Personality
An individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Motivation
A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.
Emotion
A response of the whole organism, involving physiological arousal, expressive behavior, and conscious thought.
Drive-Reduction Theory
The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need.
Homeostasis
A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state.
- The regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level.
Optimal Arousal Theory
People perform best when their arousal level is neither too high nor too low.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.
Incentives
A positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior.
- Remember operant conditioning & extrinsic motivation.
Hierarchy of Needs (in order from top to bottom)
Physiological Needs
Need to satisfy sustainment of biological processes
Examples:
Hunger, Thirst, Sleep, Temperature Regulation, Sex
Safety Needs
Need to feel safe; Need to feel that the world is organized & predictable (in ways that keep you safe).
Examples:
Shelter, consistent access to drinking water, knowing where you will sleep, protection & enforced laws.
Examples of not having safety needs met:
Individuals living through war.
Belonging & Love Needs
Examples:
Friendships, romantic relationships, family relationships.
Esteem Needs
Examples:
- Believing you’re good at “___”
- Receiving a reward for an essay contest.
- Positive feedback from a teacher or boss.
Self-Actualization Needs
Need to live up to our fullest and unique potential.
Examples:
Sense that you’re fulfilling your destiny.
*Not everyone reaches self-actualization**
Self-Transcendence Needs
Need to find meaning & identity beyond the self.
People at this stage:
People who may have reached this level are Ghandi or Nelson Mandela.
Instincts
A complex, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species.
- Based in ideas of Evolutionary Psychology.
Sex Positive Approach
Sexual behavior should be normalized and discussed and should only be considered abnormal if it produces a sense of distress, anxiety, or guilt OR if it is harmful to some other person.
Levels of Analysis for Sexual Motivation (Biological Influences)
Levels of Analysis for Sexual Motivation (Psychological Influences)
Levels of Analysis for Sexual Motivation (Social-Cultural Influences)
Estrogens
Sex hormones, such as estradiol, secreted in greater amounts by females than by males and contributing to the development of female sex characteristics.
Hormones in Biological Females
Testosterone
Hormones in Biological Males
Fluctuations in testosterone levels are partially a response to sexual stimulation vs a cause of sexual drive.