Continuiong and Distance EducationIntroductory Psychology 1023

Lecture 3: Motivation and Emotion

Reading: Chapter 11

Motivation “To move” Any process that causes us to move towards a goal

or away from an unpleasant situation Basic biological goals, such as thirst or hunger

• View was based on drive reduction models in which “energy” built up (like water in pail), then was released (like water dumping out of pail), motivation reflected amount of water in pail

More abstract psychological goals, such as acceptance, power, success

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological needs

Safety and security needs

Belonginess and love

Esteem needs

Need for self actualizationProgression if lower needs are satisfied, regression if they are not

Student in a crisis: Are you alive? Are you safe? Do you have some friends to talk to? Are you feeling okay? Have you learned anything from the crisis?

Motivation Needs and Opportunity You may have a high need for achievement

• Reflected in work, education Do you have the skills to achieve? Do you have the opportunity to achieve? If not, motivation can decrease, frustration can

arise If you do, success becomes reinforcing,

satisfaction in achievements results Intrinsic motivation: Self-motivated

The Face of Emotion

Emotion has survival function• e.g., anger and fear in the “face” of danger

Ekman’s neuro-cultural theory • Seven universal facial expressions• Two factors involved—Face muscle

physiology and cultural variations Masking emotions

Primary Emotions

Primary emotions are common to all cultures Fear, anger, sadness, joy, surprise, disgust Evidence

• Hard-wired, related to survival• Universal facial expressions• Common to all languages• Common elicitors across culture, e.g., burning building

threat elicits fear, pie in face is funny, bad smells such as ammonia elicits disgust

Which of these are sad, scared, happy, disgusted, surprised, and angry?

Does the Body Lie? Physiological measurement has been used to

detect lies BP, HR, Skin conductance, respiration rate are

assessed to a baseline of innocuous questions Significant questions slipped in: Do

physiological changes result? Why? It takes energy to inhibit responses and

lie.

Does the face lie? Is this person modeling genuine warmth or concealed irritation?

Emotional experience What comes first, cognition or emotion? Has anyone here told ghost stories in an old house?

What happens? You can be “afraid” in a big empty house, and then

begin thinking about frightening things happening: Emotion causes cognition

Someone can tell you stories in a big empty house and you end up afraid: Cognition causes emotion

Do you show fear in your facial expression? Do you eye an escape route? How do you control your fear?

What is the adaptive function of fear? How is it displayed?

Secondary emotions are influenced by culture Guilt and shame Culture gives us language for emotions There are norms in how emotionally expressive

people are within a culture Display rules: Non-verbal signals of emotion

• E.g.: What does it mean to extend first and last fingers of hand and wave in the air?

• Body language, using hands to talk, what emotions do they indicate?