Motivation and Emotion
Psychology of Motivation
• Motive- is a stimulus that moves a person to
behave in ways designed to accomplish a
specific goal.
– What motivates you?
Psychology of Motivation
• Needs
– A condition when we require something we lack
– 2 types of needs
• Psychological
• Biological
• Which is more powerful?
Psychology of Motivation
• Drives
– The force that motivates an organism to take
action
– How is drive created?
– How is one person more driven than another?
• Theories of Motivation
Instinct Theory
• Instincts- behavior patterns that are
genetically transmitted from generation to
generation.
– Examples of instincts?
– What is an instinct in today’s society for humans?
Drive Reduction Theory
• Based on learning as well as motivation
• People and animals experience a drive arising
from a need as an unpleasant tension.
• People will learn to do whatever will reduce
the tension by reducing the drive.
Humanistic Theory
• Argument that people are motivated and driven
by personal fulfillment more than basic needs.
• People are willing to tolerate pain, hunger, and
other kinds of tension to fulfill their goals.
• Self actualization- refers to the need to become
what one believes he/she is capable of being.
– Striving to become something is essential to human
well-being
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Sociocultural Theory
• Argue that even the most basic drives such as
hunger and thirst are cultural experiences.
• This is a very important factor in all of our
lives, but just how important?
Biological Needs
• People need food and water to survive
• However, food can mean so much more to a
person that just something to shove in their
face.
• Food can mark the time of day, month, and
mood your in.
The Hunger Drive
• Role of Chewing
– Chewing and swallowing sensation for us.
– The hunger drive is usually satisfied once the food
is digested and enters the bloodstream, however
chewing seems to satisfy that need thus saving us
from eating more.
– It is smart to stop eating before you feel like you
are going to explode.
The Hunger Drive
• The Role of the Stomach
– Hunger pangs, or growling of the stomach is
actually a thing when you are hungry due to
stomach contractions.
– Hunger can have effects on mood and actions
• Any ideas on examples?
The Hunger Drive
• The Hypothalamus
– Level of sugar in the blood plays a key role in
feelings of hunger.
– When blood sugar drops it sends information to
the brain which then regulates body temperature
– The “start eating” and “stop eating” sensor in your
brain is located here.
Psychological Needs: Stimulus Motives
• Stimulus Motives- Desires for stimulation that
include activity, exploration, and manipulation
• Sensory deprivation- the absence of stimulation
• Experiment- students blindfolded and bound, put in room
with no sensation.
– Results?
– Why do we desire sensory stimulation?
Psychological Needs: Exploration and
Manipulation
• Once people become sufficiently comfortable
with their environment they seek stimulation?
• Do people manipulate and explore their
surroundings for their own survival or because
they want the stimulation?
Psychological Motivation:
Achievement Motivation
• Achievement Motivation- is what may drive
people to tackle challenges and meet high
personal standards of success.
• Performance Goals- specific goals that can
measure the success of an individual
• Learning Goals- learning for learning’s sake.
• Extrinsic Rewards
• Intrinsic Rewards
Making things fit
• Cognitive Consistency- people seek to think
and behave in a way that fits what they
believe.
• Boys and girls
• Conservative and Liberal
• Religions?
Making Things Fit
• Balance Theory- people need to organize their
thoughts, opinions, and beliefs in a harmonious
manner.
– Why are your closest friends your best friends.
• Imbalance- when somebody disagrees with what
you care about
• Nonbalance- when people we do not care about
disagrees with us and leaves you feeling
indifferent.
Making Things Fit
• Cognitive-dissonance theory- when people
have the motivation to do actions that reflect
their beliefs.
– Lying
– Doing things that don’t reflect your belief
Affiliation
• Affiliation- the desire to be apart of something
larger than oneself
– This motivation keeps families, groups and nations
together.
– Affiliation may be a sign of anxiety
• Why?
Emotions
• Emotions are love, anger, sadness, and other
states of feeling
• All emotions are biological, cognitive, and
behavioral
– Can emotions effect your body?
Happiness
• Everything we do it to attain of gain happiness
in our lives.
– True or False?
– People who are happier think the world is a
happier and safer place
– They also make decisions more readily and report
greater satisfaction
Anger
• Anger is a common reaction to insult or attack
– Angry people may seek revenge as well
– In a study people said in a course of a week they
became angry several times a week while others
say they became angry several times a day, why?
• Most people were angry with someone close a friend
or a family member that offended them.
• Best way to handle anger???
Theories of Emotion
• The Opponent-Process Theory
– Emotions often come in pairs, with one emotion
being followed by another
– Extreme happiness followed by extreme sadness
– Anxiety followed by relief
Commonsense Approach
• When something happens to a person in a
certain situation, the person interprets the
situation and a bodily function follows.
– Chad is walking down the street at night when he
suddenly sees Ben walking towards him, he is
filled with fear and anxiety and pees his
pants………..Ben giggles
More Theories
• The Cannon-Bard Theory- States that bodily
functions and emotions occur at the same
time as a result of an internal stimulus.
• Cognitive Apprasial- The body reacts similar to
different emotions