Motivational Concepts and Theories
· Define motivation.
· Describe the three characteristics associated with motivation.
· Compare and contrast the different theories of motivation (e.g., instinct theory, drive theory, etc.) and specify the limitations of each theory.
· What is locus of control? Distinguish between internal and external control orientations.
·
What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and how does it
account for human motivation?
· Describe the key ideas of Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory.
· Distinguish intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. How is each type of motivation affected by external rewards?
Psychological Motives
· How do psychologists attempt to measure psychological motives?
· Distinguish between the need for affiliation and the need for intimacy.
· What is self-disclosure? Describe three characteristics of self-disclosure in relationships.
· What is achievement motivation and how does it differ from the need for power?
Biological Motivation: Hunger and Eating
· Describe energy homeostasis, and explain the difference between positive and negative energy balance.
· Identify the short-term signals that regulate eating, and explain how each signal influences motivation to start or stop eating.
· Explain how leptin and insulin are involved in the long-term regulation of eating behavior.
· Compare and contrast set-point and settling-point theories of body weight regulation over the lifespan.
· Discuss the prevalence of overweight and obese people in the U.S. and other countries.
· What factors contribute to people becoming overweight or obese?
· Describe the symptoms, characteristics, and causes of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Sexual Motivation and Behavior
· How does sexual motivation differ for lower and higher animals?
· Identify the biological factors that are involved in sexual motivation.
· Describe the four stages of the human sexual response.
· Describe the evidence that suggests that men and women utilize different criteria to select a mate.
· According to the evolutionary perspective, how can current gender differences in sexual motives and behavior be explained? Describe alternative explanations that would account for these gender differences.
· Identify and summarize the factors that research suggests might be involved in the development of a homosexual sexual orientation.
· Summarize the findings on the typical patterns of adult sexual behavior, and note which groups are most likely to experience sexual dysfunctions.
· Describe the brain-imaging research findings on how romantic love influences brain activation.
Emotion
· Identify the three components of emotion.
·
Compare and contrast the James-Lange and Cannon-Bard
theories of emotion.
·
Explain the process of experiencing emotion suggested
by Schacter’s cognitive appraisal theory. On what grounds has this theory been
criticized?
·
Describe studies concerning the misattribution of
arousal. Explain how these studies support the role of cognitive appraisals in
emotion?
·
What is the mere exposure effect? What bearing does it
have on the role of cognitive appraisals in emotion?
·
Describe the two brain pathways involved in triggering
fear, how they differ, and their evolutionary significance.
·
What functions do emotions serve?
·
Describe the evidence that emotional expressions are
innate.
·
Describe the evidence that emotional expressions are
universal.
· What is the facial feedback hypothesis? What evidence supports this hypothesis? What does this hypothesis indicate about the function of emotions?
· Identify the basic emotions, and discuss individual and cultural differences involved in the subjective experience of emotions.
· Describe gender differences in emotional experience and expression and discuss the factors that are thought to contribute to such differences.
· Define anthropomorphism. Do nonhuman animals experience emotion?
· Describe the physiological aspects of emotion, including the role of the sympathetic nervous system.
· Do different emotions show different patterns of physiological arousal?
· Describe the impact of emotion on cognitive functioning and behavior.
Application: Turning Your Goals Into
Reality
· Define self-efficacy, and identify different ways to strengthen your sense of self-efficacy.
· Discuss how to create and use implementation intentions to help achieve your goals.
Introduction: Your Life Story
· What is development psychology?
· Describe the basic themes (or issues) of developmental psychology. What is the nature-nurture controversy?
· Describe the two types of twin studies that have helped psychologists address the nature-nurture debate.
· Identify the major stages of the lifespan.
Genetic Contributions to Your Life Story
· Define and explain the differences between chromosomes, genes, and DNA.
· Distinguish between the terms genotype and phenotype.
· Explain the role of environmental factors in the expression of inherited traits.
· Compare the function of dominant and recessive genes.
· Explain why males are more likely to display sex-linked recessive traits.
Prenatal Development
· Describe how a zygote develops into a full-term fetus, noting the characteristics of the three stages of prenatal development.
· What are teratogens? Provide examples of common teratogens and explain how teratogens affect the fetus.
Development During Infancy and Childhood
· What reflexes and sensory capabilities do newborns exhibit?
· What kinds of visual preferences do newborns demonstrate?
· Describe evidence that infants display cognitive abilities, such as basic number skills and an understanding of the physical world.
· Describe physical development in infancy, including the development of the brain and motor skills.
· Define temperament and identify the main temperamental patterns.
· Explain the basic premise of attachment theory. Distinguish between secure and insecure styles of attachment. How are these styles measured? What impact do they have on social development?
· What does research indicate about the effects of day care on attachment.
· Describe cultural differences in the sleeping customs of American and Mayan families with infants and young children.
· Describe the stages of language development. How is language development shaped by biological predispositions? In what ways is language shaped by environmental influences?
· Summarize the gender differences that emerge during childhood. How does social learning theory explain these differences in gender roles? How does gender schema theory explain the development of gender roles?
· What are the four stages of cognitive development proposed by Piaget? Describe some of the cognitive achievements and limitations that characterize each stage (e.g., object permanence, egocentric thinking, etc.). In what ways was Piaget correct and in what ways was he incorrect?
· On what grounds has Piaget’s model been criticized? How has Vygotsky extended Piaget’s work?
Adolescence
· Describe the typical course of physical and sexual development during the adolescent years.
· Discuss social development during adolescence, including relationships with parents and peers.
· Describe the cultural differences and similarities in parent-adolescent conflict.
· Summarize Erikson’s theory of social development. Discuss the important role that adolescent identity formation plays in Erikson’s theory. What primary crises occur during other stages of development (e.g., infancy, childhood, adulthood, and old age)? [see table 9.5]
· What are the levels and stages of moral reasoning proposed by Kohlberg? Give examples of moral reasoning at each stage.
· Are there gender, cultural, or age-related differences in moral reasoning?
Adult Development, Late Adulthood, and
Aging
· Describe the major milestones in physical and social development during adulthood.
· How has the composition of American families and households changed from 1970 to the present?
· Characterize physical development in late adulthood. How accurate are U.S. stereotypes of old age?
· Identify cognitive abilities that increase, decrease, and remain stable with age. Describe Schaie’s longitudinal research on the effects of aging on cognitive and intellectual abilities.
· What is the activity theory of aging and what does it suggest about life satisfaction in old age?
· What is ego-integrity? Describe the importance of this concept to the final stage in Erikson’s psychosocial theory.
The Final Chapter: Dying and Death
· Describe Kübler-Ross’s stage theory of dying and assess its validity.
Application: Raising Psychologically
Healthy Children
· Explain the effects of authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative parenting styles on children
· Identify the various strategies that promote authoritative parenting.