Psychology Degree Motivation and Emotion 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion argues that:
- Physiological changes cause emotions
- Emotions and physiological responses occur simultaneously and independently (Correct answer)
- Cognitive labels determine the type of emotion experienced
- All emotions are learned through classical conditioning
Correct answer: Emotions and physiological responses occur simultaneously and independently
Cannon-Bard theory proposes that emotional experience and physiological arousal occur at the same time but independently, rather than one causing the other.
Question 2: Schachter and Singer's two-factor theory of emotion emphasizes the role of:
- Unconscious drives in emotional experience
- Physiological arousal plus cognitive labeling (Correct answer)
- Evolutionary pressures on basic emotion categories
- Cultural norms in determining emotional expression
Correct answer: Physiological arousal plus cognitive labeling
Two-factor theory holds that emotions result from physiological arousal combined with a cognitive label that attributes a cause to that arousal.
Question 3: Paul Ekman's cross-cultural research on facial expressions concluded that basic emotions such as happiness, fear, and anger are:
- Entirely culturally learned and variable
- Universally recognized across cultures (Correct answer)
- Only meaningful within Western cultures
- Displayed differently based on language spoken
Correct answer: Universally recognized across cultures
Ekman's studies in isolated cultures demonstrated that basic emotional facial expressions are recognized universally, suggesting a strong biological basis.
Question 4: Csikszentmihalyi's concept of 'flow' describes a state in which a person is:
- Highly anxious about performance outcomes
- Driven entirely by external rewards
- Fully immersed in an optimally challenging and intrinsically rewarding activity (Correct answer)
- Operating at minimum arousal levels
Correct answer: Fully immersed in an optimally challenging and intrinsically rewarding activity
Flow is a state of complete absorption in a meaningful, optimally challenging activity, characterized by intrinsic motivation, focus, and loss of self-consciousness.
Question 5: Which brain structure is most closely associated with processing fear responses and emotional memories?
- Hippocampus
- Cerebellum
- Amygdala (Correct answer)
- Prefrontal cortex
Correct answer: Amygdala
The amygdala plays a central role in detecting threatening stimuli and generating fear responses, and is critical for emotional memory formation.
Question 6: According to expectancy-value theory, motivation is determined by:
- The strength of unconscious biological drives
- Social comparison with peers
- The expectation of success and the value placed on the goal (Correct answer)
- Physiological arousal levels alone
Correct answer: The expectation of success and the value placed on the goal
Expectancy-value theory holds that motivation is a product of how likely one believes they are to succeed (expectancy) multiplied by how much they value the outcome.
Question 7: Solomon and Corbit's opponent-process theory was developed primarily to explain:
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs
- The long-term effects of repeated emotional stimuli, including addiction (Correct answer)
- Differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
- The role of cognitive appraisal in stress
Correct answer: The long-term effects of repeated emotional stimuli, including addiction
Opponent-process theory proposes that any emotional state automatically triggers an opposing state, explaining habituation, drug tolerance, and withdrawal effects.
Psychology Degree Motivation and Emotion 2
The Cannon-Bard theory of emotion argues that: