Psych 1101 Chapter 11 Motivation and Work Motivation A motivation is a need or desire that energizes behavior and directs it toward a goal want need stage Perspectives useful for studying motivated behavior include 1 instinct evolutionary perspective 2 drive reduction theory 3 arousal theory and 4 Maslow s hierarchy of needs Early theorists viewed behavior as being controlled by 1 instincts complex behaviors that are rigidly patterned throughout a species and are unlearned this idea that genes predispose species typical behavior is still influential in evolutionary psychology migration mothering curiosity laughter sex hunger Drive Reduction and Arousal Theories 2 Drive reduction theory proposes that most physiological needs create aroused psychological states that drive us to reduce or satisfy those needs e g hunger thirst warmth The aim of drive reduction is internal stability homeostasis Also we are not only pushed by internal drives but we are also pulled by external incentives there is both a need hunger and an incentive smell of freshly baked bread we feel strongly drive 3 Arousal theory states that rather than reducing a physiological need or minimizing tension some motivated behaviors aim to maintain and ideal level of arousal Curiosity driven behaviors for example suggest that too little or too much stimulation can motivate people to seek an optimum level of arousal Too little might go out to a nightclub too much might want to take a quiet walk Hierarchy of Needs Maslow 4 Abraham Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs expresses the idea that until satisfied some motives are more compelling than others At the base of the hierarchy are our physiological needs such as for food and water Only when these needs are met are we prompted to meet our need for safety and then to meet the needs to give and receive love to belong and be accepted and to enjoy self esteem Beyond this lies the need to actualize one s full potential Near the end of his life Maslow suggested that some people reach a level of self transcendence in which they strive for meaning and purpose that is beyond the self that is transpersonal experiencing spiritual ideas such as considering oneself an integral part of the universe Hunger Increases in the hormone insulin diminish blood glucose Our body s internal state is monitored by areas deep within the hypothalamus e g the arcuate nucleus influences feelings of hunger and fullness The part of the brain that relates to these various functions is the hypothalamus Set Point Theory a biologically fixed tendency to maintain an optimum weight we are motivated to eat in an intent to maintain a specific weight more contemporary theory Settling Point Theory an environmentally and biologically influenced level at which weight settles in response to caloric input and expenditure Although some taste preferences are genetic for example sweet and salty tastes conditioning and culture also affect taste A taste may be conditioned as when people given highly salted foods develop a liking for excess salt or when people who have been sickened by a food develop an aversion to it we also tend to avoid unfamiliar foods neophobia which was adaptive for our ancestors We eat more when eating with others through social facilitation Sexual Response Cycle The human sexual response cycle normally follows a pattern 1 excitement 2 plateau 3 orgasm which seems to involve similar feelings and brain activity in males and females and 4 resolution followed in males by a refractory period during which renewed arousal and orgasm are not possible Refractory period tends to increase with age females do not have a refractory period Sexual disorders are problems that consistently impair sexual arousal or functioning e g premature ejaculation and orgasmic dysfunction Another Area of Motivation Work The income from work can indirectly satisfy the drive for food and shelter Some are driven by achievement motivation In rare cases the goals and activities of work can feel like a calling a fulfilling and socially useful activity Some people may seek the optimal work experience called flow The Psychology of the Workplace Industrial Organizational I O Psychology I O psychology includes three different areas of focus Personnel psychology hiring and evaluating Organizational psychology management supervision leadership and teamwork Human factors psychology how workers interface with machines and the environment Appraising Evaluating Performance Personnel psychologists can help employers assess the performance and value of employees use a variety of checklists graphic rating scales behavior scales with the goal of improving performance and retention and helping determine salary and promotion Areas of human motivation include eating sex bonding belonging and work In each of these activities there are internal drives and external rewards Understanding motivations is part of understanding the way people engage with the world