on the goals; incentive= attraction towards reward; individual differences in how it is achieved.
• Classical conditioning between stimuli and incentives plays role in motivation.

Consummatory phase (reward)- what one does in the end situation; liking; reward.

• More stereotypic behaviours in non-humans.
• Reward value alters over time.

Mesolimbic dopamine pathway is activated, the animal tends to approach this incentive.

Question 6

Individual differences

Answer 6

Impulsiveness: tendency to choose immediate reward; influenced by nearness.
Self-control: tendency to choose delayed rewards, influenced less my nearness.
Benefits of self-control: higher grades, better interpersonal relationships etc.

Question 7

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 7

Physiological needs: eg. breathing, food, water.
Safety & security: health, employment.
Love & belonging: friendship, family.
Self-esteem: confidence, respect of others.
Self-actualisation: morality, acceptance, meaning ad inner potential.

Question 8

Motivated forgetting

Answer 8

Clinically reported as ‘suppression’.
Argument whether this is conscious or unconscious.
Refers to increased forgetting arising from active processes that down-prioritise un
wanted experience.
Fundamental motivation that underpins this type of suppression induced forgetting.
fMRI studies have shown role of frontal brain regions and hippocampus involved.