We are motivated by both internal and external sources. Biological variables motivate us to survive. Hunger motivates us to eat and tiredness motivates us to sleep. Psychological variables motivate our emotions. Happiness motivates us to smile and anxiety motivates us to perspirate. Our external sources of motivation come from the environment. Environmental variables explain why we are more motivated towards positive goals and repeled by incentives with less value to us. All of our actions and ways of being are powered by our motivation in life.
Favorite Part: The context of this course was very interesting. Therefore, it was difficult for me to pinpoint my truly favorite part of the course. After great thought I decided to go with chapter four. Chapter four is titled addictions and addictive behaviors. This section explains why people are motivated to use psychoactive drugs, and become addicted to certain behaviors. It is assumed that people are motivated to use addictive drugs because of the pleasurable results. Some of the most well known psychoactive drugs are caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and cannabis. This text gives you a brief background on all of these drugs and more.
Annual surveys can show the extent in which people are motivated to experiment with with these drugs. Many people have the ability to experiment and never use again, or use on occasion for the pleasurable results. On the other hand many people become addicted to or dependant on the pleasurable results. Addiction is described as the intense craving and use of a particular drug. Both genetics and personality can be linked to the reasons some people are motivated to use drugs while others are not.
Just like drugs, behaviors can become addictive. Two addictive behaviors that the text touched upon were excercise and gambling. Excercise addiction can be related to drug addiction because of the high people feel from the state of euphoria they get from the exercise. "Running is considered addicting if a person craves a runner's high, organizes his life around opportunities to run, and runs as much as possible in spite of negative consequences" (p. 98). People who become addicted to exercise show withdrawl symptoms such as anxiety and depression if they are unable to exercise.The other behavioral addiction the text touched upon was gambling. The text seems to blame a lot of gambling addictions on the increased acceptance of gambling in our society. The text states that the mesolimbic dopamine system may be responsible for gambling addictions, but not much is known on how they relate.
Creativity: I have found a informative clip about addictions that I think everyone can enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpSu7vFtp-s
A behavioral addiction that the text did not touch upon is the addiction to shop. Spending addicts have always interested me. Like the addiction to excercise or gamble; shopping results in a positive feeling for people. People can become addicted to the pleasure the gain by buying new things that in most cases they do not need. Below is a link to a video where a woman explains her addiction to shopping and how she pulled herself through it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwvCcvf0tqg
Extension: Like I had mentioned earlier in this assignment motivation is behind everything we do and feel as human beings. All of our behaviors are motivated by something. By studying motivation we can learn why it is that we behave in certain ways and why others behave differently from ourselves. Motivation explains why we get up in the morning, why we make it to class, why we have a job, why people choose to get married or have children. It is the back bone of our lives and by studying it I feel I have a greater understanding of the reasons I do the things I do and feel the ways I feel. It has also helped me to better understand the people around me and why I may be motivated differently than they are.
One current issue that I feel involves motivation is the crisis in the Gulf. Our country is dealing with the largest oil leak in history right now. People all over the country are motivated to help do something about this situation. People have volunteered their time and efforts in hopes to keep our beaches clean and waterways safe. some of these people may be motivated by the love for seafood, while others motivated by their love for our country. No matter the reason for the motivation, because of motivation people are working together to clean up our country right now.
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