Motivation and Emotion
P 407 – 413 not examinable
Physiological components of hunger
Hormones
Insulin and glucagon (secreted by pancreas) control levels of fats, proteins and carbs in body.
Insulin is released in great amounts after eaing begins more hunger.
Leptin (secreted by fat cells): decreases appeite and increases energy expenditure
Homeostatc Mechanisms
Eatng not necessarily lineed to immediate energy needs
Homeostatc mechanisms prevent us from running low on energy
Social + psychological components of hunger
Social cues
Classical conditoning: food cues can trigger eatng even when not hungry. Body becomes
conditoned to respond with hunger relex at certain imes of da .
Operatonal conditoning: Eatng is posiivel reinforced b tee good taste of food and negaivel
reinforced b eunger producton.
Cultural norms inluence when how and what we eat. Eg. Rounded hips considered a sign of health
and fertlity for SA women
Gender: eg. Women are more lieely to eat for emoional reasons
Attitudes habits and beliefs: eg. Cleaning your plate; snaceing while watching TV
Obesity
A conditon in which the body weight of a person is 20% over tee ideal bod weiget for that
person’s height.
Geneti faitorsa
- Heredity: basal metabolic rate and tendenc to store energ as eiteer fat or lean issue;
several sets of genes inluence the lieelihood of becoming obese; genetcs account for about
40-70 percent of variaion in BMI scores.
- Problems with leptn producton can lead to overeatng.
, Overeatnn
- Food is more readily available
- Cultural empeasis on getng more value for mone (supersizes)
- Foods more varied and entcing
- Increase in income eatng more
- Tech advances that decrease the need for physical actvity
SA undergoing a “nutriton transitonn
Transitoning to more Westernised eaing patern and diet.
Increased urbanisaion plays a role. Eg. Eatng out eatng while watching TV taee-outs.
Weight loss ofen associated with HIV / AIDS. Fear of losing weight.
Cultural belief that being overweight is a sign of affluence and prosperit .
SA has highest rates of overweight and obesity in SSA.
Motivation
A process that influences tee direcion, persistence, and vigour of goal-directed beeaviours.
Process by which actvites are started directed and contnued so that physical or physiological
needs / wants are met.
Early approaches to understanding motivation
No one approach can be used in isolaton to explain motvaton.
1. Psychodynamic View
Unconscious motves aaect how we behave
Freud emphasized sexual and aggressive moives
Modern theorists emphasise motves for self-esteem and social belonging
Motvatng factors sometmes unenown to individual
2. Extrinsic + Intrinsic Motivations
Extrinsic: leads to outcome separate from person. External rewards.
Intrinsic: the act itself is rewarding in some internal manner.
3. Instincts + the evolutionary approach
Instncts: an ineerited characteristc common to all members of a species. Automaicall produces
a paricular response when exposed to a partcular stmulus.
Instncts motvate much of our behaviour
P 407 – 413 not examinable
Physiological components of hunger
Hormones
Insulin and glucagon (secreted by pancreas) control levels of fats, proteins and carbs in body.
Insulin is released in great amounts after eaing begins more hunger.
Leptin (secreted by fat cells): decreases appeite and increases energy expenditure
Homeostatc Mechanisms
Eatng not necessarily lineed to immediate energy needs
Homeostatc mechanisms prevent us from running low on energy
Social + psychological components of hunger
Social cues
Classical conditoning: food cues can trigger eatng even when not hungry. Body becomes
conditoned to respond with hunger relex at certain imes of da .
Operatonal conditoning: Eatng is posiivel reinforced b tee good taste of food and negaivel
reinforced b eunger producton.
Cultural norms inluence when how and what we eat. Eg. Rounded hips considered a sign of health
and fertlity for SA women
Gender: eg. Women are more lieely to eat for emoional reasons
Attitudes habits and beliefs: eg. Cleaning your plate; snaceing while watching TV
Obesity
A conditon in which the body weight of a person is 20% over tee ideal bod weiget for that
person’s height.
Geneti faitorsa
- Heredity: basal metabolic rate and tendenc to store energ as eiteer fat or lean issue;
several sets of genes inluence the lieelihood of becoming obese; genetcs account for about
40-70 percent of variaion in BMI scores.
- Problems with leptn producton can lead to overeatng.
, Overeatnn
- Food is more readily available
- Cultural empeasis on getng more value for mone (supersizes)
- Foods more varied and entcing
- Increase in income eatng more
- Tech advances that decrease the need for physical actvity
SA undergoing a “nutriton transitonn
Transitoning to more Westernised eaing patern and diet.
Increased urbanisaion plays a role. Eg. Eatng out eatng while watching TV taee-outs.
Weight loss ofen associated with HIV / AIDS. Fear of losing weight.
Cultural belief that being overweight is a sign of affluence and prosperit .
SA has highest rates of overweight and obesity in SSA.
Motivation
A process that influences tee direcion, persistence, and vigour of goal-directed beeaviours.
Process by which actvites are started directed and contnued so that physical or physiological
needs / wants are met.
Early approaches to understanding motivation
No one approach can be used in isolaton to explain motvaton.
1. Psychodynamic View
Unconscious motves aaect how we behave
Freud emphasized sexual and aggressive moives
Modern theorists emphasise motves for self-esteem and social belonging
Motvatng factors sometmes unenown to individual
2. Extrinsic + Intrinsic Motivations
Extrinsic: leads to outcome separate from person. External rewards.
Intrinsic: the act itself is rewarding in some internal manner.
3. Instincts + the evolutionary approach
Instncts: an ineerited characteristc common to all members of a species. Automaicall produces
a paricular response when exposed to a partcular stmulus.
Instncts motvate much of our behaviour
