unit 7a - motivation, emotion, and stress Flashcards
motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
evolutionary/instinct theory
a motivational theory that focuses on genetics & how genes predispose species.
criticisms: fails to focus on the role of learning in human behavior. labels behavior but doesn’t explain it
drive reduction theory
a motivational theory that states a need results in a drive which motivates the organism to act to reduce the tension & return the body to homeostasis
criticisms: it doesn’t explain why people continue to engage in a behavior after a drive is reduced
arousal theory
a motivational theory that says people are motivated to maintain their optimal level of arousal, increasing arousal, when it is too low & decreasing it when it is too high
yerkes-dodson law
the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases. moderate arousal leads to optimal performance
hierarchy of needs
abraham maslow proposed that there is a pyramid of human needs. starts with physiological needs that must be first satisfied before motivated to satisfy higher-level needs
hierarchy of needs levels (bottom to top)
physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, self-actualization
factors of hunger
the brain monitors blood chemistry and hormones whose presence communicates hunger
leplin
protein hormones secreted by fat cells; causes brain to increase metabolism and decrease hunger when abundant
lateral hypothalamus
tells us when we are hungry
ventramedial hypothalamus
tells us when we are full
affiliation need
a deep need to belong, working hard to build relationships, influenced by social networking
achievement motivation
a desire for significant accomplishment, mastery of skills or ideas, for control, and for attaining a high standard.
people with this achieve more and have grit
emotion
a response of the whole organism involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience
james-lange theory
a theory of emotion that claims people experience emotion based on their physiological behavior and responses
criticism: if correct, then there should be a unique physiological response for every emotion.
cannon-bard’s theory
a theory of emotion. stimulus simultaneously triggers a physiological response and an emotion
schachter-singer’s two-factor theory
a theory of emotion. to experience emotion, one must be physically aroused and cognitively label the arousal. emotion cannot be experienced if one of these factors are absent
cognitive appraisal theory
2 routes of emotion. zajonc & ledoux claimed simple emotions are processed without thinking and emotions can occur before cognition takes place (the low road)
lazarus claimed that complex emotions involve how we appraise the situation (high road)
brain mechanisms
the psychoanalytic theory that the ego’s protective methods of reducing anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality. all defense mechanisms (except for suppression) is unconscious
repression
defense mechanism that underlies all the other defense mechanisms. unconsciously blocking unpleasant or anxiety producing thoughts from consciousness (ex. traumatic childhood experience is unresolved & blocked)
reaction formation
defense mechanism. acting oppositely of how one is feeling (ex. being mad at a friend but acting very sweet to them)
rationalization
defense mechanism. giving ourselves false reassurances about an anxiety producing experience in order to reduce our anxiety. 2 types: sweet lemons (what we have we love and think is great) and sour grapes (what we can’t have we tell ourselves we didn’t want anyway)
suppression
defense mechanism. consciously avoiding thinking about something (ex. do not want to think about the test you have this week)
projection
defense mechanism. the tendency to see in others the undesirable traits and qualities that we posses (ex. moody people see other people as negative and moody)
identification
defense mechanism. identifying with a group by taking on some of their behaviors (ex. identifying with popular students by changing how you dress and act to be like them)
displacement
defense mechanism. taking our anxiety out on other, safer objects (ex. football player yelled at by coach then yells at little brother)
sublimation
defense mechanism. we find socially acceptable ways to fulfill socially unacceptable urges (ex. hostile student channels aggressive impulses into sports)
fantasy/dreams/escape
defense mechanism. avoiding anxiety by escaping into a fantasy/dream world (ex. while in class, fantasizing about being in florida)
regression
defense mechanism. returning to earlier modes of dealing with anxiety (ex. an adult becoming dependent on parents after a divorce)
undoing
defense mechanism. reducing anxiety by making amends for unethical thoughts or deeds (ex. husband doing something wrong and then bringing home flowers)
compensation
defense mechanism. we pursue success in one area to reduce our anxiety about our failure in another (ex. a good athlete works hard in sports and tries not to focus on poor academics)
denial
defense mechanism. defending against anxiety-producing realities by failing to perceive or recognize them (ex. smokers ignore the risks of lung cancer)
paul ekman
some facial expressions of emotion are universal across cultures around the world
facial feedback effect
facial position and muscle changes can alter which emotions we feel
stress
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events that we appraise as threatening or challenging
life stressors
3 types: catastrophic, significant life changes, daily hassles
general adaption syndrome
created by hans selye. the body’s adaptive response to stress is in three phases - alarm, resistance, exhaustion
friedman & rosenman
completed a study that tested the idea that stress increases invulnerability to heart disease. includes type A (competitive, hard-driving, impatient, anger prone) and type B (easygoing, relaxed)
