Motivation
Has your got up and go, gone up and went? What gets us up off the couch? And once we’re off the couch, what keeps us going? These are the questions that motivational psychologists wrestle with. Motivation is a lot more than Maslow’s hierarchy! Find out more in these episodes.
Episodes
- Episode 107: Freud, Projective Tests and …. Poetry
How do the Rorschach, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and the House, Tree, Person tests work? Do you reveal something about yourself when you tell stories about pictures or tell what you see in an inkblot or even when you do something as seemingly innocent as drawing a a picture of a house? Find out in this episode of The Psych Files.
- Episode 83: New Year’s Resolutions to Lose Weight: Why So Hard To Keep?
Why is it so hard to keep our new year’s resolutions to lose weight? I explore this question in this episode in which I also take a tour through the various schools of psychology and show how each one would explain why you have trouble keeping your promise to yourself to lose weight (or stay out of debt, or stop smoking).
- Episode 57: Expectancy Theory, Goal Setting and Getting in Shape
Trying to get in shape and lose weight? What’s the psychology behind getting in shape? Well, first forget the psychobabble. I examine two established theories of human motivation – goal setting and expectancy theory. Join me for a different perspective on weight loss, exercise and fitness.
- Episode 38: How Big Is Your Office: Another Classic Study in Psychology
What would happen if you were suddenly moved to an office (or dorm room) that was smaller than the one you’re in now? Would you be less productive? Less satisfied? I bet you would. This was studied in a classic field experiment.
- Episode 35: The Psychology of Extreme Sports
Why do people engage in those dangerous sports like hang gliding, bungee jumping and rock climbing? Would you believe it might have something to do with neurotransmitters and something called Monoamine Oxidase?
- Episode 29: Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic vs. the Motivation To Learn
You’ve probably heard about the battle between intrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Well, here’s a new and powerful way to motivate students: the Motivation to Learn.
- Episode 15: It’s Not Fair! Equity in Life and Work
Equity: the battle cry of childhood – It’s not fair – tends to follow us throughout life. Can it affect job satisfaction? Let’s take a look at how fairness, or the lack thereof, plays itself out in the work place. Get ready for a little math.
