APPSYCHUnit8A.1MotivationalConcepts

&Hunger

• Whatismotivation?• Whatmotivatesyou?• Fromwhat4perspectives do

psychologistsviewmotivatedbehavior?

AreYouMotivated?

• Motivation - aneedordesirethatenergizesanddirects behaviortowardsagoal.

• Thereareveryclosetiesbetweenemotionsandmotivatedbehaviors.

• AronRalstonStory– Howdoeshisstorymakeyoufeel?

thismotivateyouormakeyoufeel like you’vedonenothingwithyourlife?!

1.Instincts&EvolutionaryPsychology• Instinct - Acomplexbehaviorthathasapatterninaspecificspeciesandisunlearned.– Seaturtles,newlyhatchedonabeach,willautomaticallymovetowardtheocean.

– Humans:rooting,suckling,andsleeping

– Reflexes

1.Instincts&EvolutionaryPsychology

• Ismotivationsimplyaninstinct?(InstinctTheory)– Notexactly,it’sacomboofpsychologicalneeds&psychologicalwants

– Butyes,evolutionandinstinctplayaroleinbehavior,justnotmotives

2.Drives&Incentives• Instincttheorywasreplacedbydrive-reductiontheory.

• Drive-ReductionTheory- aphysiological needcreatesanaroused stateoradrivethatmotivatestheorganismtosatisfytheneed.– HungerorThirst

Drives&Incentives• TheaimofDrive-ReductionTheoryistoattainhomeostasis.

• Homeostasis -balancedorconstantinternalstate.Thewordliterallymeans“stayingthesame.”– Causesa“drive”– Bodiestemperatureregulation

Drives&Incentives• Incentive - positiveornegativeenvironmentalstimulusthatmotivatesbehavior.

• Wearenotjustpushedbyourneedtoreduce“drives”wearealsopulledbyincentives.• Somebodywhoisfooddeprivedandsmellsbakingbreadfeelsastronghungerdriveandthebreadbecomestheincentive.

• Nature(inbornphysiologicalneed)vs.Nurture (incentives intheenvironment)

3.OptimumArousal

• Somemotivatedbehaviorscanbeexplainedbythewanttobearoused.• Wearemotivatedanddrivenbycuriosity,wearefascinatedbynovelornewthings.

• ArousalTheory-Motivationaimsnottoeliminatearousalbuttoseekoptimumlevelsofarousal.• WhatgotAron Ralstonstuckunder thatrockinthefirstplace??

• Boredom=lackofstimulation&arousal

4.Maslow’sHierarchyofNeeds• Developed byAbraham

Maslow• Someneedstakepriority

overothers• Thirstpreoccupiesyouwhen

desperately thirsty• When lowerneedsare

satisfiedwefocusonhigherneeds

• HierarchyofNeeds –pyramidofhumanneeds,beginningwithphysiologicalthatmustfirstbesatisfiedbeforemovinghighertoeachtier,thenup,thenup

Maslow’sHierarchyofNeeds

• Whatisself-transcendence?

• Aretheselevelsuniversallyfixed?

• Aretheythesameforeveryculture?

Maslow’sHierarchyofNeeds• Consideryourown

experiences inrelation tothehierarchy. Haveyoueverexperienced truehungerorthirstthatdisplacedyourconcernforother,higher-levelneeds?

• Doyouusuallyfeelsafe?Loved?Confidant?

• Thehigher tierscanbecomemuchlessimportantinemergencysituations.

Hunger

AncelKeysExperimentFed36volunteers justenoughtomaintaininitialweight.Thencutrationsinhalf.• Bodystabilizedat25%belowstartingweight• Beganconserving energy• Becamefoodobsessed• Alleffortswerefocusedtowardtheirnextmeal• Lostinterestinanyactivitiesnotinvolving food(sex,socialactivities)

Foodandhungerhasapowerfuleffectonus.

PhysiologyofHunger• Ourstomachscontractwhenwefeelhungry

(seebelow)• Butthisisonlyonesourceofhunger

BloodChemistry&TheBrain

• Whenourbloodglucose (sugarthatcirculatesinourblood,majorsourceofenergyforbody)leveldrops,signalswillbesentfromthestomach,intestines,andlivertothebraintotriggerhunger

• Thehypothalamus triggershunger-monitorsthebody’sappetitehormones

BloodChemistry&TheBrain

• Damagetothehypothalamuscancreateweightdifficulties – either toomuchorlittle.

