Fiveable
Fiveable
Fiveable
Fiveable

🧠ap psychology (2025) review

4.6 Motivation

Verified for the 2025 AP Psychology (2025) exam4 min readLast Updated on August 14, 2024

Motivation drives human behavior, influencing our actions and decisions. This topic explores various theories explaining why we do what we do, from basic physiological needs to complex psychological factors.

Eating behavior exemplifies the interplay between biological and environmental influences on motivation. Understanding these concepts helps explain the diverse range of human behaviors and the factors that shape our choices and actions.

motivation cognitive theories

Physical needs and desires

Our bodies have complex mechanisms for maintaining balance and optimal functioning. These mechanisms drive much of our motivated behavior.

Drive-reduction theory: This theory says we act to satisfy basic needs

  • When we're hungry, we eat
  • When we're thirsty, we drink
  • The goal is homeostasis - keeping our body in balance
  • Example: You haven't eaten all day, so you feel hungry (drive increases) and go get food (reduces drive) Arousal theory: This theory says we seek the right amount of stimulation
  • Too little stimulation makes us bored
  • Too much stimulation makes us anxious
  • We each have our own "sweet spot" of arousal
  • Example: Some people love roller coasters while others prefer reading The Yerkes-Dodson Law explains this relationship:
  • Very low arousal = poor performance (you're too sleepy/bored)
  • Medium arousal = best performance (you're alert and focused)
  • Very high arousal = poor performance (you're too stressed/anxious)
  • Example: Taking a test with mild nervousness helps you focus, but extreme anxiety makes you forget everything

Self-Determination Theory

Self-determination theory distinguishes between two main types of motivation:

Intrinsic motivation comes from within

  • Doing something because it's inherently enjoyable
  • Example: playing piano because you love music
  • Driven by personal satisfaction, curiosity, or growth Extrinsic motivation comes from outside sources
  • Doing something for external rewards or to avoid punishment
  • Example: studying to get good grades or avoid failing
  • Driven by praise, money, recognition, or avoiding negative outcomes

Incentive Theory

Incentive theory focuses specifically on how rewards motivate behavior:

Positive incentives encourage behavior

  • Money, praise, recognition, privileges
  • Example: employee bonuses for meeting sales targets Negative incentives discourage behavior
  • Fines, criticism, loss of privileges
  • Example: speeding tickets to discourage dangerous driving The strength of the incentive affects motivation
  • Larger rewards typically produce stronger motivation
  • Quality of rewards matters (meaningful vs. token rewards)

Instincts and Motivation

Non-human animals often rely on instincts to guide their behavior. These are innate patterns that don't require learning.

  • Birds build specific nest types without being taught
  • Salmon swim upstream to spawn in their birthplace
  • Spiders spin webs following genetic patterns
  • Baby turtles instinctively move toward the ocean after hatching Humans, however, show very few truly instinctual behaviors. Most human behavior is:
  • Learned through observation and experience
  • Culturally transmitted between generations
  • Modified based on context and environment
  • Influenced by conscious thought and decision-making The few possible human instincts might include:
  • Infant rooting reflex (turning toward touch on cheek)
  • Fear response to sudden loud noises
  • Basic facial expressions for emotions This distinction helps explain why human behavior is so flexible and varies dramatically across cultures, while animal behavior within a species remains relatively consistent. Humans rely more on learning, reasoning, and cultural transmission than on fixed instinctual patterns.

Lewin's motivational conflicts

Lewin's theory explains that our motivation often comes from the conflicts we experience when making choices. These conflicts arise because every decision involves weighing different options.

The theory identifies three main types of conflicts:

  • approach-approach conflict: This happens when you must choose between two attractive options. You feel pulled toward both, but you can only pick one.
  • approach-avoidance conflict: In this situation, one option has both positive and negative aspects. You are drawn to the good side but also repelled by the bad side, which makes the decision hard.
  • avoidance-avoidance conflict: This occurs when both choices are unattractive. You have to choose between two undesirable options, creating stress and discomfort. The idea is that these conflicts create an inner tension. This tension is what drives you to resolve the conflict, and in doing so, it motivates your actions.

Sensation-Seeking Theory

This theory suggests that our motivation can come from a desire for new or exciting experiences. People are driven by a need for variety or novel activities.

The theory identifies several types of sensation seeking:

  • experience seeking: looking for new ideas and experiences
  • thrill or adventure seeking: wanting to engage in risky or exciting activities
  • disinhibition: seeking situations that lower self-control or social norms
  • boredom susceptibility: finding it hard to tolerate repetitive or dull situations

Eating as a Motivated Behavior

Eating is a complex behavior that shows how physical and mental processes work together. It is influenced by both internal signals and external factors. The objectives include:

Hormonal influences:

  • Hormones like ghrelin and leptin control feelings of hunger and fullness.
  • These hormones are regulated by the hypothalamus through the pituitary gland. External influences:
  • The presence of food can prompt eating.
  • The time of day and established meal schedules play a role.
  • Social settings, such as gatherings around meals, also affect eating behavior.

How does Zuckerman's sensation-seeking theory explain the motivation behind extreme sports participation?

1 of 2

How does Zuckerman's sensation-seeking theory explain the motivation behind extreme sports participation?

1 of 2


© 2025 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.

© 2025 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.