Motivation, Emotion, and Stress

Question 1

Instincts

Answer 1

innate, fixed patterns of behavior in response to stimuli

Question 2

instinct theory of motivation

Answer 2

people are driven to do certain behaviors based on evolutionarily programmed instincts

Question 3

arousal

Answer 3

psychological and physiological state of being awake and reactive to stimuli

Question 4

arousal theory

Answer 4

people perform actions in order to maintain an optimal level of arousal: seeking to increase arousal when it falls below their optimal level, and to decrease arousal when it rises above their optimum level

Question 5

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Answer 5

U-shaped function between the level of arousal, performance is worst at extremely high and low levels of arousal and optimal at some intermediate level

Question 6

Who has lower levels of monoamine oxidase (MAO)?

Answer 6

adrenaline junkies, MAO breaks down catecholamines, results in higher neurotransmitter levels

Question 7

drives

Answer 7

internal states of tension that activate particular behavior focused on goals

Question 8

primary drives

Answer 8

need for food, water, warmth–> motivate us to maintain homeostasis

Question 9

secondary drives

Answer 9

not directly related to biological processes, ex. drive to matriculate into medical school and become a doctor

Question 10

Drive reduction theory

Answer 10

motivation is based on the goal of eliminating uncomfortable states

Question 11

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 11

Highest–> Lowest

1. Self-actualization
2. Esteem
3. Love/belonging
4. Safety
5. Physiological

Question 12

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)

Answer 12

1. autonomy- need to be in control of one’s actions
2. competence- need to be complete and excel at difficult tasks
3. relatedness- need to feel accepted and wanted in relationships
   - all three needs must be met to develop healthy relationships with oneself and others

Question 13

Incentive theory

Answer 13

behavior is motivated by desire to pursue rewards and to avoid punishments

Question 14

Expectancy-value theory

Answer 14

amount of motivation needed to reach a goal is the result of both the individual’s expectation of success in reaching the goal and the degree to which he or she values succeeding at the goal

Question 15

opponent process theory

Answer 15

when a drug is taken repeatedly, the body will attempt to counteract the effects of the drug by changing its physiology. Ex. the body will respond to continued alcohol use of alcohol, a depressant, by increasing arousal

explains tolerance: a decrease in perceived drug effect over time

Question 16

Kinsey Scale

Answer 16

0-6, 0 very straight; 6 very gay

Question 17

7 universal emotions?

Answer 17

happiness, sadness, contempt, surprise, fear, disgust, anger

Question 18

First a physiological arousal, which leads to a secondary response in which the emotion is labeled

Answer 18

James-Lange theory of emotion

ex. i must be angry bc my skin is hot and my blood pressure is high

Question 19

Physiological arousal and feeling an emotion occur at the same time
A person will respond with an action after experiencing the emotion both mentally and physically

Answer 19

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

ex. i am afraid bc i see a snake and my heart is racing

Question 20

Vagus nerve

Answer 20

a cranial nerve that serves as a feedback system, conveying information from the peripheral organs back to the central nervous system

Question 21

First Response: nervous system arousal and cognitive appraisal
Second Response: Conscious emotion

Answer 21

Schachter-Singer Theory, also termed cognitive arousal theory or the two-factor theory
Ex. I am excited because my heart is racing and everyone else is happy

Question 22

Limbic System?

Answer 22

Complex set of structures the reside below the cerebrum on either side of the thalamus
made up of amydala, thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and fornix, septal nuclei, and parts of the cerebral cortex
role in motivation and emotion

Question 23

amygdala

Answer 23

associated with fear, plays a role in human emotion through interpretation of facial expressions

rats with damaged amygdalae can’t be classically conditioned to establish new fears

Question 24

thalamus

Answer 24

preliminary sensory processing station and routes information to the cortex and other appropriate areas of the brain

Question 25

Hypothalamus

Answer 25

located below the thalamus, synthesizes and releases a variety of neurotransmitters, helps with homeostasis

Question 26

Hippocampus

Answer 26

in the temporal lobe, primarily involved in creating long-term memories; aids in creating context for stimuli to lead to an emotional experience

Question 27

unconscious (implicit) memory

Answer 27

emotional memory, storage of the actual feelings of emotion associated with an event; when experiencing a similar event later on, these emotions may be retrieved

Question 28

prefrontal cortex

Answer 28

associated with planning intricate cognitive functions, expressing personality, and making decisions

Question 29

dorsal prefrontal cortex

Answer 29

associated with attention and cognition

Question 30

ventral prefrontal cortex

Answer 30

connects with regions of the brain responsible for experiencing emotion

Question 31

ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Answer 31

plays a substantial role in decision making and controlling emotional responses from the amygdala

Question 32

autonomic nervous system

Answer 32

related to emotion, heart rate can determine emotion, diastolic BP is increased with anger, then fear, sadness, and happiness

Question 33

cognitive appraisal?

Answer 33

the subjective evaluation of a situation that induces stress
primary appraisal- initial evaluation of the environment and associated threat
secondary appraisal- directed at evaluating whether the organism can cope with the stress

Question 34

primary apprisal

Answer 34

initial evaluation of the environment and associated threat

Question 35

secondary apprisal

Answer 35

directed at evaluating whether the organism can cope with stress

Question 36

stress level can be measured in “life change units” in a system called the

Answer 36

social readjustment rating scale

Question 37

eustress

Answer 37

stress due to positive life changes, ex. graduation

Question 38

distress

Answer 38

stress due to unpleasant stressors, ex. lose your job

Question 39

General adaption syndrome

Answer 39

1. Alarm - initial reaction and activation of the sympathetic nervous system; hypothalamus tell anterior pituitary to release ACTH, stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol
2. resistance- continuous release of hormones allows the sympathetic nervous system to remain engaged to fight the stressor
3. exhaustion- body can no longer maintain the elevated response with the sympathetic nervous system activity