Motivation and Emotion Flashcards
Drive reduction theory of motivation
Suggests that behaviour is motivated by the need to reduce imbalances or drives such as hunger, thirst, or sex.
It is based on the idea of homeostasis - the bodies need to maintain a steady and balanced state.
Bodily needs are triggered when there is a deficit, such as a lack of food or water and the body is in disequilibrium.
This need activates a drive, which motivates us to eat or drink (any relevant action) to return our body to homeostasis.
Motivation
A need or desire that directs behaviour
Sensation Seeking theory
Proposes that an individual’s need for varied or novel experiences is the basis of motivation. We feel driven to experience stimulation and increase our arousal levels.
Experience seeking
A desire for novel sensory or mental experiences
Thrill or Adventure-seeking
An attraction to risky or fear-inspiring activities such as skydiving
Disinhibition
A loss of self-control
Boredom susceptibility
The inability to tolerate monotony or repetition
The Yerkes-Dodson law
States that we usually perform most activities best when moderately aroused, and efficiency of performance is usually lower when arousal is either very high or very low.
- We tend to perform difficult or newly learned tasks better at a lower level of arousal, but we tend to perform very easy or well-learned tasks at a higher level of arousal.
Competence (Self-determination theory of motivation)
The ability, strength or intellect to accomplish a task
Autonomy (Self-determination theory of motivation)
The feeling of being in charge of your own goals and behaviour
Relatedness (Self-determination theory of motivation)
A sense of social belonging
Intrinsic Motivation
Motivation to perform a behaviour for one’s own sake - it enhances the 3 ‘CAR’ needs
Extrinsically Motivated
Performing behaviours only due to the promise of some reward or to avoid punishment.
Lewin’s Motivational Conflicts Theory
1) Approach-approach conflicts - involves two positive options but you can only have one…
2) Aviodence - avoidance conflicts - two negative options and you must choose one.
3) Approach-avoidance conflicts - whether or not to choose an option with both positive and negative consequences.
Hunger Motivation
- Hormones, regulated by the hypothalamus via the pituitary gland
- Grahlin - sends ‘I am hungry signal to the brain’
- Leptin - brain increases metabolism and decreases hunger
Emotion
- Also known as an ‘affect’
- Is a complex psychological process that is distinguished from reasoning or knowledge
Facial-feedback hypothesis
Suggests that our facial expressions affect our emotional experiences. Smiling seems to result in positive moods and frowning in negative moods.
Cognitively labelling
-An emotional experience requires a conscious interpretation of the arousal.
- Labelling the arousal - “scary” or “angry”
Cognitive appraisal theory
Our emotional experience does not require conscious thinking. Emotions arise when we interpret an event as either harmless or dangerous - a mental function that we are not aware we are performing.
The Broaden and Build Theory
Argues that positive emotional experiences can have knock-on effects, such as resilience and enhancing mental health
Display rules
Standards as to how individuals display feelings within their given societies
Elicitors for emotions
A facial emotional expression - which differs across cultures
