Psych Chap 10 Flashcards
What is maslows hierarchy of needs
- self actualization
- esteem
- love/belonging
- safety
- physiological
Maslows hierarchy of need has 5 steps moving from basic survival to personal fulfillment
- Basic Needs First then self actualization – You need food, water, and rest (physiological needs) before worrying about safety.
- Security Matters/ safety – Once survival is stable, people seek safety (like a job, home, and health).
- Social Connections/ love belonging – After feeling safe, people crave relationships and belonging.
- Self-Worth Grows/ esteem – With love and support, people seek confidence, achievement, and respect.
- Personal Growth/ self actualization – When everything else is stable, people aim for self-improvement, creativity, and fulfilling their potential, acceptance of facts, lack of prejudice
Why is the maslows hierarchy of needs important
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains what drives human behavior. People start by focusing on basic survival and work their way up toward personal growth.
In short, you can’t focus on big dreams if you’re struggling to meet basic needs first.
Two theoretical approaches to motivation
- Evolutionary perspective
- Humanistic perspective
Using the evolutionary approach to motivation what is the goal of your life
- to reproduce
- to enhance the survival of the species
Using the evolutionary approach to motivation what motivates you to set this goal
- biological/ psychological needs (those who have these needs will reproduce)
Using the evolutionary approach to motivation how do you accomplish this goal
- to maximize the number of offspring
- to maximize the chance of survival of the offspring
What are 4 observations that drive the theory of evolution
- Organisms vary in endless ways; size, speed, strength, visual/hearing abilities , digestive processes, wisdom etc
- Some of these characteristics are heritable- can be passed down from one generation to the next
- Availability of resources can never catch up with the rate of reproduction- competition for resources occurs within and across species
- A heritable trait will become prevalent if this enhances the survival of an organism and its offspring
Giraffes with long necks have advantages over giraffe is an example of
- Darwinian evolution and natural selection
Natural selection
- traits that help an organism survive and reproduce (like long giraffe necks) get passed down, while less useful traits (like short necks) fade over time. This process gradually changes a population gene pool
- fitness is about how many offspring an organism has, and adaptation is a trait that improves survival or reproduction
Fitness refers to
Reproductive success
What is reproductive success
Number of descendants of an individual organism relative to the average reproductive success in the population
Adaptation
Is an inherited characteristic that increased in a population (through natural selection) because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged
Inherited characteristics
- biological traits, behaviours, motivation, cognition
What are the three types of natural selection
- Directional selection- favours one extreme trait (giraffe with longer necks survive better)
- Stabilizing selection- favours the average trait, eliminating extremes ( babies with moderate birth weight survive best)
- Disruptive Selection- favours both extremes, not the average (very short and very tall traits survive not medium)
Study Notes: Ideal Number of Sex Partners (Male vs. Female)
• Males prefer more partners over time → Maximizes reproduction.
• Females prefer fewer partners → Focus on offspring survival.
• Reason: Biological investment → Males spread genes easily, females invest in pregnancy/childcare.
• Evolutionary Strategy: Quantity vs. Quality.
Financial Prospect in Partner Selection
• Women value financial stability in a partner more than men.
• Why? Evolutionary advantage → Ensures resources for child-rearing and survival.
• Men prioritize other traits (e.g., youth, fertility).
• Universal Trend: Seen across different cultures.
Batemans principle
Study Notes: Bateman’s Principle
• Males → More mates = Higher reproductive success.
• Females → One mate is enough to fertilize all eggs.
• Key Idea: Mating success varies more in males than in females.
• Evolutionary Impact: Males compete for mates, while females are selective.
According to batemans principle nearly all females in a population mate and have offspring but ————-
Relatively few mates mate successfully
Those males that do mate tend to mate with ———
Many females
True or false “a few males have very high reproductive output”
True
True or false “many males have little or no reproductive output” (they don’t have kids because they don’t get to mate)
True
Females are choosier when picking a mate than males (true or false)
True
Males show —— used in attracting mates than do females and what is an example of this
Greater elaboration of behaviours and structures used in attracting mates than do females example: birds mating dance (females choose the best performer from stronger offspring)
Females may prefer certain males for a variety of reasons what are they?
