Understanding Motivation and Emotions
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zirafernandez70Understanding Motivation and Emotions
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zirafernandez70Motivation and Emotions
Nature and Meaning of Emotion
Motivation - latin word “movere” which means move.
- refers to the process that initiates, sustains, and direct behavior.
- also refers to the aspect of human behavior that deals with the understanding why human beings
behave the way they behave the way they do.
The Motivation Cycle
➢ Need
➢ Goal
➢ Drive
➢ Incentive
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Kinds of Motives and Drives
● Physiological drives and motives - these drives are inborn and present at birth.
● Hunger drive - the first need that the human being is satisfied at birth.
● Thirst - when the water level of the body becomes low, we experience thirst
● Oxygen need or air hunger - a need more powerful than either hunger or thirst is the need of
oxygen, more commonly referred to air hunger.
● Fatigue - motivates people to action. when tired, you look for ways to rest and unwind.
● Rest and sleep - the most common way to seek relief.
● Avoidance of pain - every normal person likes to avoid pain. the moment he feels pain, he
reacts quickly to avoid it.
● Elimination drive - as waste matter accumulates in the bowels or bladder, the pressure or the
distention in these organs tends to stimulate the drive to empty them.
● Sex drive - is not essential to life, but is responsible for the preservation of species.
● Maternal drive - all mammal mothers manifest the maternal drive to take care of their young.
● Warmth and cold - the perception of warmth and cold is a drive of behavior.
● Psychological and social drives - the individual is faced with other kinds of drives which are
classified by different authors as psychological and social drives.
● Peer group relations - the affirmation motive - such motives as group approval, desire for
status and success, desire for leadership and power, desire to belong, desire for security, emerge
and affect the child’s behavior to a great extent.
● Motives related to competence and self - the first of these motives is achievement motivation
or the desire to accomplish something.
Emotions - comes from the Latin word “emovere” which means to stir up, agitate, upset, or move.
- is a response of the entire organism involving both the internal and external bodily changes.
- plays an important role in the individual’s response to certain stimuli or situations.
Theories of Emotion
James Lange Theory of Emotion
● proposed by William James (1948) and Carl Lange (1885).
● William James proposed the theory of emotion which was rather different from the ordinary or
common sense concept of how an emotion is felt. common sense involves three steps: first, the
person perceives the situation that evokes the emotion; second he becomes aware of the
emotion; then he reacts to the emotion.
● Carl Lange thought that emotion is not due to the perceived object and its influence or
consciousness, but when the object is perceived physiological changes occur, then the emotion
follows.
Hypothalamic Theory of Emotions
● proposed by Walter B. Cannon (1929)
● studies on emotion point out the fact that the hypothalamus is the control center of the neural
activity involved in the emotion.
Schacter and Singer’s Theory of Emotion
● proposed by Stanley Schachter and Jerome Singer.
● asserted that emotion reflects how we interpret autonomic arousal in the light of all the
information we have about ourselves and the situation.
Lazarus Cognitive Theory
● proposed by Arnold Lazarus (1984)
● Lazarus was led to this theory by the following facts; first, you can experience “arousal” just by
exercising. so, emotion is more than just changes in your bodily processes. second, you can
experience “feelings” that are not really emotions. third, you can learn to behave in a stereo-typed
manner that will make others presume you are experiencing an emotion when you are really just
faking it.
Physiological Aspects - the changes in our circulatory system.
- a change during an emotional experience is noted by the respiratory system.
- physiological changes are manifested by the secretion of duct or ductless glands during strong
emotions.
- physiological changes caused by emotions is the role played by the nervous system, whenever
the individual experiences an emotion.
Facial Expressions - cultural differences influence emotional expressions of behavior.
- emotional behavior is the result of both maturation and learning.
- a number of facial expressions don’t depend on whether or not one has seen others.
Vocal Expressions - are detected by means of cues
- loudness, pitch or change of pitch may serve as a cue to the emotion being expressed.
Personal Emotional Experience - the third aspect of emotion
- earlier psychologists made distinctions between feelings and emotions.
