Motivations of Life

1. Motivations of Life

2. Basic Definitions • Motivation- an inferred process within a person or animal that causes movement either toward a goal or away from an unpleasant situation • Intrinsic Motivation- the pursuit of an activity for its own sake • Extrinsic Motivation- the pursuit of an activity for external rewards, such as money or fame

3. Motives to Eat I. • Set Point Theory • Set Point- the genetically influenced weight range for an individual; it s maintained by biological mechanisms that regulate food intake, fat reserves, and metabolism • What does this theory predict? • Is there evidence to support this theory? • What is the obese gene? • The Overweight Debate • How serious is obesity in the US?

4. Motives to Eat II.Culture, Gender, and Weight • Six Culprits of Weight Gain (pg 443). • Culture of Consumption (pg 444) • Gender and the Ideal Body (pg 445) • Eating Disorders • Bulimia- an eating disorder characterized by episodes of excessive eating (bingeing) followed by forced vomiting or use of laxatives (purging) • Anorexia- an eating disorder characterized by fear of being fat, a distorted body image, radically reduced consumption of food, and emaciation.

5. Motives to Love I. • What is the attachment theory of love? • Attached vs Insecure (see pgs 525-528 & 449) • Insecure consists of two types • Anxious • Avoidant • What is the distribution of these three types? • Secure (64%) Avoidant (25%) Anxious (11%) • What are the ingredients of love? (see next slide) • Also note that both gender and culture influence they way one loves

6. Motives to Love II.Ingredients and Types of Love • Robert Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love • Intimacy- feelings of warmth, support and sharing • Passion- physical arousal and desire • Commitment- decision to devote oneself to a relationship

7. Motives for SexThe Biology of Desire I. • Hormones and Sexual Response • Testosterone is associated with sexual activity • Sexual Activity is associated with testosterone • Arousal and Orgasm • Alfred Kinsey • Pioneer of sexual research dispelling myths about women’s sexuality. • Women and men are alike in their anatomy and sexuality. • Women have a lesser sexual capacity due to biology

8. The Biology of Desire II • Arousal and Orgasm (continued) • Masters and Johnson • Confirmed male and female similarities in biology • Identified Four Phases of Human Sexual Response Cycle (see following slides • Excitement • Plateau • Orgasm • Resolution • Women’s capacity for sexual response “infinitely surpassed that of men. • They overestimate women’s capacity while Kinsey underestimated • Debates about biological differences continue today between biological and environmental psychologists

12. Evolution and Sex • Sex is adaptive to the species survival • Males compete for fertile young females to continue species. • Females try to attach to dominate males with resources, status, and “superior” genes. • Critique of Evolutionary View • After the fact argument of a stereotype • Women have sex even when they aren’t ovulating • What people say and what they do differ • Mate choice is often just proximity and similarity

13. The Psychology of Desire • Brain as a sex organ (see next slide) • Perception • Many Motives for Sex • Enhancement (emotional satisfaction and pleasure) • Intimacy (emotional closeness with the partner) • Coping (dealing with negative emotions) • Self-affirmation (reassurance) • Partner Approval (desire to please or appease) • Peer Approval (with to impress friends • Extrinsic motives are more associated with high risk sexual behavior • 50% women and 26% men reported consenting to unwanted sex (O’Sullivan & Allgeier, 1998) • Peer pressure, fear of rejection, etc..

15. Sexual Coercion and Rape • Laumann et. al., 1994 Study • 25% women reported that a man- usually a husband or boyfriend- had forced them to do something sexually that they did not want to. • 3% of men reported they had ever forced a women into a sexual act. • Obviously what many women regard as coercion is not always seen as coercive by men • How do you explain these findings? • What motivates individuals to rape? • Peer approval, anger or desire to dominate, personality traits, sadistic pleasure, etc…

16. The Culture of Desire • Culture Influences are Sexual Desire • Kissing • Body Parts as Erotic • Joyful or Dirty • How does your culture influence our desire? • Sexual Scripts • Gender Roles- rules that determine proper attitudes and behavior for men and women • Sexual Scripts are sets of implicit rules that specify proper sexual behavior for a person in a given situation, varying with the person’s age, culture, and gender. • What are the sexual scripts of your culture?

17. Sexual Dysfunction • Definition- Impairment either in the desire for sexual gratification or in the ability to achieve it. • Four Phases of Human Sexual Response • Desire • Excitement • Orgasm • Resolution

18. Sexual Dysfunction: Prevalence • Altogether 45% of men and 55% of women reported some dysfunction during the last year. • Women • 33% report lack of sexual interest • 24% report inability to experience orgasm • Men • 29% reported climaxing to early • 17% reported sexual anxiety • 16% reported lack of sexual interest

21. Motives to Achieve • Three Important Characteristics of Goals • Specific • Challenging but Achievable • Getting Rather than Avoiding • How does self-efficacy and self-fulfilling prophecy relate to achievement?

22. Motives to Achieve II. • How do work conditions effect motivation? • Consider how Contextual Factors and Personality Factors work together to improve work motivation and satisfaction (see pg 472)

23. Motives, Values, and Well Being • What are the three motivational conflicts • Approach-Approach Conflicts • Avoidance-Avoidance Conflicts • Approach-Avoidance Conflicts