MotivationMotivation - The need or desire that energizes us and influences our behavior.Theories of MotivationInstinct - A theory of motivation based on Darwin. Revolves around the concept of an instinct, a complex behavior found throughout an entire species that is unlearned. Instinct is best thought from animal behavior. When salmon are ready to die, they return to where they were born. Theyare doing that because of instinct, beyond that it says nothing else. Instinct did not put us in this classroom today, so it is not the only reason.Evolutionary Theory - We are doing something because there is some evolutionary need for it. People are afraid of the dark, that is evolutionary.Drive Reduction - We act because we have some physiological need that has caused some homeostatic need and that we are trying to stay in balance. It does not say what we are hungry or thirsty for, but why we are hungry of thirsty. Things like sleeping, eating and breathing, as well as body temperature like sweating.Incentive Theory - Pushed by negative stimuli or pulled by positive stimuli, we got something outof it or avoid something from it. Examples are that you either want to learn, or mom is screamingat you because you don’t show up to class.Arousal Theory - If most of our physiological needs are met, then we seek an optimal level of stimulation. We cannot do “nothing” forever. It is really hard to do nothing, and eventually you need to do something. At the end of summer you are somewhat excited for school because it is something new.Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs - We have needs, and our bodies try to fulfill its basic physiological needs, and after that will be able to fulfill other needs. When you are starving to death, becoming the most you can be doesn’t matter. Once you have food covered, you can think about your other needs. Most people aren’t worried about earning esteem if they are homeless. Most of the time we work up the pyramid, but sometimes we can work out of order. HungerKeyes - In 1950, Keyes runs an experiment. He gets a bunch of guys and puts them on a diet that gives them just enough food to keep their current body weight, one step above a starvation diet. He finds nothing unusual, then he cuts their rations, and they go below the calorie rate, andthe men become food obsessed. We tend to focus on what we need.Physiology of HungerGlucose - A sugar that provides us with energy. When our glucose runs low, we get hungry. We are trying to maintain homeostasis. We eat because our brains tell us to, as they get us glucose.Lateral Hypothalamus - When activated produces a hormone called Erexin, and we get hungry and eat. If we remove the lateral hypothalamus from a rat, it will not eat and will die. It does not feel the need to eat.Ventromedial Hypothalamus - When stimulated, we stop eating. When we destroy it they keep eating. These hormones released control our level of hunger. They will regulate our hunger and desire to stop eating.Set Point - We have a set point in our body, which acts as a weight thermostat. There is a weight that our body considers to be safe. If it drops below that set point, the body tells itself to eat. That is an automatic, natural reaction driven by the set point. If the body is above it, it does not say don’t eat, but rather that we don’t need to eat. The body is trying to gain weight when it goes below the number. You can only change your set point by keeping it at the same point for a long amount of time. Our set point adapts to our lifestyle. If we tend to be larger, our set point will adjust to us being larger. It is not something that just changes overnight.Basal Metabolic Rate - How quickly and easily we burn energy, especially at rest. You can identify people with high metabolism by if they can eat as much food as they want and not gain weight. People with slow metabolisms can look at food and gain weight. They do not burn energy at a high rate. They are slightly more sedentary. When going into college, your metabolism goes down. So if you keep up the same habits with a slower metabolism, you will gain weight.Psychology of Hunger - What we are hungry for comes from different things.Mood - When we are upset, there are some things we enjoy eating. Carbs tend to produce serotonin, so you do feel better.Culture - For example if we are offered a bag of camel eyes, we will throw up. Some cultures view them as delicacies like we see ice cream. Cats, dogs, horses and rats are delicacies in other parts of the worlds.Neophobia - Evolutionary, fear of the unknown. If we only consume that which we have already consumed, we are likely to be safe. Our tastes can change and adapt. When people are pregnant they have odd cravings.Situation - You eat dinner with your parents and get a call from your friends saying they are going out to dinner, so you eat another dinner. Social situations can affect our hunger. People eat more when they are around other people who are eating.Unit Bias - We eat what is put in front of us. All of these things contribute to what we are hungry for, not why we are hungry.Eating DisorderAnorexia Nervosa - People drop weight below 15% of the normal value. ¾ of the people who have anorexia are female. About half of the people also succumb to the binge/purge depressioncycle, throwing up what you eat. People with anorexia do not see themselves the way other people see them. They don’t see their ribs sticking out, but rather a big, heavy person. People who have it don’t see it as a problem. People who try to help them are not viewed as help by theperson who has it, but they are just trying to help.Bulimia Nervosa - You take someone of average normal weight, they view themselves as significantly overweight and get down to the low side of average. Then they binge and eat their way up to that above average weight. Often eat in cycles, and then reach a purging cycle.Binge-Eating Disorder - People will eat a large amount of food without purging, but feel bad about what they have done after.Causes - This can be caused by family issues, self-esteem issues, etc. In addition to perfectionism, genetics is also a cause. People are genetically predisposed to eating disorders. Women are more prone than men, and culture also plays a role.Obesity and Weight ControlFat - Stored energy. If you came across an energy rich food, you would eat it and store it for later, it is an evolutionary reason. So there is a reason why people get fat. There are
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