- physically strong/with more elaborate ornamentation
- possession of resources
- with long-term commitment
Females that carefully select their mates are at a lower risk of …
Losing their reproductive investment
Sex differences in jealousy in men
- more upset when they imagine partner enjoying passionate sex with another person
- more upset when they imagine partner trying different sexual position with that other person
Natural selection favors females that
Choose males that enhance the likelihood of her offspring’s success
Sex differences in jealousy in women
- imagining your partner forming a deep emotional attachment to that person
-imagining your partner falling in love with another person
Biological reality for males concerning reproduction
- reproduction involves minimal investment of time, energy and risk
-offspring # has no upper limits - unsure of whether offspring is ones own
Biological reality of females concerning reproduction
- reproduction involves substantial investment of time, energy and risk
- Offspring # has upper limits
- 100% sure of whether offspring is ones own
Males evolutionary significance
-maximize reproductive success by seeking more sexual partners with high reproductive potential
Males behavioural outcomes
-more interest in uncommitted sex, greater number of sex, partners over lifetime; look for youth and attractiveness in partners
Females evolutionary significance
- maximize reproductive success by seeking partners willing to invest material resources in ones offsprings
Behavioural outcomes in females
- less interest in uncommitted sex; smaller number of sex partners over lifetime
- look for income, status and ambition in partners
- better late than pregnant
Harem ( in human society)
Refers to the place in which an elite man (king, royal and upper- class family head) houses his wives, pre pubescent male children, unmarried female relatives
What is a harem in the animal kingdom
- is an animal group consisting of a dominant male a number of females and their offspring.
- the dominant male drives off other males and maintains the unity of the group
- as juvenile males grow they leave the group the dominant male mates with the females as they become sexually active and drives off competitors, until he is displaced by another male
Ideas reflected in the structure and order of a harem
- males maximize reproductive success by seeking a large number of sexual partners
- females maximize reproductive success by seeking a partner with high status and resource
- males expect chastity from partners
- females expect security from a partner
Evolutionary approach to motivation
- evolutionary psychology studies traits that have been shown to be universal in humans
- research focuses on commonalities between people of different cultures
- a trait could have evolved as an adaptation or a by-product of a behaviour
- the goal of life is to reproduce (ie. reproductive success is the central idea of evolutionary psychology)
- an adaptations trait is one that enhances reproduction
Motivation connect this to the fisherman and his wife
- is the driving force within individuals by which they attempt to achieve a goal in order to fulfill some needs or expectations
- what are peoples needs and expectations
- pushes people to act to meet their needs or expectations
- the wife keeps demanding more from the magical fish, showing endless ambition and dissatisfaction the connects to motivation because people often strive for more, whether for survival success or personal fufillment. however like in the story, unchecked motivation can lead to greed and downfall if expectations become unrealistic
what is your ultimate goal of life using
Humanistic approach to motivation
- to self actualization ( to live to full potential, to achieve personal dreams and aspirations)
What motivate you to set this goal the humanistic approach
- need for achievement
How do you accomplish this goal using the humanistic approach to motivation
- set a SMART goal
- self discipline
- have grit
- have resilience
SMART goal
- specific
- measurable
- achievable
- realistic
- time bound
The ability to delay gratification in childhood is related to
- overall success in life
- social competence and resilience 10 years
- better school grades and higher SAT scores
- better physical health
- better personal finances
- less substance abuse and fewer criminal offences
Children were given the choice between eating one marshmallow right away or two after several minutes is a famous experiment on
- delayed gratification in children
- eat one marshmallow now
- wait and get two later
- to resist temptation they used self-control strategies like
Turning hot thoughts into cold thoughts (thinking logically instead of focusing on desire)
Ignoring the marshmallow (not looking at it)
Self distraction (doing something else to keep their mind off it)
The test showed that kids who could wait tended to have better self-control and success later in life
Hot cognition (think about arvin and uber eats)
- thoughts, behaviours and decisions are affected by emotions or immediate physiological needs
- act on impulse
- exp: “i will eat fast food now because i am hungry”
Cold cognition
- think critically and make decisions based on logic and evidence
- delay gratification
- give yourself a reason why you shouldn’t do something
- “fast food is unhealthy, i will go home to make a low carb dinner”
People with grit have
- deep passion for their goals
- willingness to keep working toward their goals
- perseverance
Grit is a a better predictor than —— for achieving long term —— ——
- intelligence
- academic goals
Grit is also a predictor for the grades in college (true or false)
True
People with less grit tend to
- get discouraged more easily
- get side tracked from their goals by new interests
People high in need for achievement tend to
-set challenging but not overly difficult and specific goals
- have a high level of self regulation
- divide specific long term goals into concrete short term goals
- have a high level of self efficacy ( expectation that your efforts will lead to success )
- have more realistic career aspirations
- delay gratification
- have grit
Emotions trigger physical reactions in the body true or false
True
Emotions can be categorized by
Valence (negative to positive) and by level of arousal (low to high)
Feeling excited is a state of negative affect and low arousal true or false
False feeling excited is a state of positive affect and high arousal
Depression is a state of negative affect and low arousal true or false
True
Fear and anger are —— they differ in ——
- Bio chemically identical
- behavioural responses of an individual
Example of behavioural responses in individuals in fear vs anger
Fear involves retreat, avoid, freeze, run and implode
Anger involves move forward, engage, erupt, fight, explode
True or false when people are in extreme anger they are fearless
True
Why do people have different behavioural responses
People have different behavioral responses because of the three components of emotion:
