Modules 11 and 12
Motivation and
Emotion
Essential Question: What are the theories
of human motivation and of human
emotion?
What is motivation?
O Motivation – a
need or desire
that energizes
and directs
behavior.
O Attempts to
answer the
question: “Why
do humans do
what they do?”
Historic Explanations of
Motivation
O Instincts – A
complex,
unlearned
behavior that is
rigidly patterned
throughout a
species.
O Ex. Bears
hibernate in
winter.
O Ex. Migration
patterns of
whales.
Historic Explanations of
Motivation
O Drives – states of tension
that result from an
internal imbalance
O Drive-reduction theory –
idea that a physiological
need creates a drive that
motivates and organism
to satisfy the need
O Need for food  Hunger
 Eating
Biological Explanations of
Motivation
O Arousal – brain’s level of
alertness
O Yerkes-Dodson Law: theory
that a degree of
psychological arousal helps
performance but only up to
a certain point.
O Too much or too little
arousal can decrease
performance.
Biological Explanations of
Motivation
O Homeostasis – tendency to
maintain a balanced or
constant internal state
O Your body needs to maintain
an average temperature of
98.6 degrees.
O Is homeostasis the same as
drive-reduction?
O No; D-R eliminates deficits
only; Homeostasis eliminates
both deficits and surpluses.
Cognitive Explanations of
Motivation
O Extrinsic motivation:
desire to perform a
behavior because of
promised rewards or
threats of
punishment.
O You study hard to get
all A’s because your
mom gives you money.
O You study hard to get
all A’s so that you are
not grounded every
weekend.
Cognitive Explanations of
Motivation
O Intrinsic motivation:
desire to perform a task
for its own sake and to be
effective
O You become a teacher
because you feel that you
can change lives.
O You practice your guitar
daily because you like to
entertain your friends and
family.
Clinical Explanations of
Motivation
O Maslow’s
“Hierarchy of
Needs”
O Humans are
motivated to
achieve “self
actualization”
– the need to
live up to one’s
full potential.
Clinical Explanations of
Motivation
O Achievement
motivation – a
desire for:
O Significant
accomplishment
O Mastery of ideas,
things or people
O Attaining a high
standard
What is emotion?
O Emotions: Whole-
organism responses
involving:
O Physiological
arousal
O Expressive
behaviors
O Conscious
experience
What are the theories of
Emotion?
O James-Lange Theory : theory that our
experience of emotion is our awareness of
our physiological responses to an emotionarousing stimulus.
O 1. You see a snake (stimulus)
O 2. Your heart starts pounding (arousal)
O 3. You feel afraid (emotion)
What are the theories of
Emotion?
O Cannon-Bard Theory: theory that an
emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously
triggers a physiological response and the
subjective experience of emotion.
O 1. You see a snake. (stimulus)
O 2. Your heart starts beating (arousal) AND
you feel afraid (emotion) at the same time.
What are the theories of
Emotion?
O Two-Factor theory: theory that to experience
emotion one must be physically aroused and
cognitively label that emotion.
O 1. You see a snake (stimulus)
O 2. Your heart starts beating (arousal) AND
you cognitively label the emotion (“I’m
afraid”)
O 3. You feel fear. (emotion)