Unit 10: Motivation Flashcards
Motivation
Motivation is a need or desire that energizes behavior and directs it towards a goal.
The 7 Perspectives on Motivation:
- Instinct Theory
- Drive-Reduction Theory
- Incentive Theory
- Arousal Theory
- Sensation Seeking Theory
- Lewin’s Motivational Theory
- Hierarchy of Motives
Instinct Theory
Motivation is something that all organisms are born with. (Tinbergen, 1951).
Drive Reduction
The goal of drive reduction theory is homeostasis: where all of your needs are met, but not over met.
Need (food, water, etc) ——->
Drive (hunger, thirst, etc)—–>
Drive-reducing behaviors (eating, drinking, etc)
Incentive Theory
Drives are your bodies way of motivating you (eating food because you are hungry), while incentives are Psychological ways your mind motivates you (eating because food looks good).
Optimum Arousal
Organisms are motivated to have the most excitement possible. Young monkeys and children and known to explore the environment in the absence of a need-based drive.
Sensation Seeking Theory
We are pushed by:
–Experience Seeking (new experiences)
–Thrill or Adventure Seeking (exciting)
–Disinhibition (Inability to withhold unwanted or inappropriate behavior)
–Boredom Susceptibility (Inability to deal with being bored)
Lewin’s Motivation Theory
We all deal with conflicts and try to resolve them:
–Approach-Approach Conflict (choosing between two good choices)
–Approach-Avoidance Conflict (choosing to do or not do something that has positives and negatives)
–Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict (choosing between two bad choices)
Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow (1970) suggested that certain needs have priority over others. (more too)
Hierarchy of needs pyramid chart:
- Physiological Needs
- Safety Needs
- Belongingness and Love Needs
- Esteem Needs
- Self-actualization Needs
Physiological Hunger
Physiological hunger means your body craves food naturally.
There are 4 things that make your body crave food naturally:
- Hunger Pangs (stomach rumblings)
- Low Blood Sugar
- The hypothalamus regulates hunger.
- Hormones can also cause hunger. Ghrelin is a hunger inducing hormone (secreted by an empty stomach). Leptin is a hormone that makes you feel full.
Set-Point of Theory
Theory that your brain will make you hungry when you need food and will make you feel full when you don’t.
The Psychology of Hunger
Psychological Hunger means that your body ISN’T naturally hungry, or full but your brain is regulating your eating behavior.
Taste Preference: Biology or Culture?
Where you live, and what culture you are from help determine how hungry you are, and what kinds of foods you crave and eat.
Sexuality
Sexuality is defined as thoughts and actions related to physical attraction to another.
Asexual
Asexual is having no sexual attraction to others.
Sex
Sex is your biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male, female and intersex (possessing male and female biological characteristics at birth)
Gender
Gender is defined as attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex.
Primary Sexual Characteristics
Primary Sexual Characteristics are changes in puberty that aid in reproduction.
Secondary Sexual Characteristics
Secondary Sexual Characteristics are changes in puberty that don’t aid in reproduction.
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation refers to a person’s preference for emotional and sexual relationships with individuals of the same sex, the other sex either sex, or to no sex.
homosexuality
liking the same gender
Research has been done on both potential nature and nurture influences, but current research points to nature being the more influential factor.
Origins of Sexual Orientation:
- Homosexuality exists in the animal world.
- Brain structure tends to look different in gay and straight men.
- A number of reasons suggest that homosexuality may be due to genetic factors.
a.) Homosexulity seems to run in families
b.) Homosexual orientation is more commonly shared in identical twins than fraternal twins.
c.) Genetic engineers can genetically manipulate fruit flies to change their sexual attraction - Prenatal hormones affect sexual orientation during critical periods of fetal development.
Affiliation Need
Your Affiliation Need is your need to belong.
Evolutionary Psychologists believe that our need to be around others aided in our survival. Why?
–Protecting against predators, especially for the young.
–Finding food.
–Reproducing offspring.
Belongingness
People who tend to have close friends are happier and healthier. Ostracism, or social exclusion can have damaging effects.
Self - Determination Theory
- Competence (We feel we can deal with our environment.)
- Autonomy (We feel we have personal control)
- Relatedness (We feel close bonds with others.)
Job
Work as a way to make money.
Career
Work as a way to move up the social ladder (get promoted).
Calling
Work as being socially fulfilling/gratifying.
Flow
Flow is the experience between no work and a lot of work. Flow marks immersion into one’s work.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
The Yerkes-Dodson Law says moderate arousal is best to excel at tasks.
Industrial-organizational (i/o) psychology:
Personnel Psychology:
Studies the principles of selecting and evaluating workers.
Industrial-organizational (i/o) psychology:
Organizational Psychology:
Studies how work environments and management styles influence worker motivation, satisfaction, and productivity.
Personnel Psychology
Personnel Psychologists work with companies to hire the right employees for the job.
The interviewer illusion
Most employers believe that they are better at hiring quality employees than they actually are. This is known as the interviewer illusion. Thus, personnel psychologists are often needed.
Structured Interview
Structured Interview: Interviewing technique where you script all of the interview questions and then grade candidates responses on a predetermined rubric. The high scorer gets hired. This technique can help to reduce bias.
Organizational Psychology: Motivating Achievement
An Organizational Psychologist works to motivate the employees that you already have.
One goal of Organizational Psychologists is Achievement Motivation, where workers want to do well in their jobs.
Hard workers show grit, a passion and perseverence toward a goal.
Challenging Goals
Organizational Psychologists work with employees to set goals that are challenging, but also reachable (attainable).
Employee Engagement
Another goal is Employee Engagement, where employees feel like they are an important and valuable part of the business.
Task Leadership:
Tells employees exactly what needs to get done.
Social Leadership:
Work more on group harmony, and lets workers take more responsibility for their own work.
Human Factor Psychologists
Human Factor Psychologists are concerned with developing products that are user friendly and safe for humans to use.
