Unit 6 BIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, COGNITIVE

Question 1

Motivation Theories

Answer 1

Definition: Theories that aim to explain why individuals behave in certain ways and what drives their actions.
Components: Biological, Behavioral, and Cognitive theories.

Question 2

What are the three approaches in motivation psychology?

Answer 2

the biological, the behavioural, the cognitive. Biological and cognitive are the one that receive the most attention today. Perspectives are not exclusive, but predominant at different moments

Question 3

Biological theories, Evolutionary theories

Answer 3

• the biological theories focus on understanding the organic bases that underlie motivation and behaviour (brain structures+neurochemical systems -> Motivation)
• Evo. Theory: Natural selection (charles darwin) individuals with genetic characters that allow them to better interact with their environments.
• organisms are motivated to act in ways that increase their chances of survival and reproduction

Question 4

Theory use and disuse, learning?, ethology

Answer 4

• Body parts are maintained when used, parts in disuse are atrophied
• evo. theories recognise that some behaviours are learned throughout an individual’s life, but they work together with genes to survive
• e: studies the biological aspects of the behaviour of individuals in their environment. function: study of behaviour and its evolution in the natural environment of the animal studied

Question 5

instinctive behaviour has two phases… lorenz Hydraulic model in addition

Answer 5

• appetitive phase: search phase, individuals carries out a series of actions to achieve a desired goal
• consummatory phase: execution phase, execution of specific behavioural patterns that materialize instinctive behaviour once the goal has been achieved.
• Lorenz Hydraulic model: after accumulating energy, the increase of probability of the behaviour appearing increases.

Question 6

Theories of homeostasis and regulation

Answer 6

• a balance that continually adjusts to adapt to internal and external changes in the organism’s environment
• hot-> sweat = motivated to seek shade.
• There are two theories in Homo.; Peripheral Theories; Central Theories

Question 7

Peripheral Theories and Central Theories - Current Situation

Answer 7

• P= Physical signals of the body, coming from organs that influence behaviour
• C=the function of the brain in regulating homeostasis and motivation, managing adaptive responses to int. and ext. changes in the body
• Neurobiological approaches in motivation psy. focus on locating the biological substrate of homeostatic mechanisms, approach, and avoidance motivational systems.
• ACTIVATION - WHEN BODY NEEDS TO CARRY OUT ACTIVITY

Question 8

What is activation

Answer 8

in preparation for action, when the individual has decided to carry out some motor activity and the body prepares energetically to execute it
- Physiological implication: Excitation of neurones, the activity of the sympathetic system and certain glands like the heart.
- Cognitive implication: Analysis of the significance of the stimulus and can influence decision making
- Motor implication: When the decision is made to perform a motor activity, the body physically prepares to carry it out

Question 9

What does the reticular-limbic-cortical formation do?

Answer 9

Plays a fundamental role in the process of regulation, since this network of neuronal structures facilitating the regulation of attention and the activation of the organism in response to external and internal stimuli

Question 10

What do the dorsolateral area of the frontal lobes trigger?

Answer 10

They trigger a series of neuronal processes that coordinate motor activation in response to different stimuli

Question 11

In behavioural theories what does Thorndike suggest

Answer 11

Thorndike suggests that the consequence of a response will influence the probability of occurrence of the that behavior in the future, based on positive or negative consequences

Question 12

What is the behavioural perspective definition of motivation

Answer 12

defined by the force that act on or within an organism to initiate and direct its behaviour, whether due to internal factors or external factors such as classical conditioning or reinforcement

Question 13

What are Woodworth’s contribution with Impulse theories

Answer 13

Woodwoth suggested that an internal energy arises from the needs of the organisms, which seek to motivates ppl to seek ways to satisfy
- Magnitude of impulse: refers to strength of the response based on the magnitude of the need
- Dimensions of Approach: How we respond to an impulse can vary depending on the situation and individual circumstance
- Continuity of Behavior: Implies drives the continuity of a behavior until te underlying need is satisfied

Question 14

Impulse theory and incentives

Answer 14

Inc: are goal or objects that motivate behaviour, acting as a guide that drives us or distance us from them. considered as generators of energy, emotions, and carriers of information

Question 15

Classical conditioning

Answer 15

Through the association of stimuli, it is possible for certain neutral stimuli to acquire the potential character of motivation - little Albert’s experiment

Question 16

OPC: Positive reinforcer - Negative reinforcer

Answer 16

Add a situation you enjoy - Eliminate a situation you don’t like

Question 17

OPC: Positive punishment - Negative punishment

Answer 17

Add a situation you hate - eliminate a situation you enjoy

Question 18

Operant conditioning

Answer 18

Reinforcement increases the likelihood of recurrence in the future; reinforcement is greater, or is adjusted to the needs, it enhances the motivation to carry out the activity

Question 19

Observational learning - David Premack

Answer 19

learnt through the perceived reinforcement or punishment of others around you. David Premack proposes that reinforcers are associated with consummatory responses that is , actions that involve the consumption of set

Question 20

What is understood from the cognitive perspective?

Answer 20

It is understood that perceptual, attentional emotional and memory processes interact in the analysis and interpretation of stimuli from the environment and thoughts

Question 21

Edward C. Tolman and the cognitive model precedents

Answer 21

He showed that animals learned simple associations between stimuli and responses and also developed cognitive knowledge of the of their environment.
-Latent Learning: Could occur even without immediate manifestation in observable behvaior

Question 22

Kurt Lewin and cognitive model precedents

Answer 22

Psychological distance: individual’s perception of the distance between their current state and the desired goal - the closer the goal the more the motivation (levels of aspiration and expectations)
- Aspiration: what na individual wants to achieve
- Expectation: what individuals thinks they can achieve

Question 23

Rotter’s expectation-value theories

Answer 23

Values are the importance of desire that a person places on a specific goal in comparison to other possible goals - subjective to estimates of achievement - influenced by past
- self-econcept is vital (the higher the self efficacy the higher the internal locus of control)

Question 24

Social motivation - Effect of coercion and audience

Answer 24

The presence of others can activate energy resources that increase a person’s motivation and performance
- Duress effect: motivation and performance increase in competitions with others
- Audience effect: Influence of others is manifested through situation of passivity, such as observation or evaluation
(when there is ppl watching but there is no condition for performance motivation decreases but activation response increases)

Question 25

Observer status + Diffusion of responsibility + conformity and obedience

Answer 25

-The higher the perceived status, the greater the response activation will be
-presence other people decreases the sense of individual responsibility

Question 26

Accordance

Answer 26

• Accordance: the tendency of individuals to respond in a manner consistent to majority
• when motivation is low ppl that have low interest are likely to conform to the majority

Question 27

Obedience

Answer 27

• Obedience: Performance of action in response to instructions give by authority
• Likely to commit behaviour if someone comes from the instructions of someone who we consider to be an authority

Question 28

Cognitive consistency and dissonance

Answer 28

Consistency: harmony between thoughts, beliefs, and actions
dissonance: conflict between those three, it produces an experience of tension, which motivates the individual to act to solve

Question 29

The flow theory - motivation for leisure

Answer 29

Flow is a emotional state of intense gratification and fascination that is experienced during actives related to leisure or fun - when challenge activity and the individual’s skills are balanced

Question 30

Reversibility theory - motivation for leisure

Answer 30

Telic states: Motivational state towards persistent activities directed towards achieving achieving long-term goals
Paratelic states: motivational state towards activities that seek immediate gratification and do not require prolonged effort