01:830:101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Motivation, Reinforcement, Homeostasis

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: 01:830:101
• Professor: Rob Foels

Document Summary

One way to explain human behavior is through learning. Motivation- a stimulus that can direct behavior, thinking and feeling. A motivated behavior tends to be guided, energized, and persistent. Operant conditioning, particularly through the use of reinforcers, can help us understand the relationship between learning and motivation. Incentive- an association established between a behavior and its consequences, which then motivates that behavior. Adding a reinforcer is called a positive reinforcer. Taking away a reinforcer is called a negative reinforcer. Extrinsic motivation- the drive or urge to continue a behavior because of external reinforcers. Intrinsic motivation- the drive or urge to continue a behavior because of internal reinforcers (because you want to do it)(the reinforcers originate inside of you) Researchers have found that using rewards to reinforce already interesting activities can lead to a decrease in what was initially intrinsically motivating. Extrinsic motivation may be less effective, resulting in resentment or disinterest.