Word definitions for introduction to motivation and emotion

What can motivation also be represented as?

A behavioural journey that begins with the choice of a motive to be satisfied or goal to be achieved. Once a choice is made, a person is motivated to engage in instrumental behaviour that will eventually satisfy the motive or achieve the goal.

Goal

A goal is the cognitive representation of a desired outcome that an individual attempts to achieve. The goal guides the behaviour that results in achieving it.

Motive

A motive is an internal disposition that pushes an individual toward a desired end-state where the motive is satisfied.

What is affective forecasting?

Affective forecasting refers to predicting positive or negative future feelings that occur in expectation of goal achievement. These predicted feelings promote behaviour toward or away from the goal.

Definition of persistence

Also known as perseverance, it is revealed by the duration of motivated behaviour. Example: after 10 job interviews in six months without success, the applicant was finally hired after the eleventh interview during the seventh month.

Incentive

An incentive is a an anticipated feature of the environment that pulls an individual toward or away from it. Incentives enhance motivation for goal achievement.

Definition of activation

An individual is spurred or induced into action from a previously inactive state or a change in action or behaviour. Example: a seated individual gets up and walks to class but then runs in order not to be tardy.

What is an example of the relationship between incentive value and motivation?

Between the value of academic experience and student behaviour, such as attending classes and studying.

What are biological variables? What is an example?

Biological variables refer to material characteristics of the body and brain that serve to motivate behaviour. An example of a biological variable is hunger. In Figure 1.1, hunger, when considered as a biological variable, correlates with a particular state of the human body, such as a little food in the stomach, a rapid decline in blood glucose, and the circulation of various hormones.

What does cognitive motivation involve?

Cognitive motivation involves visualising an end-state or goal as concrete objects, such as food or people.

Consummatory behaviour

Consummatory behaviour refers to the completion of a motivational sequence as in eating consummates the progression of planning and preparing a meal.

Emotions

Emotions act like motives. They motivate an individual in a coordinated fashion along multiple channels (affect, physiology, behaviour) to adapt to significant environmental changes.

What are external sources of motivation?

Environmental variables

What are environmental variables?

Environmental variables refer to those characteristics of incentives and goals that have the ability to attract or repel. Positive characteristics attract or pull us toward the incentive, while unattractive ones repel us. As a general rule, incentives and goals with higher values of attraction or repulsion are more motivating than those with smaller values. Thus, if the value of an incentive can be determined then its motivational power is known.

What are instrumental behaviours? What are some examples?

Instrumental behaviours are those motivated activities in which a person engages to satisfy a motive, attain an incentive, or achieve a goal. Work for money, studying to pass a test, and acting kindly toward people are all examples of instrumental or motivated behaviour.

Internal sources of motivation

Internal dispositions divide into biological states (variables) and psychological states (variables) that determine what will be motivating.

To be motivated

Means to be induced or moved into action or thought toward some end-state by either the push of a motive or the pull of an incentive or goal.

What is motivation based on? And what is represented by?

Motivation is based on anticipation of the future. It is represented by a journey, which means that an individual tries to reach or achieve various feelings (affect).

What are neurons?

Neurons are cells that specialize in conducting electrical impulses. The brain's neurons receive information about the environment and information about the body. They process this information and communicate it via these electrical impulses among different parts of the brain. This communication is possible because neurons are interconnected to one another via complex networks. For example, neurons process and communicate information about the body's energy stores, about hunger sensations, and about the availability of food. However, neurons also require energy to perform their task of communication. Just as a car uses more fuel when driven, the brain also uses more fuel in locations where its neurons are most active.

What are psychological variables?

Psychological variables refer to properties of the mind, such as its motives. These are studied indirectly through measurable indicators. For example, perspiration and smiles are used to indicate anxiety and happiness, respectively. Psychological questionnaires can also indicate the amount of a psychological variable, much like stepping on a bathroom scale indicates a person's weight. Higher scores indicate a greater amount of a psychological variable, such as a psychological need or motive. As a general rule, as a psychological motive increases there are accompanying increases in the motivation for need-relevant incentives, consummatory behaviors, and associated feelings. For example, individuals who have an unsatisfied need to belong should prefer to work with people who show a willingness to work with others. This willingness is exhibited by a genuine smile compared to a polite but fake smile. Thus, individuals with an unsatisfied need to belong should prefer individuals who show genuine smiles because those individuals would satisfy one's need to belong.

What is simulation?

Simulation refers to anticipating the end-state as if an individual were actually experiencing, visualising, or imagining it.

What is the anticipatory response mechanism?

The anticipatory response mechanism is an imaginary consummatory response that serves as a sign of an individual's expectations about the interaction with the goal object.

What is reductionism?

The approach of reducing complex systems to simpler components that are more manageable to study. According to the concept of reductionism, the mind's psychological processes can be reduced to the activity of billions of neurons in the brain. Reductionism is the process of linking psychological events to brain events. Scales and behaviours reflect psychological events, while PET scans and fMRIs measure brain events. Reductionism links the two events together.

What are behaviours that indicate motivation?

The choices people make plus the activation, frequency, intensity, and persistence of behaviour. Although motives and incentives are the causes of behaviour, knowledge and competence is also necessary if behaviour is to occur.

What is the purpose of the psychology of motivation?

The purpose of the psychology of motivation is to explain what motivates the same person as different times and different people at the same time.

Definition of frequency

This refers to how often (rate) a specific behaviour occurs during a fixed time interval. Example: some individuals might check their email accounts five times per hour.

Definition of intensity

This refers to the effort, exertion, force, or vigor with which motivated behaviour or thought is performed. Example: when the door did not open when pulled, he thought hard, then pushed on it with great force.

Definition of choice

What an individual actually chooses or selects from among possible alternatives. Example: a student chooses to major in psychology rather than some other discipline.

What is instrumental behaviour?

a targeted behaviour