WEEK 3

• Motivation is the driving force behind behaviour that leads us to pursue some things and avoid others.
• The psychodynamic perspective distinguishes between conscious (explicit) and unconscious (implicit) motives.
• The behaviourist perspective asserts that humans are motivated to repeat behaviours that lead to reinforcement and to avoid behaviours associated with punishment.
• The cognitive perspective asserts that people are motivated to perform behaviours that they value and believe they can attain.
• The humanistic perspective asserts a theory of self-actualisation; Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ranges from needs that are basic to survival to needs that guide behaviour only once the person has fulfilled needs lower down the hierarchy.
• The evolutionary perspective asserts that evolution selects animals that maximise their inclusive fitness.
• Social and cultural practices play a substantial role in shaping motives.
• Sexual motivation and behaviour are highly variable across cultures and individuals.
• The sexual response cycle refers to the pattern of physiological changes that takes place in humans during sex.
• Relatedness needs refer to motives for connectedness with others, such as attachment, intimacy, and affiliation.
• Agency needs include motives for achievement, autonomy, mastery, power, and other self-oriented goals; the need for achievement refers to the need to succeed and avoid failure.
• Sex refers to one’s biological status at birth, either male or female.
• Intersex refers to people born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not fit the two “binary” sexes of male or female.
• Gender refers to society’s socially constructed roles, behaviours, and activities attributed as being appropriate for men and women, boys and girls.
• Sexual orientation refers to the direction of a person’s enduring sexual attraction to members fo the same or another sex/gender.
• Motivation has two components: what people want to do (the goals they pursue) and how strongly they want to do it.