Question 1

You really want to buy a new phone, but you know that you should really not spend the money. This is a classic example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

An approach-avoidance conflict occurs when a single option has both appealing and unappealing aspects, such as wanting a new phone (approach) but not wanting to spend money (avoidance).

Question 2

You observe a patient who seems to experience and express a lot of emotion, but he is unable to regulate his emotional behaviour. We might expect to find damage to which of the following brain areas?

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is involved in regulating emotions and decision-making. Damage to this area can lead to difficulties in controlling emotional behavior.

Question 3

As you get ready to write an exam, you are thinking about your grade and how you will be at the top of the class this time. You are focusing on

Accepted Answer

Performance-approach goals involve aiming to outperform others and demonstrate superior ability, which aligns with the desire to be at the top of the class.

Question 4

Food cues (e.g., a picture of a very attractive dessert) will activate all of the following brain areas except

Accepted Answer

The pons is primarily involved in basic functions such as sleep and arousal, rather than processing food cues or reward-related stimuli, which are more associated with the VTA, insula, nucleus accumbens, and amygdala.

Question 5

You really want to buy a new phone, but you know that you should really not spend the money. As you walk through the mall and get closer and closer to the phone store, motivational conflict theory predicts that

Accepted Answer

Motivational conflict theory predicts that as you get closer to the goal (the phone store), the motivation to achieve the goal (buying the phone) will increase. However, the motivation to avoid the negative consequences of spending money will also increase. The stronger of these two motivations will determine your behavior. In this case, the motivation to avoid spending money is stronger, so you will likely decide not to buy the phone.

Question 6

You have a choice to perform an easy task, an intermediate task, or a difficult task. If you succeed, you will win $1000 for the easy task, $10,000 for the intermediate task, and $100,000 for the difficult task. If you fail, you will have to pay me 10% of the possible winnings. In addition, you will have to be in a high state of arousal. Which task should you choose to make sure that you win?

Accepted Answer

Choosing the easy task minimizes the risk of failure and ensures the highest probability of winning, even though the reward is lower.

Question 7

You work out at the gym three nights a week. Lately, you've noticed that after your workout, the receptionist seems much more attractive and you really want to date her. This increase in attraction would be predicted by

Accepted Answer

Schachter's two-factor theory suggests that emotion is based on physiological arousal and cognitive labeling. After working out, your physiological arousal is high, which you might cognitively label as attraction towards the receptionist.

Question 8

Professor Sorrenson wants to investigate the physiological basis of hunger. According to the most recent research, which of the following brain areas would you suggest he explore?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Professor Sorrenson wants to investigate the physiological...

Question 9

Zhang is about to attempt a relatively easy task and wonders if he should get "pumped" before doing it. What would be the optimal level of arousal for Zhang to succeed at this task?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Zhang is about to attempt a relatively...

Question 10

As you get ready to write an exam, you are thinking about all the great new knowledge you have acquired. You are focusing on

Accepted Answer

Mastery-approach goals involve focusing on learning, understanding, and mastering new skills or knowledge, which aligns with thinking about the great new knowledge acquired.

Question 11

As you get ready to write an exam, you are concerned that you will not be able to live up to your own standards. You are focusing on

Accepted Answer

Mastery-avoidance goals involve a focus on avoiding a lack of understanding or not meeting one's own standards of competence.

Question 12

John (a man) claims that he has multiple orgasms during sex. However, you do not believe him. Why?

Accepted Answer

Males typically enter a refractory period after orgasm, during which it is physiologically difficult or impossible to have another orgasm immediately.

Question 13

A good friend of yours has an injury that prevents her from experiencing any bodily arousal. However, she reports that she still experiences emotion. Your friend's situation argues most strongly against which of the following theories of emotion?

Accepted Answer

The James-Lange theory of emotion suggests that physiological arousal precedes the experience of emotion. If your friend can experience emotion without bodily arousal, it contradicts this theory.

Question 14

You are trying to determine what emotion an individual is experiencing. The only information you have is that the person's hands and feet are warm. If you had to take a guess, you would predict that the person was experiencing

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are trying to determine what emotion...

Question 15

Bill loves to play guitar. He does not really care about performing or getting paid, he just enjoys playing. Bill's guitar playing is driven by

Accepted Answer

Bill's motivation to play guitar comes from his own enjoyment and interest, which is intrinsic motivation.

Question 16

Jill is in a high state of arousal and is experiencing a fight-or-flight response. You would expect to see all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

During a fight-or-flight response, epinephrine levels increase, not decrease, to prepare the body for quick action.

Question 17

In most legal situations, a lawyer cannot introduce evidence from a "lie detector." Why?

Accepted Answer

Polygraphs are not considered reliable because they often produce false positives, meaning they may indicate a person is lying when they are not, leading to incorrect conclusions.

Question 18

As you get ready to write an exam, you are concerned that other students will do much better than you. You are focusing on

Accepted Answer

Performance-avoidance goals involve a focus on avoiding doing worse than others, which aligns with the concern about other students performing better.

Question 19

Bill used to love playing guitar. Now he plays gigs just to make money. Bill's guitar playing is driven by

Accepted Answer

Bill's guitar playing is now driven by extrinsic motivation because he is playing gigs just to make money, which is an external reward.

Question 20

Zhang is about to attempt a very difficult and complicated task. What would be the optimal level of arousal for Zhang to succeed at this task?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Zhang is about to attempt a very...

Quiz 11: Motivation and Emotion