Chapter 8 : Motivation and Emotion

1. Chapter 8 : Motivation and Emotion Michael L. Farris Psychology 101

2. 2 Motivation (p. 258-259) Motivation is defined as internal mechanisms which begin and maintain behavior. Motivation refers to the dynamics of behavior; the ways in which our activities are initiated, sustained, and directed. Primary motives are based on biological needs (food, water); Secondary motives are based on learned needs, drives, and goals.

3. 3 Taste Aversion Watch an episode of Fear Factor if you want to develop a taste aversion! ;) If a food causes sickness or simply precedes sickness caused by something else, a learned taste aversion (an active dislike for a particular food) may result. There is an example on Coon p. 385 of bait shyness (in a classic experiment, coyotes were given lamb tainted with lithium chloride. Coyotes who took the bait became nauseated and vomited. After one or two such treatments, they develop bait shyness, a lasting distaste for the tainted food). (Coon pgs. 384-385, Nevid pgs. 168-169)

4. 4 Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia (p. 268-271) Anorexia is active self-starvation or a sustained loss of appetite that has psychological origins. 90 to 95% of anorexics are women. Anorexics don�t always lose their appetite. It is more an issue of control than of not being hungry. Bulimia: Excessive eating (gorging) usually followed by self-induced vomiting and/or taking laxatives. Also known as the �binge-purge syndrome�.

5. 5 Anorexia and Bulimia Both are serious medical conditions that can result in malnutrition and even death. Treatment for anorexia usually begins with a medical diet to restore weight and health. Then the client enters counseling to work on the conflicts and family issues that led to weight loss. For bulimia, behavioral counseling may include self-monitoring of food intake. The urge to vomit can be treated with extinction training. A related cognitive-behavioral approach focuses on changing the thinking patterns and beliefs about weight and body shape that perpetuate eating disorders.

6. 6 Test anxiety A combination of heightened physiological arousal (nervousness, sweating, pounding heart) and excessive worry. This combination, worry plus arousal, tends to distract test takers with a rush of upsetting thoughts and feelings. The most direct antidote for test anxiety is preparation. Other solutions include over preparation, relaxation, rehearsal, and restructuring thoughts (listing upsetting thoughts one has during exams, then learning to combat their worries with calming, rational replies.) For more information, please see Coon, page 393.

7. 7 Self-Confidence Belief that one can successfully carry out an activity or reach a goal. Here are a few ways to increase self confidence (according to Nevid, p.363, and Coon, p. (p. 394) : Set goals that are specific and challenging, but attainable. Advance in small steps When you first acquire a skill, your goal should be to make progress in learning. Later, you can concentrate on improving your performance, compared with other people. Get expert instruction to help you master the skill. Find a skilled model (someone good at the skill) to emulate. Get support and encouragement from an observer. If you fail, regard it as a sign that you need to try harder, not that you lack ability

8. 8 Maslow�s Hierarchy of Needs (Coon, p. 395-396) Abraham Maslow�s ordering of needs, based on their presumed strength or potency. (See illustration on p. 395). What is the correct order of needs in Maslow�s hierarchy? Self-Actualization Esteem Love and Belonging Safety Physiological

9. 9 Adrenaline (Coon, p. 398; Nevid, pgs. 46, 69, & 468) A hormone produced by the adrenal glands that tends to arouse the body. Many of the physiological change during emotion are caused by the hormone adrenaline.

10. 10 The Brain and Emotion (p. 278-291) Emotion is a state characterized by physiological arousal, changes in facial expression, gestures, posture, and subjective feelings. A common bond between all of the theories of emotion described in the text is that they consider physiological arousal an element of emotion.

11. 11 Polygraph (p. 288-289) A device for recording heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and galvanic skin response (a change in the electrical resistance or conductance of the skin, due to sweating); commonly called a �lie detector�. The polygraph (�lie detector�) is an unreliable instrument because Its accuracy depends on the manner in which questions are asked. Just being questioned causes one to be nervous and emotional. It can be �fooled� at times by thinking upsetting thoughts.

12. 12 Body Language (Coon, pgs. 405-406) The study of communication through body movement, posture, gestures, and facial expressions. Also called kinesics. In body language, liking is often communicated by leaning toward a person or object. Crossing the arms and legs may mean �hands off�. However, kinesics experts emphasize the fact that gestures are rarely this fixed in meaning. Crossing one�s arms may simply mean �this room is cold�. Your chances of detecting deception in other people will be best if you pay attention to their hand movements. (Coon, p. 406)

13. 13 Feedback (pgs. 282,286,289) Facial feedback hypothesis states that sensations from facial expressions help define what emotion a person feels. According to psychologists who support the feedback hypothesis of emotion, if you want to be happy, you should smile.