Motivation and emotion part 4 Flashcards
What is a need in psychology?
A need is any condition essential for survival, development, and well-being. If met, well-being is maintained; if unmet, physical or psychological harm can occur.
Example: Hunger is a physiological need. If not satisfied, it can lead to weakness and malnutrition.
What are the three types of needs?
Physiological Needs: Essential for biological survival (e.g., thirst, hunger, sleep, sex).
Psychological Needs: Promote personal growth (e.g., autonomy, competence, relatedness).
Social Needs: Learned through experiences (e.g., achievement, power, intimacy).
Example: Feeling lonely (social need) can be just as motivating as feeling hungry (physiological need).
How do physiological, psychological, and social needs differ?
Physiological Needs → Basic survival needs like food, water, and sleep. If not met, the body suffers.
Psychological Needs → Mental and emotional growth needs like feeling competent or having control over life. These help personal development.
Social Needs → Needs that come from relationships and society, like feeling loved, respected, or connected to others.
Example:
If a person is extremely thirsty, they will drink water first (physiological need) before focusing on making friends (social need) or improving their skills (psychological need).
What happens when multiple needs occur at the same time?
The most intense need will dominate behavior, but different needs can interact.
Example: A student may feel hungry during an exam but will prioritize finishing the test before eating.
What is Drive Theory?
Drive Theory explains that when your body lacks something essential (like food or sleep), it creates an urge (drive) that pushes you to take action to fix it.
Example:
If you haven’t slept all night (need), you start feeling extremely tired (drive), which makes you want to go to bed (behavior).
What is the Need-Drive-Behavior sequence?
A cycle that explains how needs lead to motivation and action:
Need → 2. Drive → 3. Behavior → 4. Homeostasis → 5. Negative Feedback.
Example: Feeling cold (need) → Shivering (drive) → Wearing a jacket (behavior) → Body warms up (homeostasis) → Stop shivering (negative feedback).
What are Multiple Inputs and Multiple Outputs in Drive?
A single need (drive) can have different causes (inputs) and different ways to be satisfied (outputs).
Example:
Multiple Inputs: You feel thirsty because you exercised, ate salty food, or it’s a hot day.
Multiple Outputs: You can satisfy thirst by drinking water, eating watermelon, or drinking juice.
What are Intraorganismic and Extraorganismic Mechanisms?
Intraorganismic: Internal biological systems regulating needs (e.g., hormones, brain signals).
Extraorganismic: External influences on needs (e.g., environment, culture, social norms).
Example: Drinking water because of dehydration (intraorganismic) vs. drinking because of social norms (extraorganismic).
What are the four primary needs?
Thirst – Maintains water balance.
Hunger – Ensures energy intake.
Sleep – Restores cognitive and physiological functions.
Sexual Behavior – Essential for species survival.
Example: A person experiencing dehydration (thirst) will prioritize water over other activities.
How does negative feedback regulate motivation?
Negative feedback stops motivated behavior once the need has been satisfied, preventing overcompensation.
Example: Eating until full and then stopping due to satiety signals.
What are the five levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?
Physiological: Food, water, sleep
Safety: Security, stability
Love/Belonging: Relationships, social connection
Esteem: Self-respect, recognition
Self-actualization: Personal growth, creativity
Example: A person experiencing financial stability (safety) might seek friendships (belonging) and later work on self-esteem and personal growth.
Why are physiological needs at the base of Maslow’s hierarchy?
Physiological needs (like food and water) are the most essential for survival, so they must be met before an individual can focus on higher-level needs like social belonging or self-esteem.
Example: A homeless person will prioritize finding food and shelter before thinking about making social connections or achieving personal goals.
What is self-actualization in Maslow’s theory?
Self-actualization is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy, where an individual reaches their full potential, engages in personal growth, and achieves fulfillment in life.
Example: A musician dedicating their life to composing and performing music despite financial instability.
Why is Maslow’s theory considered rigid and linear?
Maslow’s theory assumes that individuals must complete lower needs before progressing to higher ones, but in reality, human motivation is more flexible and dynamic.
Example: A refugee prioritizing social connections (belonging) while still struggling with financial security and safety.
What is a major criticism of Maslow’s hierarchy regarding individual differences?