1. Physiological Arousal – The body reacts the same (fast heartbeat, sweating), but the response differs.
• Fear → Avoidance (freeze, retreat, run).
• Anger → Confrontation (fight, engage, explode).
2. Cognitive Appraisal – How the situation is perceived.
• Threat → Fear response (avoid, freeze).
• Challenge/Injustice → Anger response (fight, engage).
3. Behavioral Reactions – The outward expression of fear (retreat) or anger (aggression).
Summary: People react differently because the same bodily response leads to avoidance (fear) or confrontation (anger) based on how they interpret the situation.
Each emotion is a ——- including ——— made in
- Complex pattern of changes
- including physiological arousal, feelings, cognitive processes and behavioural reactions made in response to a situation perceived to be personally significant
What did Darwin believe about emotion
- emotional expressions are universal
- emotional responses are serving some adaptive functions
- emotions are inherited, specialized mental states deigned to deal with certain class of recurring situations (attacked by predators, falling in love etc.)
Are Emotional Expressions Universal?
• Emotional expressions are universal → People across cultures interpret facial expressions similarly.
- Facial expressions are biologically hardwired and not entirely learned from culture.
What are the 7 or 6 primary emotions
• Seven universally recognized emotions:
1. Fear
2. Disgust
3. Happiness
4. Surprise
5. (Contempt) without this is 6
6. Anger
7. Sadness
• Key Idea: No matter where someone is from, they can generally recognize these emotions based on facial expressions.
Primary emotions
- which are basic emotions that are not derived from other emotions
- exp: resentment is a combination of love and hate
Universality of emotion conclusion
- People all over the world, regardless of cultural differences, race, sex or education, express basic emotions in much the same way
- the claim of universality is focused on some basic primary emotions; happiness, sadness, anger, and disgust. Sometimes it is hard to label an emotion with the context
What is the Biological approach to emotion
- the limbic system
Limbic system
- subcortical region
- key to processing of emotions
Thalamus known as the
- Sensory gateway
Amygdala
- emotion
Example of slow path
- see/hear some bad news and gradually figure out its implications
- example of the fast path; see a snake and experience fear right away
What is a slow path and fast path within the limbic system
- slow path from the visual cortex to the amygdala
- fast path from thalamus to the amygdala
When faced with a threat stimuli go straight to the amygdala (emotional centre) before reaching the rational brain (neocortex)
- The survival mechanism allows for immediate reaction before logical thinking kicks in
- helps in dangerous situations (jumping away from a snake before thinking)
- can lead to overreactions (e.g snapping at someone in anger before processing the situation)
What is the key takeaway from the amygdala “hijacks”
- Rational thinking, making us act on instinct before logic catches up
Low emotion brain response
- calm relaxed
- higher cortex (thinking brain) is active, controlling emotions
- amygdala is regulated, leading to a low emotional response
- person remains calm and rational
High emotion (fear, anger, excitement, love)
- higher cortex is disabled or bypassed
- amygdala takes over, creating a strong emotional response
- person reacts impulsively and emotionally
Amygdala Damage and Its Effects
• The amygdala is crucial for processing fear and strong emotions.
• Damage to the amygdala can result in:
• Inability to feel fear (even in dangerous situations).
• Difficulty recognizing fear in others’ facial expressions.
• Reduced emotional intensity (may still feel sadness, happiness, or anger but less strongly).
• Example: “SM” case study – A woman with amygdala damage could not experience fear, even in life-threatening situations.
