This summary focuses on Theories of Motives and Emotions. It contains: terminology, Needs-Based Theory, Motivations and Emotions.
This summary is written according to Chapter 10 from the textbook: PSYCHOLOGY: THEMES AND VARIATIONS by Wayne Weiten.
Chapter 10 –Theories of Motives and Emotions
(Pages 274 - 299)
Terminology
Emotions - the feelings associated with various forms of activity (driven largely by biological
factors)
Emotion - also known as affect, is the experience of feeling which results from behaviour
and which guides behaviour thus helping us to make decisions
Motivation - concerned with why people choose to behave in some way rather than
another, initiate certain actions and maintain their actions
Instincts - behaviours that are not learned, but are built into an organism
Drive - an internal form of tension that motivates an organism to engage in activities that
should reduce the tension
Drive reduction (reduction theory) - activities to reduce inner tension by restoring the
equilibrium
Arousal - refers to a state of emotional, intellectual and physiological activity
Arousal theory - in order to feel comfortable we are driven to maintain a certain level of
arousal
Effectance motivation - the need for competence
Theory of introversion and extroversion - introverts are seen as already over aroused (more
easily physiologically stimulated) and so they avoid interaction whereas extraverts are under
aroused (less easily physiologically stimulated) and so they seek out situations are increase
their level of arousal.
Motivational Theories and Concepts
What is Motivation?
• Greenberg and Baron define it as a set of processes that arouse, direct and maintain
behaviour toward attaining some goal
• DuBrin defines it as an energising force that stimulates arousal, direction and
persistence of behaviour
• Motives are the needs, wants, desires and interests that propel people to act
• Theories of motivation are concerned with why people perform some action
In-Built Biological Mechanisms (Early 1900s)
Basic argument = animals do things because the behaviour is built into them similar
to a circuit being built into a microchip (automatic responses). They are patterns of
behaviour that are laid down genetically. E.g. how birds know when to migrate.
Instincts: Human behaviour is motivated by instincts (McDougall 1908)
2 problems:
(1) list of instincts grew longer as psychologists tried to explain the variety and
complexity of human behaviour
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