Motivation

A reason for behavior: an intervening variable.

Instinct/Evolutionary/Biological

Theory • William James (1890)

• Principles of Psychology

• People inherit social behavior instincts (love, sympathy, modesty, etc.) as well as survival instincts.

• Instincts: fixed, unlearned, genetically programmed patterns of behavior

• William McDougall: 18 basic instincts

• Migrating behaviors and mating displays of birds

• Examples of human behaviors: rooting, sucking, grasping

• Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory• Behavior originates from instincts

• Instincts are adaptive survival behaviors

Instinct• Ethology: the study of animals in their natural environments to

observe how environmental cues effect behaviors

• Proposes that organisms are born with certain species specific

behavior patterns

• Instincts are inherited dispositions that generate certain specific

behavior patterns that appear to be designed to attain goals (ie. Nest

building, bird songs)

• Instincts are genetically transmitted

• Ethologists refer to instincts as fixed action patterns

Instincts

• Sociobiological view: responding in a manner to protect our genes.

• Mate selection

• Herding behavior reduces threat to the individual

• Aged or nonproductive individuals leaving the group to increase survival chances for the family

• Sign stimulus such as coloration or shape is a biological trigger for behavior in some animal species

Drive-Reduction Theory

• Behavior originated from physiological needs• Biological needs or tissue deficit leads to the drive state

• Need to reestablish balance or homeostasis strengthens the drive

• Drives are internal conditions that relate to survival needs

• Needs that lead to the drive state include those from food, water, and air.

• The drive state builds as deprivation continues

• Tissue imbalances create deficit and strengthen the drive.

• Behavior is geared to reduce the drive or deficit• Behaviors are reinforced and strengthened through the

reduction of needs

• Challenged by Harry Harlow and his “Mother Love” Experiment (cloth vs. wire monkey)

Drive Theory

Arousal Theory

• Arousal theory • relates to differing individual preferences for stimulation in

their environment

• Motivation is to achieve and maintain preferred level of physiological stimulation

• Yerkes-Dodson law states the relationship between task performance and levels of arousal.

• Participants perform low-difficulty tasks better with higher than average arousal

• Participants perform moderate difficulty tasks better with moderate arousal

• Participants perform high-difficulty tasks better with lower than average arousal

Incentive Theory

• Motivation is produced by need for goal attainment

• Need for goal attainment may be either intrinsic or extrinsic

• Intrinsic motivation is based on internal need for achievement and internal reinforcements, such as positive feelings of accomplishment

• Extrinsic motivation is based on more tangible external reinforcements from the environment

• Overjustification effect

• Occurs when extrinsic rewards are provided for a behavior that was previously intrinsically motivated.

• Result = Behavior Decreases

Cognitive Consistency Theory

(Leon Festinger)

• Motivation is produced from internal conflict

• Beliefs that are in opposition often produce conflict

(cognitive dissonance)

• Beliefs counter to some behavior produce conflict

• The individual is motivated to reduce the tension caused by

the conflict

• Tension is reduced by changing or modifying beliefs

• Tension is reduced by changing or modifying behavior

Number from 1 to 10 on a piece of

paper, then…

Your are about to be MAROONED on an UNEXPLORED island

for an INDEFINITE period of time. List the 10 things you would

take, including people (only one person per line) for your

survival. You are going only with the clothes you are currently

wearing unless you put other stuff on your list.

Humanistic Theory: Abraham Maslow’s

Hierarchy of Needs

• Each successive level of the hierarchy is addressed only after the preceding level’s needs have been met.

• Order of the levels progresses from the biological to psychological needs

• Criticism

• Exceptions to theory

• Clear designations of levels

• Surveys of life satisfaction in 39 nations:predictors of subjective well-being

• Poorer nations-financial well-being

• Wealthier nations-home life satisfaction

• Individualist nations- self-esteem

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs