PSYC 1103 Lecture 20: Motivation and Emotion
29 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Motivation: the factors that move individuals to behave, think, and feel as they do. Ex: joining a certain club or group due to social interests, desired social standing. All factors may blend together and simultaneously influence behavior. There are universal instincts common across all people that drive behavior. Instincts : innate patterns of behavior, universal across all humans. Ex: sucking reflex in babies, aggressive or sexual instincts in adults. Limitation: does not explain all behavior (i. e. learned behaviors), focuses solely on instincts. Goal of behavior is to maintain homeostasis (equilibrium) Drive: psychological state of arousal in response to need (e. g. feeling of thirst) Motivation is explained by level of arousal. Being underaroused may be harmful to success (e. g. low motivation to do necessary tasks), being over-aroused may also be harmful (e. g. overstressing over an exam, inability to concentrate) Yerkes-dodson law : just right level of arousal is best. Basic needs must be met first before moving to higher ones.
