Question

Identify a motivation (e.g., hunger), or an emotion (e.g., fear), and describe how a human might respond when experiencing this motivation/emotion. Then, describe how another species might respond to the same motivation/emotion. Please identify the species in your answer

Answer 1

Motives energize our behavior i.e.., motives release energy which in turn leads to greater activity. For example, when the hunger motive is aroused we search for food. Motives act as selectors of our behavior. It is our motive which determines when we will act and how we will act in a particular situation. Motives direct our behavior. Energy released by a motive is useless unless our action is directed towards an object that is capable of satisfying that need. For example, when we are hungry our action must be directed towards food.

Pavlov discovered that a conditioned response may be unconditioned or unlearnt by repeatedly presenting the conditioned stimulus (ringing of the bell) and not following it up with the unconditioned stimulus (food). Watson has experimentally shown that emotional responses can easily be conditioned. Watson experimented on Albert, a child of nine months. In the beginning Albert was not afraid of rats but was naturally frightened of any loud sound. As soon as a rat was brought to him and he was reaching out to touch it, he was frightened by a loud sound. After a number of repetitions it was found that, even in the absence of the sound, the mere sight of the rat aroused fear in Albert. So the natural fear for a loud sound was transferred to the rat.

Watson has also shown how fear can be eliminated with the help of conditioning. If the fear arousing stimulus is connected with a pleasure-giving stimulus, then gradually the fear is extinguished form the mind. For example, a child may be afraid of entering a dark room, but if he is asked to bring chocolates from the same room and eat them, then he will overcome his fear and enter it. Repeated performance will gradually diminish and extinguish his fear. Besides fear, bad habits may be similarly eradicated.

From experiments conducted on human beings and animals it has been found that there can be no learning without motivation. Success in learning depends on the strength of the motive or motives behind such learning. Mere repetition does not lead to learning; to do so, it must have a purpose and must be related to the interest of the learner. The teacher when direction the process of learning must take into account the nature of the student’s motives.