- feelings were described as states of pleasantness or unpleasantness, tension, relaxation,
excitement, or quiet.
- emotions were thought or more complex experiences than feelings.
- emotional experiences are personal, subjective, and varied.
Classification of Emotions
● Basic vs. Derived Emotions
● Mild vs. Intense Emotions
● Pleasant vs. Unpleasant Emotions
● Positive vs. Negative Emotions
● Fear
● Anger
● Love
Common questions
Powered by AIThe maternal drive, while not essential for an individual's survival, is crucial for the preservation of the species. It motivates mammal mothers to care for and protect their young, ensuring their survival and continuity of the species. This drive is innate and powerful, reflecting its evolutionary significance .
Arnold Lazarus emphasized the cognitive aspects of emotion because he observed that 'arousal' can occur through non-emotional activities like exercise, while feeling states do not always correspond to true emotions. Furthermore, individuals can behave in a manner that conveys emotion without actually experiencing it, suggesting that cognitive interpretation plays a crucial role in defining emotional experience beyond physiological changes .
'Motives related to competence and self' drive behavior by fueling the desire for achievement and self-improvement. This drive includes the need to accomplish tasks, surpass challenges, and improve self-worth. For example, achievement motivation might push someone to pursue advanced education or career advancement to validate competence and boost self-esteem. These motives are crucial for personal growth and societal contributions, often leading individuals to set challenging goals and persist in the face of adversity .
Motivations from personal emotional experiences affect behavior by shaping responses based on subjective emotional backgrounds. For example, a person who frequently experiences intense emotions might be motivated to seek environments or relationships that promote stability and comfort. These personal emotional experiences, being varied and subjective, influence decision-making, coping strategies, and overall engagement with the environment, thus guiding behavior in ways that align with personal well-being and satisfaction .
Basic emotions, such as fear and anger, are considered fundamental and universal across all cultures, while derived emotions are more complex and result from combinations of basic emotions. Pleasant emotions, like love and joy, elicit positive feelings, whereas unpleasant emotions, such as fear and anger, are associated with negative experiences. These classifications help in understanding the emotional spectrum from both an innate universal and subjective personal perspective .
The Hypothalamic Theory of Emotions, proposed by Walter B. Cannon, suggests that the hypothalamus acts as the control center of neural activity involved in emotions. This theory indicates that emotion processing involves specific neural activities within the hypothalamus, highlighting its central role in generating emotional responses .
Physiological drives are inborn and are essential for survival, such as hunger, thirst, and the need for oxygen. Psychological drives, also known as social drives, emerge from learned and social experiences, such as the desire for peer approval, status, and achievement. Examples of physiological drives include the hunger drive which compels eating, and the sex drive which ensures reproduction, while psychological drives include the need for peer approval and the desire to belong, which are culturally influenced .
Culture influences emotional expressions of behavior, particularly through facial expressions. While some facial expressions are universal, cultural norms dictate the appropriateness or intensity of expressed emotions. For instance, certain cultures may encourage more restrained emotional expressions, whereas others may be more expressive. This indicates that emotional expression involves both biological innate patterns and cultural learning .
The James-Lange Theory of Emotion, proposed by William James and Carl Lange, suggests that physiological changes in the body occur first and then the emotion is experienced, contrary to common-sense understanding where an emotion is felt after the perception of an emotional situation. In common-sense understanding, a person perceives a situation, becomes aware of an emotion, and then reacts. In contrast, the James-Lange theory posits that it is the physiological reaction to the perceived situation that leads to the awareness of an emotion .
Schacter and Singer's Theory of Emotion highlights that emotional experience arises from the interpretation of physiological arousal in the context of situational cues. This theory differs from others by emphasizing the cognitive appraisal of arousal states rather than viewing emotions as direct results of physiological changes or neural activities. It suggests that emotions are subjective constructs influenced by contextual evaluation and knowledge about the situation, offering a comprehensive understanding by integrating cognitive processes with physiological responses .