Motivation

Question 1

What does ‘motivation’ mean in psych terms?

Answer 1

• changes in behaviour

- motives initiates behaviour

Question 2

What is a ‘motive’?

Answer 2

Factors that energise, direct or sustain behaviour

> motivation acts as the bridge between psych and physiology

Question 3

Describe Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs

Answer 3

• connects physiological, psych + social

> physiological needs - basic level
self-actualisation - the top of the pyramid

Question 4

What factors motivate behaviour?

Answer 4

Motivation to succeed - arousal + peak performance

Question 5

What is the Dodson Law [Yerkes]?

Answer 5

suggests that performance increases w/ arousal

THEN

decreases w/rising arousal

Question 6

Define ‘delayed gratification’

Answer 6

the ability to postpone immediate gratification in the posit of long-term goals

Question 7

What are the 2 basic physiological drives?

Answer 7

• Thermoregulation

- feeding/hunger

Question 8

What does the hypothalamus do?

Answer 8

• 4 Fs

- involved in many motivated behaviours

Question 9

What were the conclusions of Magoun’s research?

Answer 9

> thermoreceptors respond to temp

> warmed cat’s anterior hypothalamus

Question 10

What did Magoun’s research support?

Answer 10

• the idea that the hypothalamus is involved in homeostasis + thermoregulation

Question 11

What is the Dual-centre theory?

Answer 11

• hypothalamus has 2 centres
  1. hunger centre
  2. satiety (full)

Question 12

How does Dual-centre theory work?

Answer 12

2 antagonistic components
> ON: Signals to start eating
> OFF: signals to stop eating

Question 13

What causes the rats to overeat?

Answer 13

lesions to ventromedial hypothalamus [VMH]

Question 14

What causes the rats to stop eating?

Answer 14

lesions to lateral hypothalamus

Question 15

Describe the Fat rat study

Answer 15

the rat kept eating due to lesion in the VMH

Question 16

Problem with DCT

Answer 16

the fat rat doesn’t keep eating > eventually the weight will be maintained

Question 17

What is anorexia about?

Answer 17

Unhealthy way to cope with emotional problems.

Thinness = self-worth

Question 18

What is anorexia?

Answer 18

Self-imposed weight loss
losing 15% of normal weight
social influence caused an increase

Question 19

What is bulimia

Answer 19

Binging and purging

Question 20

Causes of undereating disorders?

Answer 20

Biological factors: hypothalamus + serotonin

Personality/family factors: coming from a family that demands perfection

Question 21

Describe the links between obesity + psychological health?

Answer 21

• negative stereotypes
• lower self-esteem
• likely to suffer from mental health issues

Question 22

Give 2 reasons why sex is motivating.

Answer 22

1. natural selection - sex = satisfying state

2. social motive, complex = initiates other behaviours

Question 23

What is the primary sex organ?

Answer 23

The brain

Question 24

How is the hypothalamus involved in sexual response?

Answer 24

stimulated > increased sexual pursuit > copulation

Question 25

What were the 4 things Masters + Johnson noticed?

Answer 25

1. women vary more than men
2. women respond slower BUT arouse for longer
3. women can have multiple orgasms
4. penis size ≠ performance

Question 26

What were Master + Johnson’s conclusions?

Answer 26

• Men + women have similar sexual response cycles

- women vary&raquo_space; men

Question 27

Interpersonal factors - general arousal can be translated into _____ ?

Answer 27

Sexual arousal

Question 28

What are the 3 myths surrounding sexual orientation?

Answer 28

• ID w/opposite sex parent doesn’t change sex. orientation
• first sexual encounter doesn’t change orientation
• person cannot be ‘recruited’

Question 29

Describe the Dresden experiment

Answer 29

• After WWII, more homosexual males were born than before

> correlated with the stress experienced by the mothers

Question 30

How does stress affect testosterone levels?

Answer 30

releases cortisol&raquo_space; Blocks testosterone synthesis in adrenal glands

Question 31

Describe LeVay’s anatomical study

Answer 31

• studies dead males who had died from AIDS

- parts of hypothalamus > in hetero men than in homosexual men/women

Question 32

Why was LeVay’s study problematic?

Answer 32

• brain died/changed bc of AIDS

Question 33

What does Dresden’s study suggest?

Answer 33

Foetuses didn’t get proper doses of testosterone at critical times

Question 34

Describe the Pig Birth order study

Answer 34

• pigs of utero are connected
• # of male siblings upstream of female predicts amount of male behaviour observed later
• testosterone generated by males travels down to female’s system

Question 35

How is gender programmed in the brain?

Answer 35

turn on testosterone secretion in M Foetuses
> turns on alpha feta protein
> bonds w ESTRADIOL MOL.
> prevents it from changing from F to M

Question 36

What is Bem’s “Exotic Beomces Erotic” Theory?

Answer 36

• if the kid doesn’t conform, they feel EXOTIC

- this exotic feeling leads to physiological arousal&raquo_space; then interpreted as SEXUAL AROUSAL (EXOTIC)