Glossary
Achievement Motivation
A desire for significant accomplishment, for mastering skills or ideas, for control, and for attaining a high standard.
Example:
An athlete who constantly pushes themselves to beat their personal best time, even without a prize, shows high achievement motivation.
Belongingness Needs
The need for love, affection, and a sense of belonging within social groups.
Example:
Joining a school club or sports team helps satisfy a student's belongingness needs.
Drive-Reduction Theory
A theory of motivation stating that physiological needs create an aroused state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need and reduce the tension.
Example:
Feeling thirsty (a drive) motivates you to drink water, which reduces the thirst and exemplifies Drive-Reduction Theory.
Extrinsic Motivation
The desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment.
Example:
A student who only studies to get a high score on a test, not because they enjoy learning, is demonstrating extrinsic motivation.
Garcia Effect
A conditioned taste aversion, where an organism learns to avoid a food after a single pairing with illness, even if the illness occurs hours later.
Example:
After getting sick from eating a particular type of sushi, you might develop a strong aversion to that food, demonstrating the Garcia Effect.
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.
Example:
When your body temperature drops, shivering helps restore your internal warmth, maintaining homeostasis.
Incentives
External stimuli or rewards that motivate behavior, either by pulling us towards something desirable or pushing us away from something undesirable.
Example:
Getting a good grade on a test acts as an incentive to study harder for the next one.
Instinct Theory
A theory of motivation proposing that certain behaviors are unlearned and occur in fixed patterns across a species, driven by innate instincts.
Example:
The Instinct Theory might explain why birds instinctively build nests in a particular way.
Instincts
Innate, unlearned, and complex patterns of behavior that are fixed throughout a species.
Example:
A baby's immediate sucking reflex when something touches its lips is an example of an instinct.
Intrinsic Motivation
The desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake, driven by internal satisfaction rather than external rewards.
Example:
A painter who creates art simply because they love the creative process is driven by intrinsic motivation.
Lateral Hypothalamus
A region of the hypothalamus that, when stimulated, causes an animal to eat; often referred to as the 'hunger center'.
Example:
Damage to the lateral hypothalamus might cause an animal to stop eating entirely, leading to severe weight loss.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
A motivational theory that proposes human needs are arranged in a pyramid, with basic physiological needs at the bottom and self-actualization at the top.
Example:
According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a person experiencing homelessness would prioritize finding shelter over pursuing a hobby.
Motivation
The internal and external forces that initiate, direct, and sustain goal-oriented behaviors.
Example:
Your motivation to study for the AP Psychology exam drives you to review these notes thoroughly.
Optimal Arousal Theory
A theory of motivation suggesting that people are motivated to maintain a certain level of arousal, which can vary from person to person.
Example:
Someone who enjoys skydiving is seeking a high level of stimulation to reach their optimal arousal level.
Overjustification Effect
The phenomenon where an external incentive decreases a person's intrinsic motivation to perform a task.
Example:
A child who loved drawing for fun might lose interest if they start receiving money for every drawing, illustrating the overjustification effect.
Physical Sexual Response Cycle
A four-stage model (excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution) describing the physiological responses of individuals during sexual activity.
Example:
During the Physical Sexual Response Cycle, heart rate and respiration increase significantly during the excitement and plateau phases.
Physiological Needs
The most basic human needs, including air, food, water, shelter, sleep, and reproduction, which must be satisfied before higher-level needs.
Example:
The need for a warm place to sleep on a cold night is a fundamental physiological need.
Safety Needs
The need for personal and financial security, health and well-being, and protection from harm.
Example:
Seeking a stable job with health benefits fulfills a person's safety needs.
Self-Actualization
The highest level of Maslow's hierarchy, representing the realization of one's full potential and the pursuit of personal growth and meaning.
Example:
A retired teacher who dedicates their time to mentoring young students and advocating for education is striving for self-actualization.
Self-Efficacy
An individual's belief in their own capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.
Example:
A student with high self-efficacy believes they can master challenging math problems and approaches them with confidence.
Self-Esteem Needs
The need for respect from others, self-respect, and a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
Example:
Receiving an award for academic achievement can boost a student's self-esteem needs.
Set-Point Theory
The theory that the hypothalamus attempts to maintain a specific body weight, adjusting hunger and metabolic rate to keep weight stable.
Example:
After a period of dieting, your body might increase hunger and slow metabolism to return to its genetically predetermined set-point weight.
Ventromedial Hypothalamus
A region of the hypothalamus that, when stimulated, causes an animal to stop eating; often referred to as the 'satiety center'.
Example:
If the ventromedial hypothalamus is damaged, an animal might eat excessively and become obese.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.
Example:
For a challenging exam, a moderate level of anxiety might improve focus, but too much anxiety could lead to a mental block, illustrating the Yerkes-Dodson Law.