Motivation Chapter 12

I. Motivational Concepts Need or desire that serves to energize behavior and direct it toward a goal (What motivates you?) Instinct Complex, inherited behavior patterns that are characteristic of a species (Remember the reflexes of infants?)

I. Motivational Conepts Drives and Incentives Drive Reduction Theory – Behavior is motivated by the need to reduce drives such as hunger or thirst (The greater the need, the stronger the drive) Homeostasis – Body’s tendency to maintain a steady internal state Incentives – Positive or negative stimulus that motivates behavior, pulling us toward a goal

I. Motivational Concepts Arousal Theories Arousal – Level of alertness Yerkes Dodson Law – Arousal helps performance but only up to a point. (Too much or too little arousal can decrease performance.) The Yerkes-Dodson law describes the relationship between performance and arousal. In general, arousal will increase performance up to a point, after which further arousal impairs performance. However, optimal arousal changes according to the difficulty of the task. For a simple task, higher arousal leads to optimal performance. Lower arousal is best for difficult tasks.

I. Motivational Concepts Arousal – Level of alertness, wakefulness and activation Optimal arousal varies with the person and activity We perform activities best when moderately aroused Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

II. Hunger Physiology of Hunger Hunger is more than just empty stomach pains Glucose – Form of sugar that circulates in the blood. When it is low, we feel hungry. The Brain Hunger control is in the hypothalamus Leptin – Protein produced by fat cells. When the level is high, eating decreases and activity increases. Set point – A preset natural body weight, determined by the number of fat cells. Basal Metabolic Rate – Resting rate of energy expenditure.

II. Hunger Psychology of Hunger External Incentives – Eating is triggered by seeing or smelling food. Culture, to an extent, determines what we eat. Eating Disorders Anorexia Nervosa – Abnormally restrictive food consumption and an unrealistic body image. Bulimia Nervosa – Pattern of binges (intake of thousands of calories) followed by purging (via vomiting or laxatives).

II. Hunger Possible reasons for eating disorders? Genetics Culture Just an fyi…If Barbie were a real person, she would be 5’7” and her measurements would be 32-16-29

III. Sexual Motivation Sex is necessary for survival of the species, but not the individual. Testosterone (hormone mainly in males) seems related to sexual motivation in both sexes. Sexual attitudes and behaviors vary with culture Sexual Orientation – Direction of an individuals sexual interest

IV. Achievement Motivation Achievement motivation – A desire to meet some internalized standard of excellence. (People with high achievement motivation do achieve more.) Intrinsic motivation – Desire to perform an activity for its own sake. Extrinsic motivation – Desire to perform an activity to obtain a reward. Overjustification effect – Promising a reward for doing something we already do. This results in us seeing the reward as motivation.

IV. Achievement Motivation Motivating People Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology – Studies and advises on workplace behavior. Cultivate intrinsic motivation Provide challenging tasks that trigger creativity Avoid overusing extrinsic rewards Praise effort more than ability Attend to motives Managing styles vary with different groups Different things motivate different people Set specific challenging goals

IV. Achievement Motivation Motivating People Choose appropriate leadership styles Task leadership – Goal oriented leadership that sets standards, organizes work, and focuses attention on goals. They are good at keeping a group centered on a task. Social leadership – Group oriented leadership that builds teamwork, mediates conflict and offers support. They are good for morale.