Motivation and Emotion
Motivation energises and directs behaviour; emotion is a complex reaction with physiological, cognitive, expressive and subjective components. The exam tests theories and their distinctions.
Motivation
Motives arise from needs and drives, and incentives pull behaviour. Maslow's hierarchy runs physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualisation. Intrinsic motivation comes from interest, extrinsic from external reward; over-rewarding can undermine intrinsic interest. McClelland identified need for achievement, power and affiliation. Arousal and performance follow the Yerkes-Dodson law: moderate arousal is best, and the optimum is lower for complex tasks. Hunger involves hypothalamic regulation, glucose and set point.
Emotion theories
- James-Lange: bodily changes come first, emotion follows.
- Cannon-Bard: physiological arousal and emotional experience occur together.
- Schachter-Singer two-factor: arousal plus a cognitive label determines the emotion.
- Lazarus: cognitive appraisal precedes the response.
- Facial feedback: expressions can shape felt emotion.
Ekman identified basic emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust); display rules are cultural.
Worked example
A racing heart in an exam hall is labelled 'fear' by one student and 'excitement' by another. Reasoning: identical arousal with different cognitive labels - the two-factor account.
Traps
- Reversing the James-Lange sequence.
- Forgetting the cognitive label in two-factor theory.
- Treating Maslow's order as rigid.
- Confusing emotion with mood.