MOTIVATION AND EMOTIONS

 

         Motivation & Emotions

Motivation:

Motivation >> Latin >>> Movere >>> which means to move

Motivation is a driving/push force, which makes a person to move or behave in a particular way.

·      It energizes behaviour and directs it towards a goal.

·      It either starts or stops behaviour.

·      These are the internal and external forces that drive our thoughts, moods and behaviours.

 

 

 

Extrinsic Motivation:

The type of motivation that causes a person to perform an action because it leads to an outcome which is external to the person.

Examples: 1) Going to work for money

                    2) working hard to get a job/ position.

 

Intrinsic Motivation:

 The type of motivation that causes a person to perform an action because it  leads to an outcome which is rewarding or satisfying in some internal manner.

Examples: Reading books for fun, watching videos for fun etc.

 

Motive:

It is the inner state that energizes, activates and directs our behaviour towards goal.

It arises out of the needs of the individual. E.g the need of food such as hunger motive, thirst motive etc.

 

Types Of Motives:

1)    Primary Motives:

·      Primary motives are based on the biological needs of the individual that must be met for survival.

·      They are innate like hunger, thirst, pain avoidance, sleep, air, elimination of wastes, regulation of body temperature.

 

2)    Stimulus Motives:

It expresses our needs for stimulation, information etc.

For example: curiosity, exploration, surfing the net, emailing each other, hanging out with friends, learning computer etc. Imagine what the world would be like if you get no arousal? No stress? …….. Boring!.

 

3)    Secondary Motives:

·      Secondary motives are based on learned needs, drives and goals.

·      These are the learned needs related to fame,  power, affiliation, approval, status, security, achievement.

·      Examples: trying out for singing competition for fame(American Idol), or trying to win skateboarding contest, contesting election for government(power).

 

 

 

Different Theories Of Motivation:

1)    Instinct Theory:

This theory proposes that organisms are motivated to engage in certain behaviors because of genetic programming and because these behaviors lead to success in terms of natural selection.

 

Examples: Babycrying, sucking, crawling, nest building etc are the instincts which are genetically programmed and at the same time play an important role in survival and natural selection.

 

 

2)    Drive Reduction/Homeostatic Theory:

·      This theory views behaviors as motivated by the need to reduce internal tension caused by the unmet biological needs..

·      The unmet biological needs drive us to behave in a way so that the intensity of the drive is reduced.

·      This works by” negative feedback mechanism” that is one experience unpleasant feeling (hunger/thirst) until the needs are met (I.e food is taken).

·      The brain makes sure that body is kept in balance (body temperature,  fluids level, energy supplies etc).

·      This balanced or optimal state is called Homeostatic state. This is our natural state. The body does it’s best to maintain this balanced state..

.

 

3)    Incentive Theory:

·      Incentive Theory states that behaviour is motivated by the pull of external (outside) goals for reward.

·      Examples:  you come to class regularly to get A Grade marks. You go to work out to get compliments, You go to work to earn money etc.

·      Not all human behaviors has a direct reward attached to it. For example: we do many things for fun, personal growth etc that do not have any incentive attached to them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                    Emotions

Emotions:

“It’s a motivated condition/state characterized by physiological arousal, expressive behaviour and subjective/cognitive experience”.

Physiological changes include sweating palms, pupil dilation, increase in heart rate and body temperature etc.

 

 

 

Three Components Of An Emotion:

There are three parts to an emotion.

·      A Subjective component (how you experience an emotion).

·      A Physiological component ( how your body reacts to an emotion).

·      An Expressive component ( how you behave in response to an emotion).

 

Importance of Emotions:

 

Emotions play an important role in our daily lives. It compels us to take action and influence the decisions we make in our day to day life .

 

 

Categories of Emotions:

Emotions can be divided into:

 

 

A)   Primary Emotions:

Primary emotions are those which are triggered in response to an event.

        Examples:  Anger, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, happiness etc are the emotions which can be termed as primary emotions.

B)  Secondary Emotions:

Secondary emotions are emotional reactions we have to other emotions. For example, a person may feel ashamed as a result of becoming anxious or sad. In this case, anxiety would be the primary emotion while shame would be the secondary emotion.

Other examples include passion, optimism, irritation, disgust, shame, nervousness etc.

 

·      Positive And Negative Emotions:

 

Positive Emotions:

Positive emotions causes one to feel good about one's self. It leads to an emotionally happy and satisfied result.

Examples are happiness, joy, interest, curiosity, excitement, gratitude, love, and contentment.     

 

 

Negative Emotions:

Negative Emotions sap energy and undermine our effectiveness. In the negative emotional state, we find the lack of interest/desire to do anything.

Examples of negative emotions are sadness, anger, loneliness, jealousy, self-criticism, fear, or rejection .

 

 

Theories Of Emotion:

1)    The James-Lange Theory of Emotion

The James-Lange theory is one of the best-known examples of a physiological theory of emotion. Independently proposed by psychologist William James and physiologist Carl Lange, the James-Lange theory of emotion suggests that emotions occur as a result of physiological reactions to events.²

This theory suggests that seeing an external stimulus leads to a physiological reaction as a result of which emotions occur.

For example, suppose you are walking in the woods and see a grizzly bear. You begin to tremble, and your heart begins to race. The James-Lange theory proposes that you will conclude that you are frightened ("I am trembling. Therefore, I am afraid"). According to this theory of emotion, you are not trembling because you are frightened. Instead, you feel frightened because you are trembling.

 

Stimuli>>> (brain)> >> Physiological response> > > Emotion

 

 

Criticism:

1)    people can experience physiological reactions linked to emotions without actually feeling those emotions. For example, your heart might race because you have been exercising, not because you are afraid.

2)    emotional responses occur much too quickly to be simply products of physical states. When you encounter a danger in the environment, you will often feel afraid before you start to experience the physiological symptoms associated with fear, such as shaking hands, rapid breathing, and a racing heart.

 

 

2)  The Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

Cannon first proposed his theory in the 1920s, and his work was later expanded on by physiologist Philip Bard during the 1930s.

The theory proposes that emotions result when the thalamus sends a message to the brain in response to a stimulus, resulting in a physiological reaction. At the same time, the brain also receives signals triggering the emotional experience. Cannon and Bard’s theory suggests that the physical and psychological experience of emotion happen at the same time (simultaneously) and that one does not cause the other.

                                           Physiological response.  (Simultaneously

Stimulus> > > Brain> >>            &                                  and       

                                                                                   Independently).

                                          Emotional reaction.                                                              

   

 

 

 3)  Schachter-Singer Theory

Also known as the two-factor theory of emotion, the Schachter-Singer theory is an example of a cognitive theory of emotion. This theory suggests that the physiological arousal occurs first, and then the individual must identify the reason for this arousal to experience and label it as an emotion. A stimulus leads to a physiological response that is then cognitively interpreted and labeled, resulting in an emotion.

 

Stimulus >> Physiological arousal >> Appraisal >> Emotion

 

 

 

4)Cognitive Appraisal Theory:

Richard Lazarus was a pioneer in this area of emotion, and this theory is often referred to as the Lazarus theory of emotion.

According to this theory, the sequence of events first involves a stimulus, followed by thought, which then leads to the simultaneous experience of a physiological response and the emotion. For example, if you encounter a bear in the woods, you might immediately begin to think that you are in great danger. This then leads to the emotional experience of fear and the physical reactions associated with the fight-or-flight response.

 

 

                                           (   Physiological response

Stimulus >> Appraisal >>  & emotional response occur

                                              Simultaneously ).

 

 

 

 

 

                                     THE END