Unit 7 Flashcards
Personality
An individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Motivation
A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.
Emotion
A response of the whole organism, involving physiological arousal, expressive behavior, and conscious thought.
Drive-Reduction Theory
The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need.
Homeostasis
A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state.
- The regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level.
Optimal Arousal Theory
People perform best when their arousal level is neither too high nor too low.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.
Incentives
A positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior.
- Remember operant conditioning & extrinsic motivation.
Hierarchy of Needs (in order from top to bottom)
- Self-Transcendence Needs
- Self-Actualization Needs
- Esteem Needs
- Belonging & Love Needs
- Safety Needs
- Physiological Needs
Physiological Needs
Need to satisfy sustainment of biological processes
Examples:
Hunger, Thirst, Sleep, Temperature Regulation, Sex
Safety Needs
Need to feel safe; Need to feel that the world is organized & predictable (in ways that keep you safe).
Examples:
Shelter, consistent access to drinking water, knowing where you will sleep, protection & enforced laws.
Examples of not having safety needs met:
Individuals living through war.
Belonging & Love Needs
- Need to love & be loved.
- To belong and be accepted.
- Need to avoid loneliness & separation.
Examples:
Friendships, romantic relationships, family relationships.
Esteem Needs
- Need for self-esteem, achievement, competence, & independence.
- Need for recognition & respect from others.
Examples:
- Believing you’re good at “___”
- Receiving a reward for an essay contest.
- Positive feedback from a teacher or boss.
Self-Actualization Needs
Need to live up to our fullest and unique potential.
Examples:
Sense that you’re fulfilling your destiny.
*Not everyone reaches self-actualization**
Self-Transcendence Needs
Need to find meaning & identity beyond the self.
People at this stage:
People who may have reached this level are Ghandi or Nelson Mandela.
Instincts
A complex, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species.
- Based in ideas of Evolutionary Psychology.
Sex Positive Approach
Sexual behavior should be normalized and discussed and should only be considered abnormal if it produces a sense of distress, anxiety, or guilt OR if it is harmful to some other person.
Levels of Analysis for Sexual Motivation (Biological Influences)
- Sexual maturity.
- Sex hormones, especially testosterone.
- Sexual orientation.
Levels of Analysis for Sexual Motivation (Psychological Influences)
- Exposure to stimulating conditions.
- Sexual fantasies.
Levels of Analysis for Sexual Motivation (Social-Cultural Influences)
- Family & society values.
- Religious & personal values.
- Cultural expectations.
- Media.
Estrogens
Sex hormones, such as estradiol, secreted in greater amounts by females than by males and contributing to the development of female sex characteristics.
Hormones in Biological Females
- Loosely influence sexual behavior, with sexual desire rising slightly at ovulation.
- Human females are more responsive to testosterone with decreased testosterone leading to decreased sexual appetite.
Testosterone
- The most important of the male sex hormones.
- Both males & females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of male sex characteristics during puberty.
Hormones in Biological Males
Fluctuations in testosterone levels are partially a response to sexual stimulation vs a cause of sexual drive.
External Sexual Stimuli
- Individuals of all genders (but not all individuals) become aroused when they see, hear, or read erotic material.
- Response to erotic stimuli lessens, or habituates, with repeated exposure.
- Sexually explicit materials can have adverse effects.
- Depictions of women liking being sexually coerced.
- Viewing images of extremely attractive individuals results in lessened evaluations of their own partners.
Alfred Kinsey
Launched the first major systematic effort in learning about human sexual behavior in the late 1930s.
- Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948).
- Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953).
Survey, rather than an observation of behavior, that included an overrepresentation of college students, urban dwellers, and people in the Northeast.
Twin Studies
When one twin identified as gay, the likelihood of the other twin being gay was higher than in the general population.
Brain Structures
The size of the anterior hypothalamus is smaller (LeVay, 1991) and anterior commissure is larger (Allen & Gorski, 1992) in gay men.
Prenatal Environment
Exposure to particular hormones in the prenatal environment have been shown to impact sexual orientation.
William Masters & Virginia Johnson
- Described sexual respose cycle based on data from over 10,000 filmed sexual cycles (with participants either having sex or masterbating) in the 1960s.
- Pioneered treatment of sexual dysfunction.
- Described the power of female sexuality.
- The fact that women did not need a man to orgasm.
- The capability for multiple orgasms growing in intensity.
Sexual Response Cycle
The four stages of sexual responding described by Masters & Johnson - excitement, plateau, orgasm, & resolution.
Excitement Phase
- Genital areas become engorged with blood.
- Vagina expands & secretes lubricant, nipples may enlarge.
Plateau Phase
- Breathing, pulse, & blood pressure rates continue to increase.
- Penis becomes fully engorged with sperm filled liquid at the tip.
- Vaginal secretion continues to increase.
Orgasm Phase
- Muscle contractions all over the body. Further increases in breathing, pulse rates (70 bpm to 115 bpm), & blood pressure.
- Uterus positions to receive sperm and draw sperm further inward.
- Pleasurable feelings of sexual release are the same based on descriptions & brain imaging.
Resolution Phase
Return to unaroused state as accumulated blood is released.
Refractory period - Resting period after orgasm, during which a male cannot achieve another orgasm.
Females have a much shorter refractory period allowing them to have multiple orgasms in a row.
Sexual Dysfunction
A problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or functioning.