Motivation (Modules 36-39) Flashcards
Motivation
An internal state that energizes and directs behavior
Instinct
A complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned
What is the underlying assumption of evolutionary psychology’s motivation theory?
Genes predispose species’ typical behavior
Drive-Reduction Theory
The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy that need
Homeostasis
Tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body around a particular level
Incentives
A positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior
Optimum arousal theory
Human motivation aims not to eliminate arousal but to seek optimum levels of arousal (Ex. When you are at an optimum level of stress, you are at peak performance and efficiency.)
Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level needs can be fulfilled
Order of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (from bottom to top)
Physiological, Safety, Belonging and Love, Esteem, Self-actualization, Self-transcendence
Is your stomach the only place where the feelings of hunger come from?
No, they also come from the brain.
Glucose
The form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues
What part of the brain integrates glucose messages and hunger pains?
Hypothalamus – the lateral hypothalamus induces hunger while the ventromedial hypothalamus depresses hunger
Insulin
Secreted by the pancreas; controls blood glucose
Leptin
Secreted by fat cells; increases metabolism and decreases hunger
Orexin
Secreted by the hypothalamus; triggers feelings of hunger
Ghrelin
Secreted by an empty stomach; triggers feelings of hunger
Obestatin
Secreted by a full stomach; tells the brain that the organism is not hungry
Set point
The point at which an individual’s “weight thermostat” is supposedly set; when the body falls below this weight, an increase in hunger and a lowered metabolic rate may act to restore the lost weight.
Basal metabolic rate
The body’s resting rate of body expenditure
What kinds of food do you crave when stressed?
Starchy, carbohydrate-laden foods; carbohydrates boost serotonin production which has calming effects.
Name three different situational influences on eating.
- Social facilitation - the tendency to eat more around other people
- Unit bias - people eat more when offered a bigger standard portion
- ???
Anorexia Nervosa
An eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent female) diets and becomes significantly (15% or more) underweight yet, still feeling fat, continues to starve
Bulimia Nervosa
An eating disorder characterized by episodes of overeating, usually high-calorie foods, followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting or excessive exercise
Binge-eating Disorder
Significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust or guilt, but without the compensatory purging, fasting or excessive exercise that marks bulimia nervosa
PYY
Secreted by the digestive tract; signals “I’m not hungry!”
What is an affiliation need?
The need to feel a sense of involvement and belonging in a certain group
From an evolutionary perspective, why is it important that we have a strong affiliation need?
Social bonds have encouraged survival. For example, the attachment a mother feels to her child compels her to provide for it. The attachment two parents feel for one another allows for their child to grow up in a supportive home. In the past, greater numbers in societies have allowed for more efficient hunting.
What happens in our brain when we feel love?
The brain experiences higher levels of dopamine.
Why can being ostracizes lead to experience real physical pain?
It elicits activity in the anterior cingulate cortex which also activates in response to physical pain.
Flow
A completely involved, focused state of consciousness; diminished awareness of self and time – results in optimal engagement of skills
Industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology
The application of psychological concepts and methods to optimize human behavior in workplaces
Personnel psychology
Focuses on employee recruitment, selection, placement, training, appraisal and development
Organizational psychology
Examines organizational influences on worker satisfaction and productivity and facilitates organizational change
Interviewer Illusion
The tendency to overestimate your ability to choose the best candidate
Theory X
Managers believe employees will only work if rewarded with benefits/threatened with punishments
Theory Y
Employees have intrinsic motivation, so policies should encourage that
