Unit 8 Flashcards
motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.
instinct
a complex, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species.
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.
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 states of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson - excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.
refractory period
a resting period after orgasm, during which a man cannot achieve another orgasm.
Estrogen
sex hormones, such as estradiol, secreted in greater amounts by females than by males and contributing to female sex characteristics. In nonhuman 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 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-Bard 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 (GAS)
Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases—alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
tend and befriend response
under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend).
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.
obesity
defined as a body mass index (BMI) measurement of 30 or higher. (Overweight individuals have a BMI of 25 or higher.)
physiological need
a basic bodily requirement
asexual
having no sexual attraction to others;
affiliation needs
the need to build relationships and to feel part of a group
ostracism
deliberate social exclusion of individuals or groups
narcissism
excessive self-love and self-absorption
catharsis
in psychology, the idea that “releasing” aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges
aerobic exercise
sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; may also alleviate depression and anxiety
mindfulness meditation
a reflective practice in which people attend to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner
feel-good, do-good phenomenon
people’s tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood
positive psychology
the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive
subjective well-being
self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. Used along with measures of objective well-being (for example, physical and economic indicators) to evaluate people’s quality of life.
adaptation-level phenomenon
our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience
relative deprivation
the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself
achievement motivation
a desire for significant accomplishment: for mastery of things, people, or ideas; for attaining a high standard
grit
in psychology, grit is passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals
behavior feedback effect
the tendency of behavior to influence our own and others’ thoughts, feelings, and actions
approach-approach conflict
Conflict that results from having to choose between two attractive alternatives
approach-avoidance conflict
A conflict in which there are both appealing and negative aspects to the decision to be made.
avoidance-avoidance conflict
conflict occurring when a person must choose between two undesirable goals
Abraham Maslow
Humanistic psychologist known for his “Hierarchy of Needs” and the concept of “self-actualization”
Alfred Kinsey
regarded by some as the father of the scientific study of human sexuality. Published a series of reports which described common sexual behaviors in the US
William Masters
along with his colleague, Virginia Johnson, used direct observation and experimentation to study sexual response cycle (4 stages)
Virginia Johnson
documented the sexual response cycle in men and women in stages with William Masters
William James
along with Carl Lange he proposed that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to an emotion-arousing stimulus; stimulus -> arousal -> emotion
Walter Cannon
He along with Philip Bard concluded that our bodily responses and experienced emotions occur separately but simultaneously
Stanley Schachter
he along with Jerome Singer demonstrated that how we appraise or interpret our emotions also matters. Created two-factor theory of emotion: to experience emotion one must be physically aroused and cognitively label the arousal
Robert Zajonc
he along with Joseph LeDoux believed that some emotional responses are immediate before any conscious appraisal
Robert LeDoux
he along with Robert Zajonc believed that some emotional responses are immediate before any conscious appraisal
Richard Lazarus
American psychologist who concluded that some emotional responses do not require conscious thought
Paul Ekman
theory that facial expressions are universal
Hans Selye
A psychologist that created the general adaptation syndrome theory.
Martin Seligman
researcher known for work on learned helplessness and learned optimism as well as positive psychology
