Transcript Research Week 1 - UPM EduTrain Interactive Learning

Human Motivation
TOPIC 2
COMPONENTS OF
MOTIVATION
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Components of Motivation
• Biological component
• Learned component
• Cognitive component
– Behavior is caused by an interaction of
biological, learned, and cognitive processes:
brain circuits are activated, learned responses
are triggered, and control is taken by making
plans.
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The Biological Component
•
Main focus on the structure/design of the
brain
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The Biological Component
Evolutionary theory
• Assumes our brain today is a result of
years of experiences and learning.
• Brain is made up of number of systems
that work together with the body to
produce our actions.
• Humans have two central complementary
drives (minds): self-preservation and the
preservation of the species.
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The Biological Component
Temperament
• Refers to how we react to the world (reactivity)
and how we self-regulate ourselves (self-control)
in the face of certain environmental demands.
(Our predisposition to act one way or another.)
– High activity (preference for intense stimulation and like
of risk-taking)
– Negativity (fearful/sad and angry when frustrated)
– Regulation of attention/behavior (effortful control)
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The Biological Component
• The Big Five: Personality Factors– extraversion,
– neuroticism,
– agreeableness,
– conscientiousness,
– openness to experience.
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The Biological Component
• Scientists use monozygotic/dizygotic twin
studies to determine whether behavior is
caused by genes.
• The brain triggers emotions/feelings >
motivates us to act.
• Brain circuits: structures work together with
one another with connecting pathways that
are aroused simultaneously. Each emotion
has a distinct brain circuit.
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The Biological Component
Approach/Avoidant Motivation Brain Circuits
• Behavioral Activation System (BAS)
– Activated by conditioned signals or rewards and
nonpunishment, arousal is enhanced to promote
increased approach behavior.
• Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)
– Activated by conditioned signals of punishment
and nonreward, as well as novel stimuli, arousal
is enhanced to inhibit ongoing behavior.
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The Biological Component
Pleasure/Punishment Motivation Brain
Circuits
• The Reward Pathway
– Reward centers are stimulated when
positive responses occur.
– Humans are motivated to perform actions
that produce positive feelings.
– Done through combination of dopaminergic
pathways and limbic system.
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The Biological Component
Limbic system: set of interconnected
structures deep within the brain that
regulates emotions such as fear, love, and
anger. Helps in adaptation of
environmental demands.
Plasticity: whether the basic structure of the
brain can be altered as the result of certain
experiences or thought processes.
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The Biological Component
Synapses: gaps that separate short
lengths of nerve fibers in which
neurotransmitters are released and
carry information.
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The Biological Component
Neurotransmitters: chemicals that carry
information across the synapse.
– Norepinephrine/serotonin/dopamine:
high levels = euphoria, low levels =
depression
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The Learned Component
What we learn is governed by a large degree by
attention.
• Attention: focus sensory receptors on source of
information and analyze (attending); focus on
given source and selectively process (selective
attention); and organize the information.
– Attention is governed partly by motivational processes.
• Associative learning: (S-R learning) the
connection or association of stimuli and
responses.
– Depends on receptor orientation and selective
attention.
– Deliberate (intentional) or incidental (passive) learning.
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The Learned Component
Classical Conditioning:
• In this type of learning, the CS
(conditioned stimulus) becomes
a signal that the UCS
(unconditioned stimulus) is about
to be presented. The UCR
(unconditioned response) is
automatically elicited by the UCS
(unconditioned stimulus). The
CR (conditioned response) is
typically weaker, but is the same
response.
• Crucial for adaptive behavior.
• Associations are formed not only
between the US/CS, but also
between the events and the
situations in which the
conditioning takes place.
Instrumental Learning:
• In this type of learning, the S
(stimulus) becomes the signal
to perform a R (response).
Getting the R to occur may
require shaping.
• Organisms learn that certain
environmental events, such as
receiving
rewards/punishments, depend
on their own behavior.
• A nonrewarded response will
eventually diminish in rate or
strength (extinction).
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Pavlov’s Experiment
Analysis of Pavlov’s Study
The Learned Component
Social incentive theory: positive (rewarding)
experiences often occur when we do what
others want us to do.
– Seeking approval and avoiding disapproval are
assumed to be central motivators for people.
– Learned component of motivation has its roots
in this theory.
– Children learn a great deal through imitation
and observation.
– We are intrinsically motivated to learn about our
environment.
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The Cognitive Component
Cognition involves thinking, perceiving,
abstracting, synthesizing, organizing, or
otherwise conceptualizing the nature of the
external world and the self.
Cognitive theories are framed in terms of
having or developing cognitive structures
that allow us to make sense of the
complexity of the world.
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The Cognitive Component
Cognitive processes help us summarize
and reduce the amount of information
we encounter by finding higher-order
relationships, structures, principles, and
rules.
Cognitions are based on past learning
(beliefs and attitudes are developed by
imitating/modeling parents) or from
cognitive processes (active
construction).
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The Cognitive Component
Many beliefs, attitudes, and values are
based on our own experiences and
desires.
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The Cognitive Component
Assimilation: children will process
information by whatever structures
they have.
Disequilibrium: experienced confusion or
incomprehension about the world that
motivates a child to develop new
cognitive structures to make sense of
the complexity (accommodation).
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The Cognitive Component
Categories: allow us to summarize complex
information into more generic forms,
freeing us from having to keep track of
endless pieces of specific information.
Generalization: tendency to simplify a
response learned in one situation to other
situations. (Example: stereotypes)
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The Cognitive Component
Habits: result from a repetition of some
response or sequences of responses.
Automatic behavior: repeating behavior over
and over until one not longer needs to
think about intentions. (Example: driving
car)
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The Cognitive Component

Cognitive dissonance theory

humans are inclined to process information to be
consistent with existing categories, beliefs,
attitudes, values, stereotypes, and behavior,
ignoring information that does not fit.
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The Cognitive Component

Implicit theories


hypotheses, models, and beliefs about the
nature of the external world (world theories)
and about what we need to do to satisfy our
desires in this world (self theories).
Often exist at preconscious level and often
involve more irrational and intuitive thinking.
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The Cognitive Component

Attribution theory

how humans come to perceive the causes of
behavior; reasonable explanations.
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The Cognitive Component

Locus of control theory



(internal vs. external causes of behavior):
Internals: cause of behavior lies within self
Externals: cause of behavior lies outside self
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Components Example:
Motivation for Running

Biological component:


Learned component:


Stimulates output of several chemicals (Example: increase
in norepinephrine = elation/euphoria)
A rewarding activity that helps many people cope with
anxiety, depression, stress, fatigue, etc.
Cognitive component:

Benefits of exercise- decrease likelihood/progression of
number of health disorders, reduce cholesterol, increase
immune response, slow down aging process, etc.
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