• LH(lateralhypothalamus– triggershunger))vs.VMH(ventromedialhypothalamus– lowershunger)

• Mnemonic: LargeHunger,LingeringHungervs.VeryMiniHunger

TheAppetiteHormones• Insulin:Secretedbypancreas;controlsbloodglucose

• Leptin:Secretedbyfatcells;whenabundant,causesbraintoincreasemetabolismanddecreasehunger

• Orexin:Hunger-triggeringhormonesecretedbyhypothalamus.

Couldwemanipulateappetitehormonesandtreatanorexiaorobesity?

TheAppetiteHormones• Ghrelin:Secretedbyemptystomach;sendsout“I’mhungry” signalstothebrain;decreasesaftermeals• Bypasssurgeryeffectsthis

• Obestatin: secretedbyfullstomach,sends“I’mfull”signals,suppresseshunger

• PYY:Digestivetracthormone;sends“I’mnothungry”signals

Couldwemanipulateappetitehormonesandtreatanorexiaorobesity?

SetPoint&BMRSetpoint– thepointatwhichanindividual’s“weight thermostat” issupposedlyset.Whenthebodyfallsbelowthisweight,adecreasedmetabolicratemayacttorestorethelostweight•Thetheoryofthesetpointisnotaswidelybelievedanymore.Basalmetabolic rate– thebody’srestingrateofenergyexpenditure•Researchersbelievepeoplereacha“settlingpoint,” thelevelatwhichaperson’sweightsettlesinresponsetocaloricintakeandexpenditure

TheyPsychologyofHungerPartofbeinghungryisknowingwhenourlastmealoccurred, andwhattimewenormallyeatat.•Amnesiaexperiment– ifoffered foodpeoplekeepeating

Psychological influencesoneatingbehavioraremostextremewhenthedesiretobethin overwhelms normalhomeostaticpressures

TastePreferences:BiologyBothbiologyandcultureplayaroleinfoodpreferences.

CarbsboostSerotonin levels,creatingacalmingeffect.Thisleadstothelabelofcomfort foods.•Doyoucravecertain foodsincertainstressfulsituations?

Preferences forsweetorsaltyisgenetically based.

Sometastepreferences areconditioned – anacquired tasteortheopposite– atasteaversion

TastePreferences:Culture• Differentculturesenjoydifferent

foods• Examples?

• Withrepeatedexposure,tasteappreciationforafoodtypicallyincreases

• Areyouaneophobe?• Tastepreferencescanbeadaptive–

hotterclimatestraditionallyusedmorespicetokillbacteria

• Pregnancyrelatenauseaandcravings• changinghormone levelsaffect

tastepreferences inpregnantmoms

TheEcologyofEatingSituationalEating:Peopleeatmorewhentheyareeatingwithothers–socialfacilitation- explainswhywemayeatmoreduringtheholidays

UnitBias- Portionsize– Countriesthatofferservingsinsmallersizesarethinneronaverage

Experimentwithbowlorspoonsize– biggersizesmeanyouwilltakemore•Souseasmallerplate!

EatingDisordersAnorexiaNervosa– Aneatingdisorderinwhichaperson(mostlikelyanadolescent)dietsandbecomessignificantly(15%ormore)underweight,yetstillfeelingfatcontinuestostarve

Bulimianervosa– aneatingdisordercharacterizedbyepisodesofovereating,usuallyhighcaloriefoods,followedbyvomiting,fasting,laxativeuse,orexcessiveexercise

Binge-eatingdisorder– significantbingeeating,followedbyguilt,withoutthepurgeofbulimia

EatingDisorders

Geneticsmayinfluencesusceptibilitytoeatingdisorders

Thereareculturalfactors• InIndia,womenratetheirshapetheclosesttotheiractualshape• InAfrica,beingalittlelargermeansprosperity

Generationally, thenumberofeatingdisordershaverisenas50%ofwomensaytheyfeelnegativeabouttheirappearance

GenderDifferencesMuscledysmorphicdisorder–bigorexia– Peoplewiththisdisorderobsessaboutbeingtoosmallandfrailandundeveloped.Eveniftheyhavegoodmusclemass,theybelieve theirmusclesareinadequate.

Menaremorelikely tobeoverweight, andwomenaremorelikely toperceivethemselvesasoverweight

MediaandBodyImagePartofthe issueswithbodyimageintoday’ssocietyarewhatisportrayed“sexy” or“attractive” inthemedia

Peoplebegintoidealizemediaportrayalswhichleadstodissatisfactionwithpersonalbodyimage

IfBarbiewerereal,shewouldbeabout6’ tall,havea39”bust,18”waist,33” hips