Energization of behaviour that gives direction
(approach and avoidance) initiates, maintains, directs
and finalizes an action
Types of motivation
Homeostasis: basic motivation to reach a stable physiological state, given a set point,
settling point: equilibrium between opposite forces, affected by external
elements (hunger vs satiety depending on availability of resources)
extrinsic: external, linked
to reward and punishment
. leads to negative affect
and undermines
performance.
intrinsic: internal, personal
gain, needs, goal . leads to
positive affect and greater
performance
Over-justification effect:
reduction of intrinsic motivation by
extrinsic reward
NEEDS: satisfaction of a need is necessary
for an organism to live a healthy life.
psychological needs
Deci & Ryan, Self-detemrination theory. basic needs:
competence, autonomy, relatedness, people want to feel
affective in their activities so they feel they are self chosen
and to feel closeness to others.
Epstein.basic needs: self esteem,
relatedness (affection) and self
consistency (safety) and pleasure
American Dream: happinesss results when
individuals acquire popularity, influence and
money luxuries.
Swann: need
self enhancement
and self
consistency.
Terror Management theory: individuals have desire
to live. we are aware of our own death, therefore 2
defence mechanims: self-esteem, safety. less
important: self-expansive.
psychological and
physiological
MASLOW:
CRITICISMS, developmental
stages of affection.
self-actualisation isnt
functional under an
evolutionary POV.
developmental priorities may
not be related to current
priorities
OTHER TYPES
KENRIK, pyramid with evolutionary
functions at top (mate acquisition,
parenting, mate retention)
Sheldon: converged theories. four fundamental are enhancement
needs. competence, autonomy, belongingness and self-esteem.
siggetsed 10 needs however other 6 changed across cultures
MASLOW
DRIVES: acts of
motivation that have
primarily biological
purposes
LINK : emotional schema can be
temperamental or motivational.
emotion modulates motivation to
reach a goal.
NEURAL CORRELATES
APPROACHES TO
EMOTIONAL BRAIN
LIMBIC SYSTEM
THEORY. (MacLean). 1
system for all emotions,
BASIC EMOTION THEORY. 6 basic
emotions, each emotion has a different
system.
LEDOUX: one emotion processed at
a time. how brain learns about,
detects and responds to events/stimuli
low road directly from thalamus to amygdala -> triggers/primes automatic responses.
high road: thalamus -> sensory cortex (for analysis) -> amygdala (slower process)
AMYGDALA: to give
valence/relative value to a sensory
input, mediates avoidance/approach.
CENTRAL (innate responses, outputs)
output to orbital & medial
prefrontal cortex. leads to
conscious experience of
reward, planning to obtain
reward and avoid punishment
hypothalamus & brain
stem: autonomic,
endocrine and
behavoural responses
LATERAL (inputs)
TRIGGER CELLS & STORAGE CELLS:
associative learning and unconscious
emotional memory (vs hippocampal conscious memory of emotion)
REWARD PREDICTION ERROR (Schultz):
dopamine signal = actual reward - expected
reward. +ve = activation, -ve = depression, 0 =
no response
increases effect of
positive/negative motivators
NUCLEUS ACCUMBENS
(linked to reward, addiction
and emotional stimuli)
dopamine release occurs in
anticipation of reward, so is
motivational
INPUTS: prefrontal
association cortex,
amygdala,
dopaminergic cells of
VTA
OUTPUTS:
basal ganglia->
thalamus ->
prefrontal cortex.
this leads to
awareness.
IMPULSIVITY: Acting suddenly, and
without plan to satisfy immediate
desire. Inability to inhibit inappropriate
actions and insensitivity to
consequences. (Moallem &
Papachristou)
Sensitivity to Reward: predisposition to
detect and pursue rewarding stimuli
Nucleus Accumbens: high activity
shows more sensitivity to rewards ->
more impulsive
Demos: heightened activity to appetitive cues can predict future
behaviors. eg. higher activity to a beer bottle stimulus predicts future
alcohol intake
Delay reward discounting: focus on ST
reward compared to LT greater reward.
Measured with IOWA gambling task
Somatic Marker hypothesis: people have somatic markers that regulate
decision making, more impulsive -> markers unable to be read and therefore
not used as well -> worse decisions
Risky decision making.
Balloon Analog Risk
Task
Neural circuits
+ve correlations to
impulsivity
ventral
amygdala
-ve
correlations to
impulsivity
dorsal
amygdala.
Behaviorual Activation System: regulates appetitive and reward seeking behaviour, increases motor output.
Behavioural Inhibition System: passive avoidance of punishment and non-reward, decreases motor output
Response Inhibition: ability to
inhibit thoughts or behaviour.
measured with Go-nogo tasks
(stop-signal task)
poor response
inhibition, -> risk factor as makes
more vulnerable to contextual
cues -> more impulsivity.
Neural Circuits
+ve
correlation to
impulsivity
Bilateral Caudale
Dorsal anterior
cingulate
gyrus.
-ve
correlation to
impulsivity
vPFC
Measurement as a
personality trait: Barratt
Impulsiveness Scale