1) Homeostasis is the ability for a human or living object to adjust to its internal environment and
maintain a stable equilibrium. An example of homeostatic mechanisms can be found when the
water level of a human falls below a safe level. When this happens, a signal is sent to the
kidneys to reabsorb additional water from the urine, while another signal is sent to the brain
that leads the animal – human or otherwise – to see out and drink liquids.
2) Repression involves placing uncomfortable thoughts in relatively inaccessible areas of the
subconscious mind. For example, a child who is abused by a parent later has no recollection of
the events, but has trouble forming relationships.
3) Motive for affiliation is the need to be with other people and to have personal relationships.
Schachter proved this in his 1959 experiment in which he selected two small groups of females
to come into the laboratory. The first group was told that they would receive painful electric
shocks, while the second group was told that they would receive mild shocks that would feel
more like a tickle. Schachter then surveyed the women to observe which ones preferred to wait
in groups, or to wait individually. It was then noted that, as a result of high anxiety levels from
the thought of pain, 2/3 of females from the first group chose to wait in groups, while only 1/3
of females in the first group chose to wait in groups because their anxiety levels were not nearly
as high.
4) Three minds:
a. superego
i. conscious/pre-conscious/unconscious
ii. enforcement of morality
iii. moral principle
b. ego
i. “I”
ii. Reality principle
c. ID
i. unconscious
ii. sexual, pleasure-seeking
iii. pleasure principle
iv. life instinct/death instinct
5) Intrinsic Motivation – human motives stimulated by the inherent nature of the activity or its
natural consequence
a. Extrinsic Motivation – human motives activated by external rewards.
i. These two types of motivation have a negative correlation; when one increases,
the other decreases.
ii. Doing an activity voluntarily – intrinsic, doing the same activity to receive money
– extrinsic.
6) Forgetting:
a. Decay theory – memories that are not used fade gradually over time.
b. Interference theory – too much information is stored and is fused together, becoming
confusing.
