How Research Is Conducted In Motivation And Emotion Essay Example

Motivation and emotion are aspects of psychology that have attracted a lot of concerns. It is an agreeable fact that all humans are attributed to the desire of being successful in all their endurances. Each individual who either has achieved a set objective or seems to be in the verge of it is considered motivated. Emotions, on the other hand, refers to a state of feeling characterized by thoughts and changes in the behavior of humans as a result. The complex nature of motivations and emotions has hindered their study to one conclusive explanation. Theorists have developed various hypotheses to establish the root cause and line of action of these psychological states. Out of these proposals are sets of tests used in the research of motivation and emotions. An analysis of various tests and examples used in psychology to determine the motivation and emotion proves the complexity of these phenomena.
James-Lange theory of emotion proposes that the occurrence of an event arouses physiological interest which is thereafter interpreted. If the interest is not captured, then the emotions do not develop. For example, as one walks in the forest and hears footsteps from the other side of the thicket, one interprets this as someone approaching and you develop fear. On the other hand, one can hear footsteps and fail to concentrate on them in turn voiding the fear. The Cannon-Bard theory, on the other hand, does not recognize the transition between event and emotion. It highlights that both the event and emotions occur at the same time. For instance, in the example above footsteps are heard as fear develops. Additionally, in Schachter-Singer Theory, the occurrence of an event arouses physiological interest and one has to attach reason to the interest before developing emotions. For example, the person walking in the forest after hearing footsteps realizes the danger of walking in the forest alone then fear is experienced.
The instinct theory of motivation is based on the natural or biological makeup of human beings. It recognizes the fact that all animals are characterized with natural capacity to perform particular actions. For example, new born babies cry immediately at delivery. This means that babies are born with the ability to cry. Moreover, all humans have the ability to perform the most fundamental reflexes like sucking, swallowing, coughing and blinking. Likewise, Drive Reduction Theory, developed by Clark Hull, highlighted that humans have internal biological needs which influence us to do things in a particular manner. For example, humans have the internal feelings of hunger which motivates us to eat. Additionally, the Arousal Theory based on Hull’s proposal dictates that to feel comfortable, humans are motivated to perform certain actions to maintain a constant and pleasing internal environment. For example, people climb mountains to exercise their muscles and go to school to get more knowledge.
Further, the Humanistic Theory of Motivation explains that humans are driven with the desire to achieve a maximum capacity of their potentials unless hindered by an obstacle or a challenge. There are very many obstacles depending on the activity or objective one intends to implement. For example, businessmen are naturally motivated to develop financial success in their operations; they continue being motivated even after incurring losses or theft of their resources. In conclusion, the need for study in motivational and emotional behavior helps attach meaning to everything that humans do and are best studied by the examples discussed above.