Intro to Motivation WHY?

What moves people to action? Pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain –Counterproductive? Drug use? Studying?

Freud Basic sexual/ aggressive instincts operate unconsciously –dreams –fantasies –slips of the tongue

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow Basic tendency toward growth to master our lives

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Human sexual nature? Shows relationship between psychological and biological –How did we go from caveman to Kimye?

Drives/Incentives/Homeostasis/Optimum Arousal Pushed by need and pulled by incentive How does this relate to Harlow’s Monkeys? What does it all come down to? Need (food/water) Drive (hunger/thirst) Drive-reducing behavior (eating/drinking)

Close your eyes… Think about the future –Hopes? –What do you see?

What is hope? Agency: willpower or energy to get towards a goal (choice) Pathways: perceived ability to generate routes to achieve that goal

Hope Index Add items 2, 9, 10, and 12 = agency Add items 1, 4, 6, and 8 = pathways Add agency + pathway Mean for each is 12.5 (total 25)

High on hope scale = pursue greater number of life goals and tend to be more successful in achieving those goals –Interpret obstacles as “life challenges” rather than threats –React to obstacles with less stress and less increase in blood pressure –Hopeful women report less pain in childbirth –Higher life satisfaction, self-esteem, optimistic

So why are you here?

Motivation Theories 1.Evolutionary Theory A. Early instinct theories: fixed, genetic programs behavior 1.William James Principles of Psychology 2.William McDougall – 18 Instincts 3.Migrating behaviors and mating displays of birds 4.Examples in human behaviors, including rooting, sucking, and grasping

2. Arousal Theory Motivation: to achieve and maintain a certain level of arousal Animals seek activities that create levels of physiological arousal Theories differ in assumptions about whether arousal is negative or positive

Drive-reduction theory (Clark Hull) 1.Behavior originates from physiological need for food, water, air. These needs create tension (irritation) away from homeostasis When needs are met (homeostasis), arousal is low; needs give rise to drives

Drive: internal state of tension that motivates an organism to engage in activities that reduces tension Temp. too low Temp. too high Comfortable range for body temp centered at 98.6°F Restore equil. Blood vessels in skin dilate to remove heat Person sweats Turn down furnace Remove Sweater Blood vessels in skin constrict to conserve heat Person shivers Turn up furnace Put on sweater

Optimal Arousal Theory 1. Individual differences –People vary in the ways they seek levels of arousal –Sensation-seeking is an aspect of personality related to risky behavior – from-400-feet-is-not-exactly-a-lover-s-leap/ from-400-feet-is-not-exactly-a-lover-s-leap/

Just how sensation-seeking are you?

Number (somewhere) 1-13 A.I would like a job that requires a lot of traveling B.I would prefer a job in one location

A.I am invigorated by a brisk, cold day B.I can’t wait to get indoors on a cold day

A.I get bored seeing the same old faces B.I like the comfortable familiarity of everyday friends

A.I would prefer living in an ideal society in which everyone is safe, secure, and happy B.I would have preferred living in the unsettled days of our history

A.I sometimes like to do things that are a little frightening B.I am a sensible person who avoids activities that are dangerous

A.I would not like to be hypnotized B.I would like to have the experience of being hypnotized

A.The most important goal in life is to live it to the fullest and experience as much as possible B.The most important goal in life is to find peace and happiness

A.I would like to try parachute jumping B.I would never want to try jumping out of a plane, with or without a parachute

A.I enter cold water gradually, giving myself time to get used to it B.I dive or jump right into the ocean or a cold pool

A.When I go on a vacation, I prefer the comfort of a good room and a bed B.When I go on vacation, I prefer the change of camping out

A.I prefer people who are emotionally expressive even if they are a bit unstable B.I prefer people who are calm and even tempered

A.A good painting should have shock or jolt the senses B.A good painting should give one a feeling of peace and security

A.People who ride motorcycles must have some kind of unconscious need to hurt themselves B.I would like to drive or ride a motorcycle

Count one point for each of the following responses: –1A, 2A, 3A, 4B, 5A, 6B, 7A, 8A, 9B, 10B, 11A, 12A, 13B 1-3 = low sensation seeking 4-5 = low 6-9 = average is high is very high

Thrill and adventure seeking –Parachuting/sky diving Experience-Seeking –Noncomformity, unusual friends, artsy fartsy Disinhibition –Extraverted sensation seeking Boredom Susceptibility –Restless, must… get… out… of… here –All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

3. Incentive Theory Motivation is produced by need for goal attainment A.Need for goal attainment or achievement may be either intrinsic or extrinsic Feelings vs. material often tangible reinforcers

C. Conditioned incentives 1.Cravings – thru learning environmental stimuli = craving Watch someone eating popcorn = you want popcorn 2. Wanting – motivation to approach incentive If you have a cold, you may want cold medicine but not like it

4. Humanistic Theory A.Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs B. Csikszentmihalyl’s flow 1.deep, authentic involvement in meaningful activities 2.Requires skilled control over instinctive drives

Low SkillHigh Skill Flow Anxiety High Challenge Low Challenge ApathyBoredom

Flow experiences Attention that is freely invested and centered on achieving goals –Choosing to spend time in activities that work towards goals Lack of psychological disorder –agoraphobia Challenges that require new skill –English skill vs. want to read Shakespeare Clear goals and feedback –Math teacher concepts Transformation of time –Fun activities vs. monotony Loss of self-consciousness –Stage fright