unit 8 Flashcards
motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
instinct
complex, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species
drive reduction theory
the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state that motivates an organism to satisfy the need
homeostasis
the tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state
incentive
a positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior.
yerkes-dodson law
the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.
hierarchy of needs
Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher -level safety needs and then psychological needs become active
glucose
the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues. When its level is low, we feel hunger.
set point
the point at which an individual’s “weight thermostat” is supposedly set. When the body falls below this weight, an increase in hunger and a lowered metabolic rate may act to restore the lost weight.
basal metabolic rate
the body’s resting rate of energy expenditure
sexual response cycle
the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson—excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution
refractory period
resting period after orgasm, during which a man cannot achieve another orgasm.
sexual dysfunction
a problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or functioning.
estrogens
sex hormones, such as estradiol, secreted in greater amounts by females than by males and contributing to female sex characteristics. In nonhuman female mammals, estrogen levels peak during ovulation, promoting sexual receptivity.
testosterone
the most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty.
emotion
a response of the whole organism, involving (1) physiological arousal, (2) expressive behaviors, and (3) conscious experience.
james-lange theory
the theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to emotion - arousing stimuli.
cannon-found theory
the theory that an emotion - arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers (1) physiological responses and (2) the subjective experience of emotion.
two-factor theory
the Schachter - Singer theory that to experience emotion one must (1) be physically aroused and (2) cognitively label the arousal
polygraph
a machine, commonly used in attempts to detect lies, that measures several of the physiological responses (such as perspiration and cardiovascular and breathing changes) accompanying emotion
facial feedback effect
the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness
health psychology
a subfield of psychology that provides psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine
stress
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging
general adaptation syndrome
Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases—alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
tend and befriend response
under stress, people often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend)
psychophysiological illness
literally, “mind-body” illness; any stress-related physical illness, such as hypertension and some headaches.
psychoneuroimmunology
the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health.
lymphocytes
the two types of white blood cells that are part of the body’s immune system: B lymphocytes form in the bone marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infections; T lymphocytes form in the thymus and other lymphatic tissue and attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances.
coronary heart disease
the clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; the leading cause of death in many developed countries.
type a
Friedman and Rosenman’s term for competitive, hard - driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger - prone people
type b
Friedman and Rosenman’s term for easygoing, relaxed people.
abraham maslow
humanistic psychologist who developed a theory of motivation that emphasized hierarchy of needs
william masters
american gynecologist,best known as the senior member of the masters and johnson sexuality research team, he pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response
stanley schachter
emotion: states that in order to experience emotions, a person must be physically aroused
hans selye
flight or fight developed into general adaptation syndrome
virginia johnson
famous for research into the nature of human sexual response and treatment of sexual dieases
william james
founder of the functionalist perspective and contributed a theory of emotion that says emotions results from an arousing stimulus that causes a physiological reaction
