Chapter 1: In the section where expressions of motivation are discussed, I found it interesting that motivation is described as "private". It is mentioned that when walking down a street, one cannot simply look at a person and understand their motivation, or even see their thirst or life goals. As a child, I found the computer game Sims highly fascinating. The game is a life simulation game where players can create individuals and control their lives. In the game, I could in fact see my Sims' thirst, hunger, goals, and many other aspects of their lives. When I told my Sims to do activities to fulfill their aspirations, they would refuse to do anything if their hunger, thirst, etc. meters were not adequate for proper functioning. It is interesting to relate this computer game from my childhood to this point that I found very captivating. Even though I could see the needs and wants of my Sims, sometimes they had motives of their own that I could not control.
Chapter 2: While reading the parts of the Chapter 2 that concerned free will, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite movies: Slumdog Millionaire. When I first watched the movie a few years ago, I was intrigued by how many times "destiny" was mentioned. At the end of the movie, the protagonist, Jamal, ends up with his lost childhood love, Latika. There were so many routes he could have taken to find her, but he chose to be on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", which resulted in them being reunited. I feel that we all have a certain destiny, but there are many choices in life that can take us there. I believe that it is free will that gives us the many routes to arrive at that final destination.
Chapter 3: I found it interesting to learn that wanting and liking are indeed similar motivational experiences, yet they have different brain mechanisms. Before I got married 2 years ago, I tried desperately to start eating healthier. My husband was in medical school at the time, and all he talked about was good health and disease prevention. For a while, I despised almost all vegetables. I could eat them in sandwiches, but I shivered at the thought of them being thrown together in a salad. After giving vegetables a chance, I finally enjoy them (usually smothered in dip or topped with cheese, but still). Although I did not LIKE vegetables, I did WANT to eat them because I knew how essential they are to a healthy diet. That combination of want but not like gave me little feeling of reward afterward. Now that I truly like and want to eat them, I can fully experience the occurance of the reward.
Chapter 4: I enjoyed reading about environmental influences on hunger. The book states, "food variety encourages more eating than does a monotonous diet". As much as I like buffets, this statement makes me truly scared of them. The chapter also mentions that even with the presence of only "one type of food, variety in the number of flavors available increases food intake". Becoming aware of such statements makes me think twice about choosing where to eat, and if it happens to be a buffet, I will definitely be more conscious about what I am putting on my plate.
Chaper 5: While reading about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, I immediately thought back to my process of beginning to wear the hijab (veil). My mom and dad had opposing views when it came to the issue, thus creating great confusion for me at the age of 16. My mother used extrinsic motivation to persuade me to wear it. Basically, she listed all the external rewards that came along with it. An example she gave me was not having to be looked down upon in our community, where it is normal to for a girl to begin wearing it when she reaches puberty. Wearing it to satisfy other people's expectations did not appeal to me at all.
(continued) My father, on the other hand, did not want me to wear it until I understood its purpose, which is modesty. I began to understand that wearing a hijab was not only to dress modestly, but more importantly for my actions in life to be modest as well. Four years later, I am proud of myself for choosing to be intrinsically motivated to do what I truly believed in rather than using extrinsic rewards to make a decision that would leave me unsatisfied.
Chapter 6: This chapter reminded me of an example from my life that goes off of my previous post. Having my decision about the hijab be autonomous was very important both my parents and I. The book mentions that when the motivation for decisions given is controlled, "motivation is suppressed and deadened." I found this statement very interesting, because had my parents not given me the choice to freely choose when I felt it was right, my motivation to wear the hijab would have lacked independent thought and meaning.
Chapter 7: The book describes intimacy as interacting with others to avoid negative emotions such as fear of loneliness. A friend I met in elementary school who I keep in touch with still complains to this day about feeling lonely. She was an only child, but she constantly talked about her unusual abundant amount of friends. She had her teammates, her childhood friends, her church friends, her school friends, her camp friends, and her family friends. I often wondered how she could possibly feel lonely when she had a new person to spend time with every day. I longed to be in her place since I had four younger siblings and she was a lucky only child. Reading this statement from the book truly makes me appreciate the few but strong relationships I have as opposed to many potentially unsatisfying relationships that lack true intimacy,
Chapter 8: I found the section in the book that describes the test-operate-test-exit model very interesting. The book uses the example of a person styling their hair. By comparing their ideal hairstyle to their real hairstyle (test), the person decides whether or not the two match. If they do not match, the person operates by fixing the style. If the style matches the ideal style (second test), the person exits the process and feels content. I find this intriguing because we partake in this model daily. An example would be the task of picking an outfit for the day. There are many factors that could hinder the exiting process, such as weather, occasion, or mood.
Chapter 9: Our class discussions about self-efficacy exemplified how exercise seems to be a concern for many of us. The two types of expectancies are a major issue for me personally. I always worry about enacting the behaviors required to exercise for better health, constantly questioning if I can do it (my efficacy expectation). I also wonder if my exercise habits are enough to produce positive outcomes and/or prevent negative outcomes (my outcome expectation). Proper goal setting can alleviate some of the stresses that go along with the expectations.
Chapter 10: I completely agree with Dillon and Laura. When asked to describe myself, five minutes was not enough time to truthfully come up with five words. Instead, I came up with five generic (but true!) words. As Dillon mentioned, every once in a while we go through phases when we are flooded with negative self-concepts. Hopefully we can all strive to overcome these thoughts and be proud of ourselves in those crucial times of need!
Chapter 11: I liked how this chapter explained positive affect. It makes sense that when people feel good, they are more sociable, cooperative, and creative. I think we can all relate to this statement in some way. When ever I have a group project due, the way I act depends on how I feel. When I feel good (usually when I have a lot of time before its due, things are going well, etc.) I am very cooperative and creative. However, when I do not feel good (the deadline is approaching, all the work is put on me, etc.) I tend to be very reserved and my creativity is blocked due to stress.
Chapter 12: As many have mentioned before me, we are very in tune to other people's emotions. I wonder if this works that same way over the phone though. When I am talking to someone on the phone, I can always tell how they are feeling. If a friend of mine calls, and it is apparent they are faking a happy voice, I ask them to tell me how they are really feeling. Can we "catch" other people's emotions through their voices alone?
Chapter 13: I was kind of surprised to read that extraverts are happy because they have a strong behavioral activation system, whereas introverts are not happy because they have a behavioral inhibition system. Situations that may seem extremely rewarding to an extravert may not be as rewarding to an introvert. Many of my extraverted friends require many daily social interactions, which result in happiness if that need is fulfilled. Being an introvert, I can spend a day alone and be completely happy. I guess it depends on the situation, but I feel that extraverts and introverts can be happy in their own ways.
Chapter 14: I liked how the book says that "generally speaking, suppression fails". The book describes suppression as trying not to think, do, want, or remember something. Dieting seems to always fail for me since suppression is a difficult task. First of all, I try not to think of foods that might ruin my healthy efforts. Second, I try my best not to be around foods that might tempt me. Third, I try my best not to crave or want certain foods. Finally, I try not to remember that I am on a diet. All of the psychodynamics involved in my list are especially difficult due to the complexity of suppression.
Chapter 15: One of my favorite psychological concepts is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This chapter discusses growth motivation, and I like how growth needs are near the top of the pyramid. I have always been fascinated by the concept of self-actualization, and I always wonder what small percentage of people have truly achieved it. Our motivation to grow will always exist as long as the need for self-actualization remains the most important. It is not an easy task to reach the top of the pyramid due to the order of needs, but it is great motivator to aim for the best.
