Understanding Motivation: Theories and Applications

1. Motivation How do we define it…?

2. Motivation • Feelings or ideas that cause us to act toward a goal.

3. Theories on Motivation • Instinctive Motivation • Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) • Automatic behaviors in response to specific stimuli (not learned) • Waned in 1940’s

4. Drive-Reduction Theory (1940’s-1950’s) • Behavior is motivated by biological needs • IOW: Our drive is to reduce our needs. • Need = requirement for survival • Drive = impulse to act in way that satisfies need • Primary Drives: biological needs (thirst, hunger) • Secondary Drives: learned drives (money) • Body seeks Homeostasis: Balanced internal state • Push-Pull factors • Nature (biological push) / nurture (psychological pull) • Create an example of Drive-Reduction theory. • Limitations of theory?

5. Arousal Theory • Arousal Theory • We seek optimum level of excitement / arousal • High optimum level of arousal = high excitement behaviors • Perform better at high level of arousal • Yerkes-Dodson law (1908): performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point. • Different tasks require different levels of arousal for optimal performance

6. Incentive Theory • Incentives: stimuli we are drawn to due to learning • “Nurture or pull” driven by desire • Create an example

7. Abraham MaslowThe Rise of Humanistic Psychology

8. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

9. Maslow’s Hierarcy of NeedsSummative Questions • Summarize Maslow’s theory on motivation. 1. Why is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs considered to be an optimistic psychological theory? (Read entire article before responding.) 2. What criticisms (identify 3) have been levied against Maslow’s self-actualization theory? 3. What core characteristics did Maslow use to define the self-actualized individual? 4. What is meant by the term “humanistic” psychology? (Consider your World History studies of the “Renaissance” period. You might need to investigate this.) 6. Identify and briefly explain the three forces of psychology identified in the article.

10. Summative Questions • Self-Actualized • T.J., A.L., Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, William James, Albert Schweitzer, Aldaous Huxley, Eleanor Roosevelt…. • Criticisms • Exceptions to hierarchical sequence • Determining Self-Actualized= subjective, bias • Only 2%??? • Legacy a. Psychology of fulfillment (transformed fundamental perspective) b. Spawned new forms of therapy c. Changed marketing forever

11. Which theory of motivation? • Infant rooting to find the mother’s nipple. • Getting a glass of water when you are thirsty. • Going for a walk when you are worried or restless. • Working on a difficult jigsaw puzzle. • Studying hard to pass a test. • Crying when hurt or upset. • Developing a lasting, intimate relationship.

12. And now…… • A Few Choice Commercials… With your team, decide what hierarchical need is being targeted in each of the following commercials.

13. Aron Ralston • “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” • Which theory of Motivation? • Primarily physiological or psychological motivation? • Maslow’s Hierarchy? Explain.

14. Physiology of Hunger • Glucose= blood sugar • Pancreas produces insulin / breaks down glucose (converts some to stored fat) • Stomach, liver, intestines: signal brain as to glucose level

15. Hypothalamus • Part of Limbic System • Helps govern endocrine system (regulates pituitary gland) • Linked to emotion • Drives: eating, drinking, body temp. • Monitors levels of body’s appetite hormones

16. Lateral Hypothalamus • Stimulates hunger • rat research • Stimulate: Continuous eating to obesity • Destroy: Starving would not eat

17. Lower-mid hypothalamus (Ventromedial) • Depresses hunger • Stimulation = stop eating • Destroy it = obesity (no brakes)

19. Hormones / Chemicals and Hunger… • Ghrelin: hormone secreted by empty stomach (arouses hunger) • Gastric bypass surgery = less ghrelin • Orexin: stimulates hunger (activated by low glucose) • Leptin: chemical secreted by fat cells • suppresses hunger • PYY: Digestive hormone / suppresses hunger • Research to address obesity

21. Theories on Hunger and Body Weight • Set Point: (weight thermostat) • Body adjusts to changes in food intake to maintain homeostasis (has a general, preset tendancy to maintain a certain body weight) • Less food = rise in hunger , fall in energy • 9 month study: ½ food intake, 25% set point • Set point outdated / “settling point” • Basal metabolic rate: energy expenditure at rest (metabolism)

22. Hunger Motivation

23. Eating Disorders Anorexia Nervosa • Obsession with losing weight (15% or more) • Starts with weight-lost diet • Negative self-body image / perfectionist standards • Usually adolescents • Mothers who focus on own weight • Competitive, high-achieving families • 9 of 10: female • Genetic and cultural theories

24. Eating Disorders • Bulimia Nervosa • Binge-Purge • Overeating, compensatory vomiting, laxative use, fasting, extreme exercise • Dieter breaks diet restrictions… • weight fluctuations within or above normal ranges (easy to hide) • Often sweet, high fat foods • Depression, anxiety • ½ of anorexia victims have bulimia symptoms

25. Anorexia, Bulimia

26. The Ideal of SlendernessDistorting Reality

27. Exploring the gene-environment nexus in eating disorders, Cynthia M. Bulik

28. Sexual Motivation • Sexual Response Cycle • Initial excitement • Plateau Phase • Orgasm • Resolution

29. Sexual Motivation • How does the refractory period differ between genders? • How do men and women differ in their respective production of sexual hormones in relation to sexual reception, or drive? • Human sexual motivation: complex web of hormonal and psychological factors • What is the current conclusion in research concerning the environmental influence on sexual orientation?

30. Motivation at Work • Extrinsic motivation:External motivators / from our environment • Intrinsic motivation: internal motivators (interest, enjoyment, satisfaction- “from within”)

31. Management and Motivation • Theory X: Philosophy of motivating employees by external rewards and punishments • Overjustification Effect: when external rewards diminish intrinsic motivations: Once rewards are no longer offered, interest in the activity is lost; prior intrinsic motivation does not returnand extrinsic rewards must be continuously offered as motivation.[1] • Theory Y: Philosophy that internal motivation is most efffective and policies should be designed to appeal to a worker’s intrinsic motivation.

32. “The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” • Youtube.edu

33. Psychology in the Workplace • Industrial-Organizational psychology (fastest growing field of psychology) • Human factors: Optimizing person-machine interactions • Personnel Psychology (Individual focus) • Selection and placement • Training / developing employees • Appraising performance • Organizational Psychology (AKA I-O psychology) • behaviors and attitudes, hiring practices, training programs, (on an organizational basis as opposed to individual)

34. When Motives Conflict • Approach-Approach conflict • Two desirable outcomes • Avoidance-Avoidance conflict • Two unattractive outcomes • Approach-Avoidance conflict • One event/goal: positive and negative features • Multiple Approach-avoidance conflicts • 2 or more things / each with desirable and undesirable features