General Psychology Note – Motivation & Emotion Page 1
General Psychology
Notes - Motivation & Emotion
These are general notes designed to assist students who are regularly attending class and
reading assigned material: they are supplemental rather than exhaustive and reflect general
concepts.
I.
Motivation - the influences that account for the initiation, direction, intensity, and persistence of
behavior.
A.
Sources of Motivation
1.
Biological factors - food, water, sex, and temperature regulation
2.
Emotional factors - panic, fear, anger, love, and hatred
3.
Cognitive factors - perceptions, beliefs, and expectations
4.
Social factors - parents, teachers, siblings, friends, and media
B.
Theories of Motivation
1.
Instinct Theory - innate biological instincts guide behavior
*
instinct - a complete pattern of behavior that occurs without learning in every member of the
species (Fixed Action Patterns).
2.
Drive Reduction Theory - behavior is guided by biological needs and learned ways of reducing
drives arising from those needs.
*
homeostasis - physiological systems kept in balance (equilibrium) by making adjustments in
response to change.
*
2 drives - primary (biological needs) secondary (learned)
3.
Arousal - people seek to maintain an optimal level of physiological arousal, which differs from
person to person. Maximum performance occurs at optimal arousal levels.
*
increase arousal when it is too low ( seek excitement when bored)
