motivation=need or desire that energizes behavior and directs it towards a goal
- instinct theory: we do things from pre-programmed patterns of behavior
- drive-reduction theory: need (water)--> drive (thirst)--> drive-reducing behavior (drinking)
- physiological aim= homeostasis- maintenance of steady internal state
- incentive= incentive that pulls us to reducing our drive
- hungry person smells baking bread--> becomes more motivated to eat
3. optimal-arousal theory: seek arousal, curiosity
4. hierarchy of needs: certain needs have priority
Hunger
- physiology: stomach contracts to signal hunger
- insulin breaks down glucose and causes hunger
- levels monitored by receptors that send signals to your hypothalamus
- lateral hypothalamus brings on hunger-take it out and you will lose all interest in food
- ventromedial hypothalamus depresses hunger
- set-point theory: you have a default "set point" of your body size
- basal metabolic rate= body's resting rate of energy expenditure
- people who fidget are generally thinner
- psychology: memory also plays a role- we eat meals at certain times
- taste preference: we crave carbs when depressed because they increase seratonin
- universal and genetic desire to eat salt and sugar
- culture: hot climates coincide with heavy spices (they preserve food)
Eating Disorders
- anorexia nervosa: usually teen female loses weight continually but still feels fat
- 10-20% mortality rate--highest out of any mental disorder
- bulimia nervosa: episodes of overeating then purging (exercise, vomit, laxatives etc.)
- potentially fatal from excessive vomiting-causes imbalance to nervous system
- obesity: too many calories, unactive lifestyle
Proposed reasons:
- sexual abuse--myth! no connection between eating disorders and sexual abuse
- family: competitive, high-acheiving, weight-focused
- genetics: more likely in identical twins than fraternal
- culture: weight-obsessed cultures and media
Sexual motivation
- Kinsey first publicized sex psychology and shocked many
- sexual disorders: premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, orgasm disorders
- ladies get your HPV shot! HPV causes 98% of cervical cancers
Sexual orientation
- homosexuality: 3-4% of men, 1-2% of women, bisexuality: <1%
- fraternal birth order effect: men with older brothers are more likely to be gay
- likely resulting from hormonal imbalances in the womb
- other animal species have homosexuality--not just humans!
- brain: in gay males, size of anterior hypothalamus is smaller, anterior commissure is larger
- homosexuality runs in families, gay males tend to have very fertile female relatives
- twin studies: twins are likely to have the same sexuality
- fruit flies: genetic engineers can make gay fruit flies
Need to Belong
- social bonds aid survival: protect young and food supplies, make offspring
- we think a lot about belonging- it boosts our self-esteem and happiness
- resist breaking social bonds, even if they are bad (abusive relationships)
Motivation and Work
- job: make money, career: advance positions, calling: social or moral fulfillment
- flow-- state of being involved, focused, engaging skills- self and time are diminished
- achievement motivation: desire to accomplish through self discipline and performance
Emotion
mix of physiological activation, expressive behaviors and conscious experience
- which comes first- conscious awareness or physiological arousal?
- James-Lange theory: we feel emotion because of a preceding physiological reaction
- cannon-bard theory: physiological activity between different emotions is not distinct, so there is no way we could distinguish an emotion from our body's response (fear, anger and love, for example, are all very similar!). Emotion and physiological reaction occur simultaneously
- two-factor theory: physiology and cognitive labeling (thinking "I am afraid") paired together create the emotional experience
the brain
- emotion felt through amygdala (instinct) or cerebral cortex (thinking)
- amygdala shows differences in activation during anger and fear
- when shown subliminally emotional images, our amygdala reacts
- left hemisphere is positive emotions, right hemisphere is negative emotions
- quadrapelics report less emotional intensity for lower-body emotions
- supports James-Lange theory
- arousal response to one emotion can spill over into response for different emotion
Expressed Emotion
- we are good at perceiving non-verbal threats: identify angry expressions easily
- women are better at discerning, expressing empathy
- lie detection: pros get it right about 68% of the time
- culture: basic emotions are expressed universally
- Darwin: emotional expression is an adaptive behavior to help us survive
- expressions amplify emotions- behavior feedback
- Izard isolated 10 basic emotions- they are present even in infancy
- no cultural differences instilled in babies
- biology: predisposed to fear certain things (spiders)
Anger
- catharsis hypothesis proves untrue: expressing anger only breeds more anger
- best way to handle anger is to wait for arousal to subside, avoid inwardly ruminating, calm down through exercise or mediation and then attempt to reconcile
- boys move away from situation, girls talk it out or try to distract themselves
- anger breeds prejudice (think of 9/11)
- individualistic cultures express anger more openly
Happiness
- doing good feels good- mood booster
- subjective well-being= satisfaction with life
- positive mood rises to maximum 6-7 hours after waking up
- wealth
- in affluent societies, riche people are somewhat happier
- rich countries are somewhat happier
- sudden financial rise increases happiness temporarily
- adaption-level phenomenon: tend to adapt to current environment
- relative deprivation: feel like we are worse off when we compare ourselves to others
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