January 12, 2011

MOTIVATIONHBD4741.01 / HBD5741.01

Winter 2011

Candace Genest, Ph.D.

Introduction

✤ Candace M. Genest, Ph.D.

- Clinical Neuropsychologist

- Graduate School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary. She holds a Masters Degree in Christian Leadership and a Master of Arts in Psychology, also from Fuller.

- Dr. Genest currently works in a group practice providing neuropsychological evaluation, cognitive rehabilitation, and individual psychotherapy.

Syllabus & Schedule

✤ Review:

- Syllabus

- Schedule

- Assignments

Technology

✤ - E-mail

- ftp Site

- Library / Research resources

Definitions:

✤ Motivation

✤ Describes forces acting on or within an organism to initiate and direct behavior

✤ Describe differences in intensity of behavior

✤ Persistence of behavior

✤ The “something” that triggers behavior

Wide & Varied Definitions:✤ Activation

✤ Overt Responding - production of bx; can observe bx

✤ If no bx: motivation insufficient (not necessarily absent)

✤ Or - may not be an overt behavior / response

✤ Persistence - continued activation of bx

✤ However, if alternate bx available - persistence not always present

✤ Vigor - More energetic response suggests higher level motivation

Additional Characteristics:

✤ Directionality

✤ Index of motivational state

How do we measure it?

✤ Rarely direct

✤ Acts as an intervening variable to produce a change in bx

✤ Temporary

✤ When enough is present = behavior is performed

✤ When absent = behavior absent

Starting Points:

✤ Motivation vs. “Want to”

✤ Constant flow of behavior

✤ Can be directed in many different ways

✤ Genetically / Evolutionary

✤ Goal to sustain and maintain life

✤ Instincts - genetically motivated behavior

Instinct

✤ William James: 1890 - Instinct, emotion, and thought

✤ Instinct - what we now know as nervous system “built-ins”

✤ Bx differently when angry, sad, happy, etc.

✤ Cognitive processes (ideo-motor action)

✤ MacLean (1977) - triune brain

✤ Reptilian brain: Survival / Hardwired

✤ Paleomammalian brain: Emotional analysis

✤ Neuomammalian brain: External stimuli + thought

Categorizing Theories

✤ Nomothetic: abstract, universal principles (physio)

✤ Mechanistic: Internal / innate patterns; no control over activation

✤ Innate: instinct (bx / ethology)

✤ Internal: Needs / drives

✤ Idiographic: unique properties; (humanistic / actualization)

✤ Cognitive: interpret information in environment

✤ Acquired: (learning)

✤ External: goals/incentives

Instinct: nomothetic, mechanistic, innate, internal/externalAttribution: nomothetic, cognitive, acquired, internal/external

Approaches to Analysis✤ Physiological

✤ EEG, PET, MRI

✤ Individual

✤ Self-report; observation of changes in behavior

✤ Social Analysis

✤ Group Behavior

✤ Philosophical

✤ Self-actualization; positive/aversive states

Terms & Constructs

✤ Energy: source & direction

✤ Physiological: brain structures

✤ Learning: Incentives /modeling

✤ Social Interaction: authority

✤ Cognitive: Info processing

✤ Activation: central receptors in brain; other means of triggering

✤ Homeostasis: maintaining optimal state

✤ Hedonism: approach pleasure and avoid pain

✤ Growth: reaching for full potential

Philosophers

✤ Aristotle

✤ Soul=free will; Mind=blank slate (nurture)

✤ Determinism (nature)

✤ Descartes - dualism; innate ideas / instincts

✤ Locke -

✤ Sensation / Perception / association of ideas