Motivation and emotion part 2 Flashcards
What are the three main phases of the motivational process (Deckers, 2001)?
Choice of Target/Objective: Deciding which goal or motive to pursue.
Behavioral Dynamism: Taking action and choosing instrumental behaviors to achieve the goal.
Completion/Control Over the Action: Monitoring progress and assessing results.
What factors influence goal selection in the Choice of Target phase?
Intensity of the Motive: How strong the need or desire is.
Incentive Attractiveness: How appealing or rewarding the goal appears.
Subjective Probability of Success: How likely the individual believes they can succeed.
Striving for the Goal: The anticipated effort required to achieve the goal.
Example: A student choosing to study for an exam will consider how badly they want to pass (motive), how useful the grade will be (incentive), and their chances of success based on study time.
What is Behavioral Dynamism in the motivational process?
Behavioral Dynamism refers to the activities and actions taken to achieve the goal. It involves:
Selecting appropriate instrumental behaviors.
Adjusting and executing behaviors effectively to reach the goal.
Example: Someone wanting to improve their fitness might choose behaviors like following a workout plan and tracking progress.
The correct execution of instrumental behaviors depends on whether or not the goal chosen by the individual is achieved.
Example: “I have a lot of problems with my partner, but at the same time I want to stay with him/her”.
What happens during the Completion or Control phase of the motivational process?
This phase involves:
Monitoring Progress: Evaluating how well current actions are working.
Persisting or Changing: Deciding whether to continue with current behaviors, adjust the plan, or abandon the goal.
Example: If a painter isn’t seeing improvement despite practice, they might experiment with new techniques or abandon the goal of entering an art competition.
What is the more detailed structure of the motivational process?
Stimulus: Trigger for motivation (internal or external).
Perception: Recognizing the stimulus as relevant to the individual’s needs.
Evaluation/Appraisal: Judging the goal’s value and likelihood of success.
Goal Choice: Selecting a goal.
Decision to Act: Committing to specific behaviors.
Activation: Initiating behaviors to achieve the goal.
Direction: Focusing behaviors toward goal attainment.
Control of Results: Monitoring and adjusting actions as necessary.
Explain The Stimulus (Triggering Motivation)
A stimulus is what kicks off the motivation process.
This can be:
External: Seeing an ad for a gym, hearing someone talk about an exciting new job opportunity.
Internal: Feeling hungry, wanting to achieve something in life.
Real or Not: The belief that something is possible or necessary can still act as a stimulus, even if it’s not entirely based on reality.
Not real: These are stimuli that are not physically real but still influence behavior because a person believes in them. Example: Someone is scared to walk in a dark alley because they think something dangerous might be there, even if there’s nothing.
Conscious or Unconscious: You might be aware of what’s motivating you (e.g., wanting to get good grades), or it could be happening unconsciously (e.g., a childhood experience influencing your career choice).
How Can a Non-Real Thing Act as a Stimulus?
A stimulus is anything that triggers motivation, and that stimulus does not have to be real in the sense that it actually exists or is objectively true. What matters is whether the person believes it to be real.
Example 1: Fear-Based Motivation
Imagine you’re walking alone at night and hear footsteps behind you. You believe someone is following you, even if in reality, no one is there. Your belief in a threat (even if false) triggers fear and motivates you to walk faster or call someone.
Stimulus: The sound of footsteps (real).
Perception: “Someone is following me!” (could be false).
Evaluation: “I need to get out of here!” → Motivated behavior (running away).
Even if no one was actually there, your belief alone was enough to trigger motivation.
Goal Choice and Decision to Act: Motivation is influenced by the interaction between desire/Need, goal value, and expectation of success. This
interaction is multiplicative:
if any of these factors is zero, the motivated
behavior does not occur.
Beyond the different combinations that we can establish between these
three variables, it seems to be an outstanding fact that need!!!! is the main driver of motivated behavior.
What are the types of activation in the motivational process?
Initial Activation: Triggered when a need or stimulus is detected.
Selective Activation: Activating only systems relevant to addressing the need. homeostatic activation!!
Goal-Directed Activation: Focusing on systems that enable goal achievement.
Parsimony and Homeostasis: Maintaining efficiency and balance by activating only essential systems.
Example: If you’re hungry, your body activates physiological mechanisms (e.g., stomach grumbling) while directing behaviors like seeking food.
What is the role of direction in motivation?
Direction in motivation involves:
Choosing the goal to pursue.
Selecting instrumental behaviors to reach the goal.
Example: If you want to save money, you may direct your behavior by choosing specific strategies like reducing expenses or increasing income.
What are the components of the Control of Results phase?
Progress Monitoring: Comparing current progress to the goal. Compares the current situation with the desired situation and, if close to the goal, continues to strive to minimize the difference.
