Intuition and Common Sense PDF

Preview

Summary

Learn how the brain is succeptiabble to suggestion an understand the way your mind is tricked and fooled by surrounding stimuli....

Description

Unit 8 - Module 37 Motivation arises from the interplay between our nature and nurture. Currently there are four perspectives used to explain our motivations. 1. Instincts and evolutionary psychology To qualify as an instinct; a complex behavior must have a fixed pattern throughout a species and be unlearned. Human behavior exhibits certain unlearned, fixed patterns such as an infant's innate reflexes for rooting and sucking. While the instinct theory failed to explain most human mischiefs, evolutionary psychology underlying presumption is that genes predispose species-typical behavior remains as strong as ever. Drive reduction theory; is the idea that a psychological need creates an aroused state that drives the organism to reduce the need (i.e eating or drinking). While there are a few exceptions, usually when a physiological need increases so does the psychological drive. The physiological aim of drive reduction is homeostasis; the maintenance of a steady internal state. Not only are we pushed by our need to reduce drives, we are also pulled by incentives; positive or negative stimuli that lure or repel us. This is one way our individual learning histories influence our motives. For example depending on our learning, the smell of good food can arouse us, whether that food considered good is fresh pizza or ants. When there is a need and an incentive we feel strongly driven. For each motive we can therefore ask how it is pushed by our inborn physiological needs and pulled by incentives? 2. Optimal Arousal theory; some motivated behaviors actually increase arousal. Some people therefore enjoy arousal and do it just because they can. Those who enjoy high arousal are more likely to seek out thrilling activities and can be known as “sensationseekers”. Therefore human motivation aims to not eliminate arousal but to seek optimum levels of it. When all of our biological needs are satisfied we feel driven to experience stimulation and hunger for new information. Laking simulation we feel bored, but too much can bring stress. The Yerkes-Dodson law; suggests that moderate arousal provides for optimal performance.

3. Hierarchy of motives Some needs take priority over others. This phenomenon was described as a hierarchy

of needs; created by Abraham Maslow (→ HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGIST) in 1970, which said that beginning at the base are physiological needs that must be satisfied before higher level safety needs and then psychological needs become more active. Maslow proposed that some may reach a level of self-transcendence. At the self-actualization level people seek to realize their own potential. At the self-transcendence level people seek meaning, purpose, and communication beyond the self that is transpersonal. Maslow's hierarchy is not universally fixed. I.e people starving themselves to make political statements. The first four levels are considered common knowledge now, but more recently psychologists have recognized that gaining and retaining mates and parenting offspring as a universal human motive....