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Theories of Emotion & Motivation

Emotions and motivations are driving forces that impel people to act. Without these, individuals might lack any real desire to do anything. However, the source of motivation and desire is unknown, leading many psychology researchers to speculate about where emotions and motivation come from. Several theories have resulted.

  1. Instinct and Drive

    • Some theorists speculate that there is a hidden force that drives us to do what we do. Some believe that we are motivated to do things because we have genetic programming that compels us to accomplish tasks. Some individuals also believe that tension builds up surrounding a particular action and that repression of desires disrupts equilibrium.

    Sociobiology and Incentive

    • Sociobiologists believe that humans have developed a complex system that ultimately leads to some individuals having a greater chance of reproducing. Those who believe in the incentive theory believe that individuals engage in actions if they have incentives to do so.

    Maslow's Hierarchy

    • Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy determines what individuals will pursue first in order to achieve happiness. For example, in this hierarchy, individuals are more likely to ignore social needs in order to meet more basic biological needs, such as the need for food. In Maslow's hierarchy, the ultimate goal is self-actualization.

    James-Lange

    • The James-Lange (named for psychologists William James and Carl Lange) theory of emotion is that individuals feel emotions because they are experiencing physiological states. Hence, an individual feels angry because he is gritting his teeth, rather than that he is gritting his teeth because he is angry.

    Cognitive Theory

    • Psychologists Stanley Schachter and Jerome E. Singer argued that when we feel emotions, we do not really experience the emotions we describe. We are experiencing a complex mess of feelings, yet we label our emotions in order to understand them. But there is no feeling angry, sad or happy.

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