Motivation, Emotion, and Stress Flashcards
the purpose, or driving force, behind our actions
motivation
motivation based on external circumstances
extrinsic
motivation based on internal drive or perception
intrinsic
three components of emotion:
cognitive, physiological, behavioral
innate, fixed patterns of behavior
instincts
theory of motivation:
people perform certain behaviors because of evolutionarily programmed instincts
instinct theory
the state of being awake and reactive to stimuli
arousal
theory of motivation:
people perform actions to maintain arousal, at an optimal level
arousal theory
increased arousal can help improve performance, but only up to a certain point; medium tasks require medium-level arousal
Yerkes-Dodson law
internal states of tension that activate particular behaviors focused on goals
drives
motivate us to sustain necessary biological processes in homeostasis
primary drives
motivate us to fulfill nonbiological, emotional, or “learned” desires
secondary drives
theory of motivation:
motivation arises from the desire to eliminate drives, which create uncomfortable internal states
drive reduction theory
relatively long-lasting feelings that require relief or satisfaction and tend to influence action
needs
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
prioritizes needs into five categories: physiological need (highest priority), safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization (lowest priority)
theory of motivation:
emphasizes the role of three universal needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness
self-determination theory
theory of motivation:
explains motivation as the desire to pursue rewards and avoid punishments
incentive theory
theory of motivation:
the amount of motivation for a task is based on the individual’s expectation of success and the amount that success is valued
expectancy-value theory
theory of motivation:
views emotions as pairs, so when one emotion is felt the other is suppressed; explains motivation for drug use; as drug use increases, the body counteracts its effects, leading to tolerance and uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms
opponent-process theory
type of motivation related to hormones as well as cultural and societal factors
sexual motivation
is a state of mind, or feeling, that is subjectively experienced based on circumstances, mood, and relationships; has three components
emotion
component of emotion:
subjective interpretation
cognitive
component of emotion:
facial expressions and body language
behavioral
component of emotion:
changes in autonomic nervous system
physiological
seven universal emotions
happiness sadness contempt surprise fear disgust anger
theory of emotion:
nervous system arousal leads to an emotional experience
James-Lange theory
theory of emotion:
arousal of the nervous system and the experiences of emotion occur simultaneously
Cannon-Bard theory
theory of emotion:
nervous system arousal is combined with cognition to create the experience of emotion
Schachter-Singer theory
the primary nervous system component involved in experiencing emotion
limbic system
part of limbic system:
is involved with attention and fear, helps interpret facial expressions, and is part of the intrinsic memory system for emotional memory
amygdala
part of limbic system:
is a sensory processing station
thalamus
part of limbic system:
releases neurotransmitters that affect mood and arousal
hypothalamus
part of limbic system:
creates long-term explicit (episodic) memories
hippocampus
part of limbic system:
anterior portion of frontal lobe; involved with planning, expressing personality, and making decisions; three divisions
prefrontal cortex
division of prefrontal cortex:
associated with attention and cognition
dorsal prefrontal cortex
division of prefrontal cortex:
critical for experiencing emotion
ventral prefrontal cortex
division of prefrontal cortex:
involved in controlling emotional responses from the amygdala and decision making
ventromedial prefrontal cortex
the physiological and cognitive responses to challenges or life changes
stress
the subjective evaluation of a situation that induces stress; consists of two stages
stress appraisal
step of stress appraisal:
classifying a potential stressor as irrelevant, benign-positive, or stressful
primary appraisal
step of stress appraisal:
directed at evaluating if the organism can cope with stress, based on harm, threat, and challenge
secondary appraisal
anything that leads to a stress response; can include environment, daily events, workplace or academic settings, social expectations, chemicals, and biological ____
stressors
include pressure, control, predictability, frustration, and conflict
psychological stressors
occurs when a stressor is perceived as unpleasant (e.g. a threat)
distress
the result of a positively-perceived stressor
eustress
sequence of physiological responses when body is subjected to a stress as developed by Hans Selye; three stages
general adaptation theory:
alarm, resistance, exhaustion
stage of general adaptation theory:
initial reaction to a stressor and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system
alarm
stage of general adaptation theory:
second stage in which continuous release of hormones allows the sympathetic nervous system to remain engaged to fight stressor
resistance
stage of general adaptation theory:
third stage when the body can no longer maintain an elevated response with sympathetic nervous system activity
exhaustion
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
physiological need (highest priority), safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization (lowest priority)
