Arousal Theory, Yerkes-Dodson Law, & Flow

In this video I describe arousal theory, the Yerkes–Dodson law, and flow. Arousal theory suggests that there is an optimal level of arousal that we are motivated to maintain and that we will seek out activities that serve to raise … Read More

Drive Reduction Theory

In this video I describe Clark Hull’s Drive Reduction Theory. This theory proposes that behaviors can be considered rewarding because they reduce drives. Drives can then be regarded as primary drives or secondary drives, depending on whether they directly aid … Read More

Motivation: Instincts & Drives

www.psychexamreview.com In this video I describe two theories of motivation; the concept of instincts and drive theory. Instincts referred to inherited tendencies that were considered to motivate behavior without any prior experience. Later, drive theory proposed that departures from an … Read More

Why Do We Have Emotions?

In this video I discuss why we have emotions and how they play a role in our assessments of good and bad, our decision-making, and even our perception. I describe the hedonic principle, Antonio Damasio‘s patient Elliot, and the rare … Read More

Emotional Expression & Social Interaction

In this video I discuss the importance of emotional expression in social interaction and how we use signals from others to gauge their emotional states. This also relates to display rules for when it’s appropriate to express certain emotions and … Read More

Emotional Regulation

In this video I discuss the role of the cortex, particularly the frontal lobes, in emotional experience. Cortical involvement in emotions means that we can use cognitive and behavioral strategies in how we respond to emotional stimuli and how we … Read More

Emotion Pathways in the Brain

In this video I describe the two pathways leading to the emotion processing areas of the brain described in the previous video. The fast pathway (or low road) goes to the amygdalae and allows for a quick and dirty emotional … Read More

Emotions in the Brain

In this video I describe two early studies looking at the role of brain structures in emotion processing; work by Heinrich Kluver & Paul Bucy, and James Olds & Peter Milner. These studies helped to identify the role of structures … Read More

Misattribution of Arousal

In this video I explain the idea of misattribution of arousal; when people misinterpret their physiological arousal, which may cause them to mislabel their emotional experience. I explain how this was demonstrated in Schachter & Singer’s study (discussed in the … Read More