PSYC 4750 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Electrodermal Activity, Human Nature, Hedonism

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 4750
• Professor: Mark Fenske

Document Summary

Explaining why people do what they do can lead to theories of. Can foreshadow life outcomes we care about: ex. Use knowledge about motivation to real life applications: motivate employees, coach athletes, console clients etc. Why do something: can rely on personal experience and subjective conjectures, or rely on scientific construct theories. Ongoing process of holding up one"s ideas about motivation to empirical tests. 2 main questions: what causes behaviour, ex. Must ask specifics not just why do they do this . Why is desire strong at one time yet weak at another. Intensity can vary within the individual and between different individuals: people show high or low effort. Motivation concerns the process that give behaviour energy and direction: energy behaviour has strength. Strong, intense, persistent: direction behaviour has purpose. Theories need to explain what those motivational processes are and how they work to energize and direct.