PSYC 1030H Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Human Sexual Response Cycle, Casual Sex, Ghrelin
3 May 2018
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Department
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Motivation and Emotion
Motivational Theories and Concepts
● Drive theories apply a homeostatic model to motivation. They assume that
organisms seek to reduce unpleasant states of tension called drives. In contrast
incentive theories emphasize how external goals energize behaviour.
● Evolutionary theorists explain motives in terms of their adaptive value. Madsen’s
list of biological needs and Murry’s list of social needs illustrate that a diverse
array of motives govern human behaviour.
The Motivation of Hunger and Eating
● Eating is regulated by a complex interaction of biological and environmental
factors. In the brain, the lateral, ventromedial, and periventricular areas of the
hypothalamus appear to be involved in the control of hunger, but their exact role
is unclear.
● Fluctuation in blood glucose also seem to play a role in hunger. The stomach can
send two types of satiety signals to the brain. Hormonal regulation of hunger
depends primarily on ghrelin, CCK, insulin, and leptin secretions.
● Incentive-oriented models assert that eating is regulated by the availability and
palatability of food. Learning processes, such as classical conditioning and
observational learning, exert a great deal of influence over both what people eat
and how much they eat. Cultural traditions also shape food preferences. Stress
can stimulate eating.
● Evidence indicates that there is a genetic predisposition to obesity. According to
set-point theory, the body monitors fat stores to keep them fairly stable.
Settling-point suggests that a multitude of factors contribute to weight stability.
Vacillations in dietary restraint resulting in disinhibition may contribute to obesity
in some people.
Sexual Motivation and Behaviour
● The human sexual response cycle can be divided into four stages:
○ Excitement
○ Plateau
○ Orgasm
○ Resolution
● Consistent with evolutionary theory, males tend to think about the initiate sex
more than females and to have more sexual partners and more interest in casual
sex than females. The featured study demonstrated that women can draw
Document Summary
Drive theories apply a homeostatic model to motivation. They assume that organisms seek to reduce unpleasant states of tension called drives. In contrast incentive theories emphasize how external goals energize behaviour. Evolutionary theorists explain motives in terms of their adaptive value. Madsen"s list of biological needs and murry"s list of social needs illustrate that a diverse array of motives govern human behaviour. Eating is regulated by a complex interaction of biological and environmental factors. In the brain, the lateral, ventromedial, and periventricular areas of the hypothalamus appear to be involved in the control of hunger, but their exact role is unclear. Fluctuation in blood glucose also seem to play a role in hunger. The stomach can send two types of satiety signals to the brain. Hormonal regulation of hunger depends primarily on ghrelin, cck, insulin, and leptin secretions. Incentive-oriented models assert that eating is regulated by the availability and palatability of food.
