AP Psychology Review 7: Motivation and Emotion

I. Motivation: Def: The influences that account for the initiation, direction, intensity, and persistence of behavior EX: In their 40’s or 50’s, many men go through a mid-life crisis. Therefore, they may make some strange decisions based on this motivation.

II. Motive: Def: The reason or purpose for a behavior -This can often be simple to understand, but hard to explain.

III. Instinct Theory: Def: All behavior can be explained as being motivated by automatic, involuntary, and unlearned responses EX: I am hungry, so I eat -Instincts: automatic, involuntary, and unlearned responses

IV. Homeostasis: Def: an organism, like you or me, will try to maintain stability and constancy through continually adjusting in response to change. EX: When I go outside when it is hot, I will begin to sweat in order to cool down.

V. Drive Reduction Theory: Def: The theory that motivation arises from imbalances in homeostasis EX: If I become tired after a long day of teaching, I may sit down and take a nap.

VI. Needs: Def: Something that is required by biology for us to be able to survive (ie. Food, Water, Sleep, School, etc…)

VII. Drives: Def: A psychological state of arousal created by an imbalance in homeostasis that causes an organism to take action -Primary Drive: something that is a basic need for survival -Secondary Drive: is created by operant conditioning of some sort. In other words, it is learned

VIII. Arousal Theories: Def: people are motivated to behave in a manner that maintains their optimal levels of arousal. EX: If I am out having a good time with my friends at a bar, I am more likely to keep drinking if it will maintain my arousal.

IX. Incentive Theory: Def: we behave a certain way because we want to get desirable stimuli and avoid negative stimuli EX: If I like a girl, and she likes poetry, I might pretend to like poetry to get a little something something…

X. Obesity: Def: A condition in which a person is severely overweight as measured by BMI or another weight indexing system. -This can be an extremely dangerous condition with many co-morbidities.

XI. Anorexia Nervosa: Def: An eating disorder in which a person starves oneself in order to accomplish dramatic weight loss and achieve an unhealthily low weight. -This is far and away more dangerous than obesity.

XII. Bulimia Nervosa: Def: An eating disorder in which a person eats large amounts of food then discharges that food by forced vomiting or using strong laxatives in order to maintain an unhealthy low weight -This can be incredibly dangerous

XIII. Sexual Response Cycle: Def: The pattern of physiological arousal during and after sexual activity EX: Censored!!!

XIV. Sex Hormones: Def: Chemicals in the blood of males and females the elicit motivational and activational sexual responses and behaviors -Estrogens: Female only sex hormones -Progestins: Male/Female sex hormones -Androgens: Male only sex hormones

XV. Sexual Orientation: Def: Description of the type of sexual partner a person in looking for. -Heterosexual: Sexual motivation that is centered on members of the opposite sex -Homosexual: Sexual motivation that is centered on members of the same sex -Bisexual: Sexual motivation that is centered on members of both sexes

XVI. Subjective Well-Being: Def: A combination of a cognitive judgement of satisfaction with life, the frequent experiencing of positive moods and emotions, and the relatively infrequent experiencing of unpleasant moods and emotions. EX: If I were to live in a nice country with good wealth and good health, I should appreciate that and be somewhat happy.

XVII. Emotion: Def: A transitory positive or negative experience that is felt as happening to the self, is generated in part by cognitive appraisal of a situation, and is accompanied by both learned and reflexive physical responses. EX: I come home to find that my goldfish “Goldie” has died. If I feel sadness, it would be a normal response.

XVIII. Sympathetic Nervous System: Def: The subsystem of the autonomic nervous system that usually prepares the organism for vigorous activity -Hormones are released in order to express emotions

XIX. Parasympathetic Nervous System: Def: The subsystem of the autonomic nervous system that typically influences activity related to the protection, nourishment, and growth of the body. -Hormones are released in order to use energy later

XX. Fight or Flight Syndrome: Def: A physical reaction instituted by the sympathetic nervous system in association with the amygdala that causes us to fight or run away in a situation EX: I am hiking and I see an aggressive bear.