Module 53: Hunger Motivation

This module delves into the physiological and psychological aspects of hunger motivation, a crucial component of AP psychology unit 7 motivation, emotion, and personality.

The physiology of hunger is primarily controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain, not the stomach as commonly believed. Several key chemicals and hormones play important roles in regulating hunger:

Vocabulary:

• Glucose: A form of sugar circulating in the body
• Insulin: A hormone allowing the body to use glucose for energy or fat production
• Orexin: A hunger-triggering hormone produced by the hypothalamus
• Leptin: A protein produced by fat cells that signals fullness

The hypothalamus contains two key areas involved in hunger regulation:

1. Lateral Hypothalamus: When stimulated, it induces hunger. If destroyed, it results in never feeling hungry.
2. Ventromedial Hypothalamus: When stimulated, it creates a feeling of fullness. If destroyed, it leads to never feeling full.

Definition: The set point is the point at which an individual's "weight thermostat" is supposedly set. When body weight falls below this point, increased hunger and lowered metabolic rate may act to restore the lost weight.

The psychology of hunger involves taste preferences influenced by both biology and culture. Some taste preferences, such as the avoidance of new foods or foods that have made us ill, have survival value.

Highlight: Hunger often reflects our memory of when we last ate and our expectation of when we should eat again, rather than immediate physiological needs.

Situational influences on eating, known as the ecology of eating, include factors such as:

• Arousing appetite
• Presence of friends
• Serving size
• Food selection
• Environmental cues

Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective strategies for nutrition and weight management.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

This section provides an in-depth look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a fundamental theory in AP psychology unit 7 motivation, emotion, and personality.

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), a humanistic psychologist, proposed that human needs are hierarchical and that we are motivated to satisfy lower-level needs before addressing higher-level ones. The hierarchy, from bottom to top, includes:

1. Physiological needs (e.g., hunger, thirst)
2. Safety needs (security, stability)
3. Belongingness and love needs (affection, relationships)
4. Esteem needs (achievement, respect)
5. Self-actualization needs (realizing one's full potential)

Definition: Self-actualization refers to the realization of one's full potential and the drive to become the most that one can be.

Near the end of his life, Maslow proposed an additional level beyond self-actualization:

Vocabulary: Self-transcendence is the highest level in Maslow's expanded hierarchy, where individuals strive for meaning, purpose, and communion in a way that is transpersonal - beyond the self.

Example: A self-transcendence example might be a person dedicating their life to a cause greater than themselves, such as environmental conservation or social justice.

Understanding Maslow's hierarchy, including the concept of self-transcendence, is crucial for comprehending human motivation and behavior. It provides a framework for analyzing how different needs drive human actions and decisions.

Highlight: The difference between drive reduction theory and homeostasis explanation is that drive reduction theory focuses on psychological drives to reduce physiological needs, while homeostasis refers to the body's tendency to maintain internal balance.

This expanded view of human needs and motivations offers valuable insights for various fields of psychology, including clinical, organizational, and positive psychology.