Motivation and Emotion

Question 1

Define motivation

Answer 1

• Goal-directed behavior
• Biological motives
  
  • satisfy bodily needs for survival
  • eg hunger, thirst, sleep, sex
• Social motives
  
  • acquired through learning and socialization
  • eg achievement, order, play

Question 2

Describe how hunger is regulated

Answer 2

• Biological
  
  • Brain: hypothalamus
  • Digestive: Neurons on the stomach wall feel stretch of the stomach
  • Hormonal: Leptin inhibits hunger; Ghrelin promotes hunger
• Environmental
  
  • Learned preferences and habits
  • Taste
  • Quantity
  • Variety
  • Presence of others
  • Stress
  • Food cue

Question 3

What determines sexual desire?

Answer 3

• Biological
  
  • Pheromones: chemical secreted by one animal that affects behavior of another
• Psychological
  
  • Attraction to partner: females tend to be selective
• Evolutionary
  
  • Parental investment theory (esp mammals and birds)

Question 4

Describe the aspects of emotions

Answer 4

• Physiological
  
  • Autonomic nervous system activated
• Neural
  
  • Detected by amygdala which activates hypothalamus
• Subjective-Cognitive
  
  • No complete control
  • Impact of emotions depends on how we label and evaluate it
• Behavioral
  
  • Expressed in body language
  • Facial-feedback: Muscular changes helps brain recognize emotion
• Cultural
  
  • Different display rules for emotions

Question 5

Describe the theories of emotion

Answer 5

• James-Lange
  
  • Autonomic responses are rapid
  • Physiological response followed by feeling emotion
• Cannon-Bard
  
  • Autonomic responses are not sufficient to trigger emotion
  • Physiological response and feeling emotion occur simultaneously
• Shakhter
  
  • Physiological response and appraisal (identifying stimulus) occur simultaneously
  • Followed by feeling emotion

Question 6

Describe the drive theories

Answer 6

• Internal state of tension that motivates the subject to engage in activities to reduce this tension
• Cannot explain all motivation

Question 7

Describe incentive theories

Answer 7

• External goal with the capacity to motivate behavior
• eg work promotion

Question 8

Describe evolutionary theories regarding motivation

Answer 8

• Motives are the products of evolution
• eg achievement, sex drive