The theory assumes a universal order of needs, but different individuals and cultures may prioritize needs differently based on personal values and experiences.
Example: Some people value social relationships (belonging) more than self-esteem, while others may prioritize career success over relationships.
What is an example of a person prioritizing a higher-level need over a lower one?
A person going on a hunger strike for political reasons prioritizes their beliefs (self-actualization) over their physiological need for food.
Example: A whistleblower exposing corruption despite the risk to their safety and job security.
Why is Maslow’s original research considered biased?
Maslow’s sample was primarily composed of successful Western men, making it less applicable to diverse populations with different motivational structures.
Example: The theory might not apply equally to all cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds, as not everyone follows the same hierarchical pattern of needs.
What triggers thirst in the body?
A drop in water volume by about 2% signals the brain to create the sensation of thirst.
Example: After running for 30 minutes, a person feels extremely thirsty due to water loss through sweat.
Why does our body regulate thirst?
Thirst is a self-regulatory mechanism that maintains water balance for metabolic functions.
Example: When someone forgets to drink water, their body eventually forces them to seek water to prevent dehydration.
How do environmental factors influence drinking?
Taste and external stimuli (like advertisements or seeing a cold drink) can increase drinking behavior.
Example: A person may drink more soda than water because of the sweet taste and branding influence.
Why do some people overconsume liquids?
Alterations in the motivational system can lead to excessive drinking due to habit or emotional reasons.
Example: A person drinks large amounts of water during stress, even when not thirsty.
How does alcohol consumption differ from water consumption?
Alcohol drinking is influenced by learning and social factors rather than physiological regulation.
Example: Someone drinking alcohol at a party for social reasons, even if they are not thirsty.
How does taste affect drinking behavior?
Pure water has no taste, but adding flavor can increase or change drinking habits based on incentive value.
Example: People prefer flavored sports drinks over water even when they only need hydration.
What are the three main reasons people drink?
- Biological thirst, 2. Taste preference, 3. Addiction to substances in the drink.
Example: 1. Drinking water after exercising (thirst),2. drinking juice for flavor, or 3. drinking coffee for caffeine.
Is it necessary to drink 8 glasses of water daily?
No, there is no scientific evidence. Water intake depends on food and beverage consumption.
Example: Someone who eats a lot of fruits and soups may not need to drink as much additional water.
Why is sleep considered a homeostatic motivational system?
Sleep is regulated by physiological mechanisms that maintain balance in the body. The body naturally compels sleep when fatigued to restore function.
Example: After pulling an all-nighter, you feel extreme drowsiness the next day, which pushes you to sleep longer the following night to restore balance.
What are key factors that influence sleep?
Circadian rhythms, sleep pressure, lifestyle choices, diet, medications, mental health, and environmental factors.
Example: A person who consistently works night shifts may struggle to fall asleep during the day due to disruptions in their circadian rhythm
Why is sleep essential for survival?
Lack of sleep disrupts homeostasis, leading to impaired cognitive function, weakened immune response, and increased health risks.
Example: A student who sleeps only 3 hours before an exam may struggle to focus, make errors, and experience memory problems.
What are some habits that improve sleep quality?
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, limit naps, avoid alcohol/caffeine/heavy foods before bed, create a comfortable sleeping environment, and block noise/light.
Example: A person who avoids drinking coffee in the evening and follows a relaxing bedtime routine sleeps more soundly.
What is narcolepsy?
A neurological disorder that causes sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep, even during active situations.
Example: A person with narcolepsy might suddenly fall asleep while having a conversation or during work.
What is insomnia?
A sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early, leading to daytime fatigue.
Example: Someone with anxiety may find themselves lying in bed for hours, unable to stop racing thoughts and fall asleep.
Why should the bed be used only for sleep and sex?
This helps condition the brain to associate the bed with sleep, improving sleep efficiency and preventing insomnia.
Example: Someone who frequently watches TV in bed may struggle to fall asleep because their brain associates the bed with entertainment rather than rest.
What regulates hunger in the brain?
The hypothalamus is the brain region that controls hunger and satiety through two key areas:
Lateral hypothalamus (LH) → Promotes ingestion (hunger signal)
Example: When you haven’t eaten for hours, your lateral hypothalamus activates, making you feel hungry and increasing your motivation to eat.
Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) → Signals satiety (fullness signal)
Example: After a big meal, the ventromedial hypothalamus suppresses further eating, preventing overeating.
How do external stimuli influence hunger?
External factors, like time of day, stress, sight, smell, and taste of food, can condition intake even without a physiological need.
Example: Someone might crave popcorn at the movies because of the smell, even if they just ate.
How does food variety impact eating behavior?
More variety in food types, nutrients, and flavors leads to increased food intake compared to a monotonous diet.
Example: A buffet encourages overeating because people want to try different dishes.
What are the main physiological models of hunger regulation?
Short-term physiological model:
Based on the glucostatic hypothesis, which suggests that blood glucose levels influence hunger and meal timing.
Example: If your blood sugar drops, you feel hungry and eat; when it rises, hunger diminishes.
Long-term physiological model:
The lipostatic hypothesis states that the body regulates weight over time by balancing fat storage and energy use.
Example: If body fat drops, the body signals hunger to restore fat reserves.
How do cognitive-social-environmental factors affect hunger?
How do cognitive-social-environmental factors affect hunger?
A: Hunger can be influenced by food availability, cultural habits, and sensory cues like smell and appearance.
Example: A person might eat dessert just because it looks appealing, even if they are full.
What happens when cognitive control overrides physiological hunger?
Dieting suppresses natural hunger cues, replacing them with scheduled eating, which can lead to binge eating due to lack of negative feedback.
Example: A person on a strict diet may avoid sweets for weeks but then binge on an entire cake when their willpower weakens.
Why do diets often fail?
Underestimating biological drives → Willpower alone isn’t enough to suppress hunger long-term.
Example: After fasting for 24 hours, the body’s need for food can override cognitive control, leading to overeating.
External & emotional disruptions → Factors like alcohol, anxiety, or stress weaken self-control, leading to loss of dietary restraint.
Example: Someone on a diet may eat junk food when stressed at work.
How can “healthy eating” become problematic?
Obsessive focus on clean eating can develop into an eating disorder (orthorexia), where people restrict their diet to only “pure” foods, negatively impacting their health.
Example: Someone may avoid all processed foods to the point of malnutrition.
What makes human sexual behavior different from other species?
Unlike most species, human sexual behavior is influenced by psychological, social, and cultural factors, not just biological ones.
🧠 Example: A lioness only mates when in heat, but humans engage in sexual activity for reasons beyond reproduction, such as emotional bonding
Why is sexual behavior considered a primary need?
It is essential for the survival of the species, even though it is not necessary for individual survival.
🧠 Example: A person can live without engaging in sexual activity, but if an entire population stopped reproducing, humans would go extinct.
How do facial features influence physical attractiveness?
Certain facial metrics are universally linked to attractiveness due to evolutionary preferences.
Women: Large eyes, small nose, and small chin signal youth and fertility.
Men: Thick eyebrows, strong jawline, and facial symmetry signal maturity and good genetics.
Example: Studies show that symmetrical faces are often rated as more attractive across different cultures.
What factors influence sexual orientation?
Sexual orientation is influenced by genetic, environmental, and prenatal hormonal factors rather than conscious choice.
Example: Research suggests that sexual orientation is not determined by parental influence, contrary to common myths.
What are common myths about sexual orientation?
Myth: Homosexuality is caused by a dominant mother and a weak father.
Reality: Studies show no correlation between parental roles and sexual orientation.
Myth: Exposure to an older same-sex individual influences sexual orientation.
Reality: Sexual orientation develops from a mix of biological and environmental factors.
Example: Scientific studies debunk the idea that upbringing or social exposure “creates” a sexual orientation.
What are two key reasons why?
people fail at self-regulating needs?
1️⃣ Underestimating Biological Drives: Thinking willpower is stronger than physiological needs.
🧠 Example: A person fasting eventually gives in to extreme hunger.
2️⃣ Setting Unrealistic Standards: Trying to suppress natural needs completely.
🧠 Example: Someone avoiding all carbs might end up bingeing due to cravings.
How can people improve self-regulation of biological needs?
✔ Set realistic goals instead of extreme restrictions.
✔ Focus on long-term balance rather than complete deprivation.
🧠 Example: Instead of cutting out sugar completely, reducing intake gradually prevents bingeing.
