Motivation: A Biobehavioural Approach

by Roderick Wong

Overview

Motivation: A Biobehavioural Approach provides the reader with an understanding of why individuals exhibit certain behaviors, and what causes these actions. Roderick Wong presents an analysis of motivated behavior such as sexual activity, parental behavior, food selection, and fear or aggression, from a biological perspective. Each chapter focuses on the individual systems underlying specific motivational states that result in motivated acts. The author discusses similarities, differences, and integration between these motivational systems throughout the volume. Using a framework derived from research and theory from animal behavior and comparative psychology, he analyzes relevant issues in human motivation such as mate choice, nepotism, attachment and independence, sensation-seeking, obesity, and parent-offspring conflict. This book will be particularly useful for undergraduate students in psychology or behavioral science taking courses in motivation and emotion, comparative psychology, animal behavior, or biological psychology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521567275
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/03/2000
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	292
Product dimensions:	6.02(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.75(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Credits and acknowledgements; 1. Introduction and perspective; 2. Mating and reproductive activities; 3. Parental/maternal activities; 4. Feeding activities; 5. Food selection; 6. Drinking activities; 7. Stimulus seeking and exploratory activities; 8. Aversive motivation systems: fear, frustration, and aggression; 9. Social motivation: attachment and altruism; 10. Conclusion and retrospective; References; Author index; Subject index.