Motivation, Emotion, and Stress I. MOTIVATION Motivation refers to the process of acting to satisfy a goal A. Biological reasons for motivation 1. Homeostasis: maintaining internal equilibrium 2. Physiological drives: for proper temperature, water, food, sex, and to avoid pain B. Social reasons for motivation 1. Intrinsic: take action because the act itself is rewarding 2. Extrinsic: take action because the act is rewarded by outside factors C. Motivation theories 1. Drivereduction theory: motivated by need to reduce a negative bodily state 2. Opponentprocess theory: motivated by a desire to maintain homeostasis and counteract a deviation from normal state 3. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: the order of needs we are motivated to satisfy: bodily needssafety needsbelonging/loveesteemselfactualization (top of hierarchy) II. EMOTION Emotion involves physical and cognitive arousal and affects motivation. Theories of emotion: A. JamesLange theory: experiencing an emotion is a result of perceiving a bodily response to arousing stimuli B. CannonBard theory: we feel both emotion and bodily response due to arousing stimuli C. SchacterSinger (attributionofarousal) theory: stimuli trigger a state of physiological arousal, but the emotional experience depends on interaction between the bodily response and cognitive interpretation of the stimulus III. STRESS Stress involves a physical and psychological response to an event or change. Refers both to events (stressors and to how we react to the changes (stress reactions) A. Stressors may be positive (e.g., a wedding) or negative (e.g., loss of a job) B. General adaptation syndrome (Selye): threestage process response (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) C. Personality types affect how people respond to stress 3. Type A personality: stress triggers hostility, anger, competitiveness; higher heart disease risk 4. Type B personality: copes well with stress; easygoing crash_course_study_guide_AP_Psych.doc 10 Consciousness and Sleep I. CONSCIOUSNESS Consciousness refers to our level of awareness of our own existence, thoughts, feelings, and our environment A. Levels of consciousness 1. Conscious: information that is currently the subject of attention 2. Preconscious: information that is not being attended to but could be attended to later 3. Subconscious: information that we are not aware of but that exists and affects us 4. Nonconscious: body processes controlled by our mind that we do not attend to 5. Unconscious: cognitive activity outside our awareness B. Drugs: drugs can alter consciousness by increasing or blocking the effects of neurotransmitters 1. Agonist: a drug that mimics effects of neurotransmitters 2. Antagonist: a drug that blocks neurotransmitters 3. Types of drugs: a. Stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines): speed up the nervous system b. Depressants (alcohol, barbiturates): slow down the nervous system c. Opioids (narcotics): relieve pain and produce euphoria d. Hallucinogens (LSD, marijuana): change perceptions of reality C. Hypnosis: hypnosis is a procedure that opens people to the power of suggestion. Once a subject is in an altered state during hypnosis, he or she may act, perceive, think, or feel according to the hypnotist’s suggestions II. SLEEPWAKE CYCLE Sleep is a state of consciousness A. Awake: alpharhythm brain waves (resting); betarhythm brain waves (active thought) B. Slowwave sleep: nonrapid eye movement (NREM) cycle (90 minutes) Stage 1: light sleep, transition from waking Stage 2: deeper sleep Stage 3: slowwave (delta) sleep Stage 4: deepest type of sleep C. REM sleep: rapid eye movement cycles (1015 minutes long, throughout sleep); vivid dreams occur; body is paralyzed; important for memory consolidation and learning