PSY1020: Foundation Psychology B
Motivation and Emotion
Motivation – the driving force behind behaviour that leads us to purse some things and avoid
others.
Perspectives on Motivation:
- Psychodynamic Perspective – distinguishes between conscious (explicit) and unconscious
(implicit) motives.
- Behaviourist Perspective – asserts that humans are motivated to repeat behaviours that lead
to reinforcement and to avoid behaviours associated with punishment.
- Cognitive Perspective – asserts that people are motivated to perform behaviours that they
value and believe they can attain.
- Humanistic Perspective – theory of self-actualisation; Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
- Evolutionary Perspective – evolution selects animals that maximise their inclusive fitness.
Sexual Motivation:
- Highly variable across cultures and individuals
- Sexual Response Cycle – a pattern of physiological changes that take place in both genders
during sex.
Psychosocial Motives:
- Relatedness needs – motive for connectedness with others.
- Agency needs – motives for achievement, autonomy, mastery, power and other self-
oriented goals.
Emotion:
- evaluative response that typically includes physiological arousal, subjective experience and
behavioural or emotional expression.
- James-Lange Theory – emotions originate in peripheral nervous system responses, while the
central nervous system then interprets.
- Cannon-Bard Theory – emotion-inducing stimuli simultaneously elicit both an emotional
experience and bodily responses.
Motivation and Emotion
Motivation – the driving force behind behaviour that leads us to purse some things and avoid
others.
Perspectives on Motivation:
- Psychodynamic Perspective – distinguishes between conscious (explicit) and unconscious
(implicit) motives.
- Behaviourist Perspective – asserts that humans are motivated to repeat behaviours that lead
to reinforcement and to avoid behaviours associated with punishment.
- Cognitive Perspective – asserts that people are motivated to perform behaviours that they
value and believe they can attain.
- Humanistic Perspective – theory of self-actualisation; Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
- Evolutionary Perspective – evolution selects animals that maximise their inclusive fitness.
Sexual Motivation:
- Highly variable across cultures and individuals
- Sexual Response Cycle – a pattern of physiological changes that take place in both genders
during sex.
Psychosocial Motives:
- Relatedness needs – motive for connectedness with others.
- Agency needs – motives for achievement, autonomy, mastery, power and other self-
oriented goals.
Emotion:
- evaluative response that typically includes physiological arousal, subjective experience and
behavioural or emotional expression.
- James-Lange Theory – emotions originate in peripheral nervous system responses, while the
central nervous system then interprets.
- Cannon-Bard Theory – emotion-inducing stimuli simultaneously elicit both an emotional
experience and bodily responses.