Evaluating Goal Attractiveness: Assessing whether the goal remains rewarding and attractive.
Causal Attribution: Analyzing reasons for success or failure and adjusts his or her behavior or goals accordingly to achieve better results in
the future.
Persistence or Change: Deciding whether to continue, adjust the approach, or abandon the goal.
Example: A runner tracking their training may adjust their pace or increase rest days based on how close they are to their performance target.
What is homeostasis, and how does it relate to motivation?
Homeostasis is the process of maintaining internal balance when faced with external changes.
When a need or imbalance arises, the body triggers mechanisms to restore balance.
Example: When you feel cold, your body triggers shivering and motivates you to seek warmer clothing.
What is the role of negative feedback in the motivational process?
Negative feedback helps regulate motivation by stopping goal-directed behaviors once the goal is achieved or the need is satisfied.
Example: After taking a break to reduce stress, negative feedback signals when you’ve recovered, allowing you to return to work.
What is the relationship between necessity and demand?
The greater the need, the less demanding a person becomes regarding how the need is satisfied.
Example: Someone who is extremely thirsty will drink any available water, while someone mildly thirsty might only want a specific drink.
What are the Approach and Consummation phases of motivated behavior?
Approach Phase: Involves varied (Involves heterogeneous), exploratory actions aimed at achieving a goal (influenced by learning).
Consummation Phase: Involves instinctive (Involves homogeneous), species-specific behaviors to satisfy the goal.
Example: A cat hunting a mouse first explores and searches (approach) and then pounces and captures the prey (consummation).
What is the role of perception in the motivational process?
Perception is crucial for recognizing the presence of a stimulus. Without perception, the individual won’t notice the stimulus and therefore won’t feel motivated to take action.
Example: If a person doesn’t perceive the smell of food, they won’t feel driven to seek or eat it.
What happens during evaluation-appraisal in the motivational process?
This step involves mentally evaluating:
The value of the goal (Is it important to me?)
The likelihood of success (Can I achieve it?)
The required effort (Is the effort worth the outcome?)
Example: A student considering whether to study will evaluate how important passing the exam is and how likely they are to succeed with their current preparation.
What is the “multiplicative interaction” rule in goal choice and action?
Motivated behavior depends on the interaction between desire/need, goal value, and expectation of success. If any of these factors equals zero, motivated behavior will not occur.
Example: Even if someone values a promotion (high value) and wants it (high desire), they won’t apply for the position if they believe they have no chance of getting it (low expectation of success).
What is selective activation, and how does it contribute to motivation?
Selective activation ensures that only the systems necessary for addressing the need or goal are activated. This helps maintain efficiency by focusing on the specific actions needed.
Example: When you’re thirsty, selective activation ensures that you focus on locating water rather than being distracted by unrelated stimuli.
What does direction involve in the motivational process?
Direction involves two key aspects:
Choosing the goal to pursue.
Selecting the instrumental behaviors that will lead to achieving the goal.
Example: Someone who wants to improve their health may choose a goal (lose 10 pounds) and select behaviors such as meal planning and exercising regularly.
What is causal attribution, and how does it affect motivation?
Causal attribution involves analyzing the reasons for success or failure in achieving a goal. The individual uses this analysis to adjust behaviors or strategies.
Example: If a student doesn’t perform well on a test, they might attribute it to poor study habits and adjust their study plan for future exams.
How does progress monitoring help control motivated behavior?
Progress monitoring involves continuously comparing the current state to the desired goal. If progress is insufficient, adjustments in behavior are made to close the gap.
Example: A marathon runner may track their weekly mileage and adjust training intensity to meet their race day goal.
Front: What is homeostasis in motivational psychology?
Homeostasis is the process by which an organism maintains internal equilibrium in response to external changes. When an imbalance is detected, mechanisms are activated to restore balance.
Example: If the body is cold, it activates shivering to generate heat, while behaviorally, the person seeks warmer clothing.
What is the difference between the approach phase and consummation phase in motivated behavior?
Approach Phase (Appetitive Phase): Involves varied, exploratory movements aimed at obtaining the goal. It is influenced by learning and experience.
Consummation Phase: Involves instinctive, species-specific behaviors to achieve the goal. These behaviors are invariable and automatic.
Example: A cat hunting a mouse first stalks it using exploratory behaviors (approach phase) and then pounces and captures it using specific movements (consummation phase).
Why is motivation considered an adaptive process?
Motivation is seen as adaptive because it is a dynamic process involving:
External or internal triggers
Evaluation of goals, resources, and likelihood of success
Adjustments in behavior based on progress or feedback
This process helps individuals efficiently respond to changing needs and environments.
Example: A student adjusts their study strategy based on how well they understand the material, showing motivation’s adaptive nature.
