Ch. 8 Motivation and Emotion Major Themes This will help you fill in some of your guided reading notes.

Theories of Motivation

Evolutionary Theory set the stage for psychology by establishing behavior as important and observable subject to scientific scrutiny emotions developed because of their adaptive value, allowing the organism to avoid danger and survive

Homeostasis (“pull theory”) state of regulatory equilibrium ideal internal state of balance when balance of equilibrium shifts, we are “pulled” to balance it

Drive-Reduction Theory (“push theory”) we have needs that must be fulfilled motivation is result of organisms trying to reduce the drive behavior originates from physiological needs (thirst, hunger, air) behavior geared to reduce need or deficit (drink, eat, breath) behaviors restore homeostasis

Incentive Motivation theory suggests humans are pulled toward behaviors by rewards or incentives motivation produced by need for goal attainment intrinsic: motivators originating from within ourselves extrinsic: motivators coming from the outside world Examples????

Maslow’s Hierarchy You’ve studied this in previous units. We’ll have an activity on this later in the week.

Arousal Theory (Yerkes – Dodson Law/ Inverted U) optimum level of arousal at which performance of a given task is optimal each person has his/her own sense of appropriate arousal and acts in ways to remain at a comfortable arousal level Yerkes-Dodson Law: prediction about relationship b/t arousal levels and performance, suggests there is an interaction b/t aroused states, the difficulty of the task to be carried out and eventual performance on task Examples… Sports vs Academic situations Differences in same sports

Motivation of Behaviors Eating & Sex

Eating (Biological factors) Serotonin neurotransmitter associated w/ arousal, sleep, appetite, moods, and emotions Lack of associated with depression Hypothalamus area controlling feeding if ventromedial hypothalamus is lesioned, the animal eats constantly if lateral hypothalamus is damaged, then the animal stops eating and starves to death (LAT MAKES YOU FAT!)

How much should we eat? Set Point brain and endocrine system act like a thermostat temp becomes too cold: signal sent to turn heater on when set point is reached, heat shuts off if it gets too hot, the thermostat turns on the cooling system Our appetite and weight are viewed the same way. Hypothalamus and Serotonin are activated at levels designed for each individual.

Factors of weight Culture: Media External Internal: hypothalamus Create “ideals” of beauty External school bell rings signaling it is time for lunch Classical Conditioning food is readily available (home, vending machines, stores, restaurants.) Internal: hypothalamus

Eating Disorders anorexia nervosa bulimia nervosa eating disorder characterized by a weight of less than 85% of normal abnormally restrictive food consumption unrealistic body image bulimia nervosa eating disorder characterized by a pattern of eating binges involving intake of thousands of calories Followed by purging either vomiting or laxative

Psychology of Sexual Motivation

sexual response cycle Studied by Masters & Johnson Excitement = sexual arousal plateau: increased breathing rate, muscle tension, <3 rate and BP orgasm: ejaculation in males and pleasurable sensations induced by rhythmic muscle contractions in both sexes resolution: blood leaves the genitals, sexual arousal lessens refractory period: in most males, another erection or orgasm is not achieved, women are capable of multiple orgasms

sexual orientation one’s degree of emotional and erotic attraction to members of the same gender, opposite gender, or both genders heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual 30-70% genetic if one identical twin is homosexual/bisexual, a 50% chance the other twin is, too heredity shapes areas of brain that orchestrate sexual behavior sexual orientation influenced by gene found on X chromosome nature & learning Studied extensively by Alfred Kinsey at IU.

Emotions

Culturally Universal Expressions of Emotions Paul Elkman found that individuals in all cultures tend to recognize and express the major basic emotions in the same way in terms of facial expression (fear, happiness, surprise, etc.) Theorized some kinds of emotional response are inborn in humans

James – Lange Theory Emotions are a result of physiological reactions to events. Your emotions are dependent on how you interpret the physical reactions. In other words… Don’t smile because your happy, you feel happy because you smile Example in steps… Event – See a bear Reaction - tremble Interpretation – tremble = fear Emotion – I’m scared!

Cannon – bard Theory Main Idea Explanations Emotion and physiological arousal happen at the same time. One does not cause the other. Explanations Physiological reactions happen to slowly to cause emotions. I.E. – alone in a dark room/alley People can experience physiological arousal w/o emotion. I.E. – Running Different emotions can have same physiological arousal. I.E. – Increased HR, could be anger, afraid, or excited!

Schachter & Singer 2 Factor Theory Emotion depends on 2 factors Physiological Arousal Cognitive interpretation of the arousal When we perceive physiological symptoms of arousal, we look for an environmental explanations. Or, how we label the emotion depends on our surroundings. Example…Rage v. Excitement