MCAT Psychology Ch. 5 Motivation, Emotion, & Stress

1. Instinct
2. Arousal
3. Drive
4. Need

Innate fixed pattern of behavior in response to a stimulus; can be lifelong or appear & disappear w/ time (ex: babinski reflex in babies)

Behaviors are motivated by innate instincts

People perform actions in order to maintain an optimal level of arousal; seeking to increase arousal when it falls below their optimal level, & decrease it when it is above optimal

Performance at tasks is worst at extremely high & extremely low levels of arousal, optimal at intermediate level; lower levels are best for highly cognitive tasks, w/ slightly higher levels better for simple tasks; high levels are best for activities requiring physical endurance & stamina

Motivation is based on goal of limiting uncomfortable states; certain physiological conditions result in negative internal environment, motivated to change it

1. Primary Drive: need for food, water, warmth, motivate us to maintain homeostasis
2. Secondary Drive: drives not related to biological processes; drives that are thought to stem from learning & from desires for certain emotions like love & achievement

• Self-Determination Theory: emphasizes role of 3 universal needs - autonomy, competence, & relatedness

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (from most to least important):

1. Physiological
2. Safety (security of body, employment, morality, family, health, property)
3. Love/Belonging
4. Esteem
5. Self-Actualization

Behavior is driven by desire to pursue reward & avoid punishment

Amount of motivation needed to reach a goal is based on our perceived ability to reach the goal, as well as how important that goal is to us

Explains motivation for drug use, as drug use increases, body builds up tolerance & counteracts its effects, which leads to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms; withdrawal can lead to physical dependence on the drug

Natural instinctive state of mind derived from one's circumstances, mood, or relationship w/ others

1. Physiological Response - stimulation of autonomic nervous system to change heart & breathing rate, skin temp, & BP
2. Behavioral Response - facial expressions & body language
3. Cognitive Response - the subjective interpretation of the feeling being experienced

1. Surprise
2. Fear
3. Disgust
4. Contempt
5. Anger
6. Happiness
7. Sadness

1. James-Lange Theory
2. Canon-Bard Theory
3. Schachter-Singer Theory (or the cognitive arousal theory or the two-factor theory)

Stimulus --> physical arousal --> conscious emotion