The amygdala is essential for survival instincts—without it, emotional responses, especially fear, are severely impaired. True or False
True
What are the three components involved in the sequence of an emotional response, and in what order do they occur?
Order of Emotional Response
1. Physiological Arousal → The body reacts first.
• Example: Heart beats faster, sweating starts.
2. Cognitive Appraisal → The brain interprets the situation.
• Example: Feeling offended, assuming someone has bad intentions, recalling past experiences.
3. Behavioral Reaction → Visible emotional response.
• Example: Yelling, swearing, hitting, throwing things, sarcasm.
Emotions start in the body, then the brain makes sense of them, and finally, you act on them. (True or false)
True
What are the key differences between the Common Sense, James-Lange, and Cannon-Bard theories of emotion?
Theories of Emotion (Fear Example)
1. Common Sense: Fear → Trembling (“I feel afraid, so I tremble.”)
2. James-Lange: Trembling → Fear (“I tremble, so I feel afraid.”)
3. Cannon-Bard: Fear & Trembling happen together (“The dog makes me tremble and feel afraid at the same time.”)
Key Takeaway:
• James-Lange: Body reacts first.
• Cannon-Bard: Body & emotion happen together.
• Common Sense: Emotion comes first (debated).
The common sense belief
- emotional feeling is the cause of physiological arousal
What theory of emotion is shown with “ we are afraid then we tremble”
“We are angry then we raise our voice”
Common sense belief
James-Lange throw of body reaction
- physiological arousal (or action) is the cause of emotional feeling ( the body is first to respond to the situation)
In dangerous situations, our body trembles then we feel afraid reflects what theory of emotion
James Lange theory of body reaction
When we are offended we raise our voice then we feel angry (we act before we feel) which theory of emotion is reflected
James-Lange theory of body reaction
What are problems with James-Lange theory
- physiological arousal (exp; an increased heart rate) Is an action performed by the autonomic nervous system
- autonomic nervous system responses are too slow to be the source of split second elicited emotions
Cannon-bard theory of central neural processes
- subcortical brain activity in the thalamus is the cause for both physiological arousal and emotional feeling
The thalamus processes the growling dog as a threat, triggering fear and an increased heart rate as part of the fight-or-flight response. Is part of what theory of emotion
Cannon-bard theory of central neural processes
What do all theories of emotion describe and what do they all not explain
- these theories describe the sequence of biological and psychosocial responses to a stimulus ( what happens first and what happens next)
- they do not explain why a particular emotion is formed (how you know you are angry when heart is pounding)
Different emotions (anger, fear, excitement, arousal) share the same physical symptoms (e.g., fast heartbeat, sweating), but your brain interprets them based on context. True or false
True
Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory states
Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory states that emotion results from autonomic arousal (physical response) and cognitive appraisal (interpretation of the situation). Context determines the emotion.
The Two-Factor Theory shows that the same physical arousal can lead to different emotions depending on the context. Your brain interprets the situation, determining how you feel. True or false
True
Schachter-Singer Experiment:
The Schachter-Singer Experiment showed that participants given epinephrine reacted emotionally based on the confederate’s behavior:
• Those with a happy confederate felt happy.
• Those with an angry confederate felt angry.
• Participants without the drug didn’t show these effects.
This supports the Two-Factor Theory, proving that arousal + context = emotion.
Arousal (from alcohol, heat, or exercise) can intensify emotions, leading to ….
misattribution of arousal, as explained by the Two-Factor Theory.
The bridge experiment tested the ——— by ———
the Two-Factor Theory by having men cross either a safe or dangerous bridge before interacting with a female researcher.
• Results: Men who crossed the dangerous bridge wrote more sexual stories and were 4x more likely to call the researcher.
• Explanation: Their arousal from fear was misattributed as attraction, supporting the idea that context shapes emotion.
A follow-up study to the bridge test, did it support the 2 factor theory
A follow-up study found that men interviewed 10+ minutes after crossing the dangerous bridge (allowing arousal to subside) did not show the same sexual attraction response as those interviewed immediately. This supports the Two-Factor Theory, proving that arousal must be present at the moment of interpretation for misattribution to occur.
Being cold causes trembling, which can be misinterpreted as fear when reading a ghost story. This makes the story seem scarier. However, if you warm up and wait, you perceive it normally. This illustrates misattribution of arousal in the Two-Factor Theory. True or false
True
