Psychology of Motivation

Psychology of MotivationMyers Ch. 7ADaniel Pink, "Drive"

What motivates you?Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

Five theories1) Hedonic principle: experience pleasure/avoid painVery Freudian/psychoanalytic Thanatos/Eros

Five Theories2) Instinct Theoryevolutionary/innate behaviorRooting instinct

Five theories3) Drive Theory we are motivated to reduce a drive to return to homeostasis...i.e., food, sex, temperatureHulls drive reduction theory What is NOT explained by this theory?

Watching sad moviesClimbing mountainsAttending collegeRead booksEtc...

Five Theories4) Arousal Theorywe are driven to experience stimulationeven if we are not hungry, have no desire to mate, and are perfectly physiologically content....we still do stuff. 8A-2 and 8A-3

Five theories5) Humanistic Theory: humans strive to obtain self-actualizationMaslows Hierarchy of Needs 8A-4 and 8A-5

The Drive for hungerAlive Clip

The drive for hungerThe hypothalamusLateral hypothalamuson switchghrelinVentromedial hypothalamusoff swithcleptin

What happens when we destroy the lateral hypothalamus

What happens when we destroy the ventromedial hypothalamus?

Eating disordersAnorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa--Multiple causal factors

Causes/Perspectives 1) Cognitive distorted body image feelings of control2) Biologicalprimarily femalesdopamine SciAmMind Wired to Starvepredisposition Very high levels of ghrelin3) Socialprimarily femalesAverage woman=54 and 140 lbs Average model =511 and 117 lbs.

Eating disordersObesitythe average American is 18 pounds heavier than they were in the 1970s. 40% of American women are too heavy to enlist in the militaryIn 1991 no state had an obesity rate of higher than 20%. Now CO is the only state below.

Causes? Biologicalleptin resistant SocialEvolutionaryattraction to foods that are high in energyDeveloped ability to store excess food energy in the form of fatworked well in the savannah but now we live in the equivalent of candyland

Solutions?Our body is designed to resist weight loss1) gaining weight is an increase in both the size and number of fat cellslosing weight is just a decrease in size but the number of fat cells stays the same. 2) lose weight by decreasing metabolism (rate of energy used)when you diet your body goes into famine mode which then finds more efficient ways to convert food to fat.

TED: DIETING TALK Diet Assessments 8A-7, 8A-9

Sexual MotivationJohnson and Masters: Forty StudiesSexual AttractionSexual Orientation DSM diagnosis Nature/nurture debateTED 50 Shades of Gay TED: Cultural FactorsTED: Loveyoure doing it wrong

The need to belongAron Ralston--127 Hours