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Chapter 11
Motivation
Mechanisms within an organism that
activate a behavior and direct it toward
some goal
I.
Model of Motivation
A. Diagram
Need --- Drive --- Response --- Goal
Need Reduction
1. need – energizes one to
satisfy it; often related to
essential bodily substances
2. drive – psychological state of
some internal deficit
3. response – series of actions
to reduce drive
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4. goal – target or objective
which satisfies the need
Once a goal is reached there
should be need reduction.
B. Incentives
1. high incentive goals – things
you really want even when
you don’t necessarily need
them
2. low incentive goals – may
ignore or use only if
absolutely necessary
C. Types of motives
1. primary motives – based on
biological needs met for
survival; innate (born with
them)
2. stimulus motives – also innate;
but not necessary for survival
3. learned or secondary
motives – related to acquired
needs
D. Homeostasis – bodily equilibrium
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II.
Hunger
A. The hypothalamus
1. feeding center – lateral
hypothalamus
a. stimulation – sated
animal will start eating
again
b. lesioned or destroyed –
hungry animal will not
eat and die
2. Satiety center –
ventromedial
hypothalamus
a. destroyed – animal
overeats to gross
obesity
B. Set point – proportion of body
fat that is maintained
1. genetics
2. eating environment
C. Obesity
Reasons for:
1. external eating cues
a. highly visible
b. attractive
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c. easy to obtain
2. time of day – usual meal
times
3. diet
a.
b.
c.
d.
sweetness
high fat content
variety
starvation diets
4. overweight children
become overweight adults
a. larger fat cells
b. more fat cells
c. higher set point
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III.
Other Primary Motives
A. Thirst
1. hypothalamus
2. types
a. extracellular thirst –
water lost from area
around the cells
1. bleeding, vomiting ,
diarrhea, sweating,
drinking alcohol
2. minerals (salt) and
water lost
b. intracellular thirst –
fluid goes out of cell
1. eating salty foods
2. cells shrink
B. Pain
1. mainly learned
2. goal – pain avoidance
3. cultural – what is and is
not painful
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C.
IV.
Sex drive
1. animal model
a. female drive related to
reproduction; only
receptive when fertile
(estrus)
b. males remain
interested as long as
receptive female is
available
2. humans
a. not related to estrus
b. receptivity at any time
Stimulus Drives
A. Exploration, manipulation,
and curiosity
B. Arousal Theory
1. Ideal amount for every
activity
2. Sensation seeking
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C.
D.
V.
Levels of Arousal
1. Yerkes-Dodson Law
 There is an optimum
level of arousal for each
task
 Simple tasks require a
high level of arousal
 Complex, difficult tasks
require low levels of
arousal
Circadian Rhythms
1. internal and biological
2. 24 hour cycle
Learned Motives
A. Soloman’s Opponent Process
Theory
1. drug addiction cycle
a. state A – initial emotion
b. state B – opposite emotion
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c. euphoria of state A
d. diminishes as state B
occurs
e. drug use initially to reach
state A
f. continued to avoid state B
B. Achievement – internalized
standard of excellence
1. high achievers
a. moderate risk takers
b. avoid goals that are either
too easy or impossible
c. do better on difficult tasks
d. stick with a task longer
e. get better grades
f. excel in their professions
g. attribute their success to
won ability and failure to
lack of effort
h. rise to a challenge after a
poor performance
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2. low achievers
a. choose wither sure things
or impossible goals
b. show no risk or personal
responsibility for failure
c. when going gets tough –
they quit
C. Fear of success
D. Maslow’s Theory of SelfActualization
1. composed of the hierarchy of
needs
2. Pyramid
Self-actualization
Esteem needs
Belongingness (affiliation)
Safety & Security
Basic needs(physiological)
3. needs at bottom must be
satisfied first
E. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
1. intrinsic – rewards are
internal; done for our own
pleasure
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2. extrinsic – external rewards;
given for performance
Getting paid for something we used to
do for fun