Psychology 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Clark L. Hull, Motivation, Abraham Maslow
13 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Motivation and Emotion
•Motivation is a process that influences the direction, persistence, and vigour of goal-
directed behaviour.
PERSPECTIVES ON MOTIVATION
Instinct Theory and Evolutionary Psychology
• An instinct is an inherited predisposition to behave in a specific and predictable way when
exposed to a particular stimulus.
• Instincts have a genetic basis, are found universally among all members of the
species, do not depend on learning, and have survival value for the organism
•adaptive significance of behaviour is a key to understanding motivation. For example, why
are we such social creatures?
• Presumably, affiliation produced survival advantages—such as shared resources
and protection against predators—that afforded our ancestors a greater opportunity
to pass on their genes to successive generations.
• Over the ages the genes of “affiliative people” made up an increasing part of the
human gene pool, and we became biologically predisposed to be social rather than
reclusive.
Homeostasis and Drive Theory
• Walter Cannon proposed the concept of homeostasis, a state of internal physiological
equilibrium that the body strives to maintain.
• Maintaining homeostasis requires a sensory mechanism for detecting changes in the
internal environment, a response system that can restore equilibrium, and a control
centre that receives information from the sensors and activates the response system.
• The control centre functions somewhat like the thermostat in a furnace or an
air-conditioning unit. Once the thermostat is set at a fixed temperature, or set
point, the sensors detect significant temperature changes in either direction.
• Clark Hull's influential drive theory of motivation, physiological disruptions to homeostasis
produce drives, states of internal tension that motivate an organism to behave in ways that
reduce this tension.
• Drives such as hunger and thirst arise from tissue deficits (e.g., lack of food and
water) and provide a source of energy that pushes an organism into action.
• Hull proposed that reducing drives is the ultimate goal of motivated behaviour.
• Homeostatic models currently are applied to many aspects of motivation, such as the
regulation of hunger, thirst, body temperature, weight, and sleep
• Drive theory is less influential
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Incentive and Expectancy Theories
• Drives are viewed as internal factors that “push” organisms into action
•incentives represent environmental stimuli that “pull” an organism toward a goal.
• To a student, a good grade can be an incentive for studying.
• Clark Hull argued that all reinforcement involves some kind of biological drive reduction
(e.g., food is an incentive because it reduces the drive of hunger), but this view is no longer
held.
• Modern incentive theory emphasizes the “pull” of external stimuli and how stimuli
with high incentive value can motivate behaviour, even in the absence of biological
need.
• We have all had the experience of finishing a meal, and hence having no biological
need for more food, but quite happily eating dessert when someone places our
favourite cake or pie on the table.
• In this situation, behaviour is motivated not by biological need but by the
incentive value of the external stimulus (the dessert).
• An incentive theory of drug use argues that seeking and administering a drug is motivated
by the positive incentive value of the drug's effect.
• Heroin users, for example, will find and inject heroin because the drug makes them
feel good, not because of a biological heroin drive or a desire to escape withdrawal.
•expectancy x value theory (or simply expectancy theory), proposes that goal-directed
behaviour is jointly determined by two factors: the strength of the person's expectation that
particular behaviours will lead to a goal, and the value the individual places on that goal—
often called incentive value
• These two factors are multiplied, producing the following equation: Motivation = expectancy
incentive value.
• James works hard because he believes that the more you study, the greater the
probability of getting an A, and he values an A highly.
• Lenora also believes that studying hard will lead to an A, but getting an A holds little
value for her in this course.
• In contrast, Harrison values an A, but believes that because the tests are tricky,
studying hard is unlikely to produce a high grade.
•extrinsic motivation, performing an activity to obtain an external reward or avoid
punishment
• Students who read their textbooks only because they want to get good grades are
showing extrinsic motivation.
•intrinsic motivation, performing an activity for its own sake—because you find it enjoyable
or stimulating.
• Students who read their textbooks because they find them interesting and want to
learn more are showing intrinsic motivation.
• Can external incentives ever decrease motivation?
• According to the overjustification hypothesis, giving people extrinsic rewards to
perform activities that they intrinsically enjoy may “overjustify” that behaviour and
reduce intrinsic motivation
• A student who, for example, makes jewellery as a hobby (i.e., she simply
enjoys the activity) and then begins to sell the jewellery will commonly report
a marked decrease in the intrinsic pleasure of the activity.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theories
• Abraham Maslow believed that psychology's other perspectives ignored a key motive: our
striving for personal growth.
• Maslow distinguished between deficiency needs, which are concerned with physical
and social survival, and growth needs, which are uniquely human and motivate us to
develop our potential.
• He proposed the concept of a need hierarchy, a progression of needs containing
deficiency needs at the bottom and growth needs at the top.
• Once our basic physiological needs are satisfied, we focus on our needs for safety and
security.
• After these needs are met, we turn our attention to needs at the next highest level,
and so on. Self-actualization represents the need to fulfill our potential, and it is the
ultimate human motive.
• humanistic theory of motivation by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan
•Self-determination theory focuses on three fundamental psychological needs:
competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
• People are most fulfilled in their lives when they are able to satisfy these
fundamental needs.
• On the other hand, when these needs are not met, there can be
consequences for both psychological and physical well-being
•Competence motivation reflects a human need to master new challenges and perfect skills.
This need motivates much exploratory and growth-inducing human behaviour.
• The need for autonomy is satisfied when people experience their actions as a result of free
choice without outside interference.
•Relatedness refers to our desire to form meaningful bonds with others.
• At first glance, relatedness may seem opposed to autonomy, but the two actually
complement each other.
• When true relatedness is achieved, people often feel freer to be themselves.
• Adolescents who feel that their autonomy is acknowledged and supported by
their parents feel a strong sense of relatedness to their parents
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
111
PSYCH 1000 Full Course Notes
Verified Note
111 documents
