Mcat Psychology Ch. 5 Motivation, Emotion, & Stress

Motivation is believed to stem from a combination of instinctual drives, arousal levels, psychological needs, and physiological needs.

Instinct refers to an innate fixed pattern of behavior in response to a stimulus, which can either be lifelong or appear and disappear over time. It is not a learned response, intentional decision, or random reaction.

The Instinct Theory of Motivation suggests that behaviors are motivated by innate instincts, rather than external rewards, genetic factors, or learned experiences.

The Arousal Theory of Motivation suggests that individuals seek to maintain their optimal level of arousal by adjusting it accordingly, either increasing it when it falls below the desired level or decreasing it when it surpasses the optimal threshold.

The Yerkes-Dodson Law states that performance at tasks is worst at extremely high & extremely low levels of arousal, optimal at intermediate levels. Lower levels are best for highly cognitive tasks, slightly higher levels for simple tasks, and high levels are best for activities requiring physical endurance & stamina.

The Drive Reduction Theory of Motivation posits that motivation arises from the goal of reducing discomfort or negative internal states through fulfilling primary and secondary drives.

The Need-Based Theory of Motivation focuses on individuals' basic needs and what drives them to perform certain actions or behaviors. Self-Determination Theory emphasizes the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in motivating individuals. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Theory X and Theory Y, as well as Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory are different theories that also address motivations and needs of individuals, but each theory takes a unique approach.

The Incentive Theory of Motivation posits that behavior is motivated by the pursuit of rewards or avoidance of punishments, unlike solely internal or external factors.

Expectancy-Value Theory suggests that motivation is influenced by both the perceived ability to achieve a goal and the importance of that goal to the individual. This means that individuals are more likely to be motivated to pursue goals that they believe they can achieve and that hold significance to them.

The Opponent-Process Theory specifically focuses on the motivation for drug use, tolerance buildup, withdrawal symptoms, and physical dependence associated with drug use.

Emotion is a complex psychological state that involves a mix of conscious and unconscious factors, such as feelings, physiological changes, and behavioral reactions. It is not solely a physical reaction or an intellectual decision, but rather a combination of various factors.

The correct answer breaks down the 3 elements of emotion as physiological response, behavioral response, and cognitive response. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in how emotions are experienced and expressed.

The 7 Universal Emotions are Surprise, Fear, Disgust, Contempt, Anger, Happiness, and Sadness. Joy, Trust, Excitement, Envy, Love, Shame, and Guilt are not part of the 7 Universal Emotions.

The James-Lange Theory proposes that emotions are the result of physiological reactions to events. The Cannon-Bard Theory suggests that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously yet independently. The Schachter-Singer Theory states that emotions are determined by a cognitive appraisal of the situation, followed by physiological arousal leading to the specific emotion experienced.

The James-Lange Theory of Emotion states that a stimulus leads to a physiological response, which in turn leads to the conscious experience of emotion. This theory suggests that our emotions are the result of our body's response to a stimulus, rather than the stimulus itself triggering the emotion directly.

The Canon-Bard Theory of Emotion posits that a stimulus leads to both nervous system arousal and conscious emotion simultaneously, which then result in an action. This differs from other theories that suggest sequential or linear relationships between stimulus, arousal, emotion, and action.

The correct sequence in the Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion involves the combination of physical arousal and cognitive appraisal of a situation leading to the experience of conscious emotion. This theory emphasizes the role of both physiological response and interpretation of the situation in emotional experiences.

The Limbic System is a set of brain structures responsible for emotions, memory, and behavior. The correct parts of the Limbic System are Amygdala, Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Hippocampus, Fornix, Septal Nuclei, and Parts of the Cerebral Cortex.

The amygdala is a core part of the brain involved in emotional processing and memory, particularly in relation to fear, attention, and interpretation of facial expressions.

The thalamus acts as a relay station for sensory information, processing and directing sensory signals to the cerebral cortex for further processing.

The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in maintaining the body's internal balance and regulating various processes like temperature, thirst, hunger, sleep, mood, and sex drive by releasing neurotransmitters that affect mood, arousal, homeostasis, and emotions.

The hippocampus is primarily responsible for the formation of long-term explicit (episodic) memories in the brain.

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for higher-level cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making, and expressing personality. It is not directly involved in feeling emotions, regulating heart rate, or controlling muscle movements.

Cognitive Appraisal refers to the subjective evaluation of a situation that induces stress, rather than a physical response, objective analysis, or stress management techniques.

Stress can manifest in various forms, including distress and eustress, but anxiety, panic, and depression are typically outcomes or related conditions rather than direct results of stressors.