1. Advanced Placement Psychology
Motivation & Emotion
Advanced Placement Psychology
Ms. Caroline Watters
Marlboro High School

2. Introduction Motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.

3. Motivational Theories

4. Instinct Theory (Evolutionary Perspective)
Instincts: Fixed action patterns that are not learned.
Animals display many of these action patterns: birds migrating, mating rituals, dominance displays.
Inspired by Darwin’s theory of evolution, early psychologists (led by William James) listed scores of human instincts including modesty, cleanliness, rivalry, and parental love.
Instinct theory soon fell out of favor as it became evident that it lacked the ability to fully explain human motivation.
Today psychologists taking the evolutionary perspective explore the influence of evolution on eating, selection of mates, expression of emotions, etc.

5. Drive Reduction Theory
Replaced instinct theory during the 1930’s.
Based on homeostasis (“standing still”). The body seeks to maintain a stable internal state, such as constant internal temperature.
The body creates a state of tension (known as a drive) if any of its needs are unmet.
Example: This theory states that a person will drink water as a result of a drive for satisfying thirst and eat food as a result of a drive for satisfying hunger (satisfying a biological need).
This theory is still used to explain motivated behaviors that have a biological basis.
It cannot account for things such as buying the newest cell phone, contributing to a charity, or participating in an extreme sport.
Need
Drive
Drive Reducing Behavior

6. Arousal Theory
According to arousal theory, humans are innately curious and seek out complexity and novelty.
The Yerkes-Dodson Law states that an optimal level of psychological arousal helps performances.
When arousal is too low, we become bored. When too high, we become anxious and freeze up.
People thus attempt to seek a moderate level of stimulation.
Ex: A youth soccer league proposes to implement a system that eliminates scores. Removing scores may improve the performance of anxious players, yet may cause highly competitive players to become bored, thus undermining their performance.

7. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s theory combines and prioritizes biological, psychological, and social needs.
There is a progression of 6 needs.
According to Maslow, people begin with basic physiological and safety needs. Once these needs are met, the individual “moves up” to high level needs culminating with self-actualization.
Critics: Theory gives a vague definition of self-actualization. It is also possible for people living in poverty to develop strong social ties and self-esteem.
PS BESS: Mnemonic

8. Hunger

9. HUNGER AND EATING Hunger Satiety Sensation of wanting to eat
no longer wanting to eat

10. BIOLOGICAL SIGNALS
Some signals sent from the blood - read by the brain
“We are low on nutrients…FEED US”
Cholecystokinin – hormone & neurotransmitter
Signals-stop now!
Glucose low - need food
Glucose high- insulin released
Leptin-hormone that tells whether to store or release fat

11. HUNGER AND THE BRAIN Much of the research focuses on the hypothalamus
Ventromedial hypothalamus- satiety center
Lateral hypothalamus – feeding center
**may act together to create “set point”**
Paraventricular nucleus
influence hunger for specific foods
20 different neurotransmitters, each motivate different “hunger”

12. The Physiology of Hunger Body Chemistry and the Brain
Appetite hormones
Ghrelin
Obestatin
PYY
Leptin
Set point
the point at which an individual’s “weight thermostat” is supposedly set. When the body falls below this weight, an increase in hunger and a lowered metabolic rate may act to restore the lost weight.
Basal metabolic rate
the body’s resting rate of energy expenditure.

13. The Psychology of Hunger Taste Preferences: Biology and Culture
Genetic: sweet and salty
Neophobia
Adaptive taste preferences

14. Level of Analysis for Our Hunger Motivation

15. Obesity, Anorexia, Bulimia
See Handout Activity

16. Sexual Motivation

17. The Physiology of Sex The Sexual Response Cycle
Excitement phase
Plateau phase
Orgasm
Resolution phase
Refractory period

18. Levels of Analysis for Sexual Motivation

19. Factors Relating To Teen Pregnancy
Ignorance
Minimal communication about birth control
Guilt related to sexual activity
Alcohol use
Mass media norms of unprotected promiscuity

20. Sexual Orientation Sexual orientation
an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation).

21. The Need to Belong

22. Sustaining relationships The pain of ostracism
The Need to Belong
Aiding survival
Wanting to belong
Sustaining relationships
The pain of ostracism
ostracism

23. Theories of Emotion

24. What is Emotion? Emotion
a response of the whole organism, involving (1) physiological arousal, (2) expressive behaviors, and (3) conscious experience.

25. Theories of emotions James-Lange theory
the theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to emotion-arousing stimuli.

26. Theories of emotions James-Lange theory

27. Theories of emotions Cannon-Bard theory
the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers (1) physiological responses and (2) the subjective experience of emotion.

28. Theories of emotions
Cannon-Bard theory

29. Theories of emotions Two-factor theory
the Schachter-Singer theory that to experience emotion one must (1) be physically aroused and (2) cognitively label the arousal.

30. Theories of emotions
Two-factor theory
Schachter-Singer

31. Theories of emotions

32. Embodied Emotion

33. Emotions and the Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic nervous system
arousing
Parasympathetic nervous system
Calming
Moderate arousal is ideal

34. Emotions and the Autonomic Nervous System

35. Levels of Analysis for the Study of Emotion