Psychological disorders in which people use a drug or engage in an activity repeatedly and uncontrollably.

A neural system activated by signals of punishment, increasing levels of arousal and feelings of anxiety.

A feeling of food deprivation that motivates organisms to seek food.

A belief about the nature of psychological attributes, such as whether intelligence is fixed or can change.

Processes that maintain a stable biological state in an organism.

People's capacity to influence their motivation, behavior, and life outcomes by setting goals and developing skills.

Motivation to eat based on the body’s need for energy.

A mental approach to activities in which the mind is focused on responsibilities and obligations.

A reduction in individual motivation on group tasks in which some people expect that the group is likely to succeed without their efforts.

The desire to engage in activities because they are personally interesting, challenging, and enjoyable.

Theoretical explanations of hunger and eating which propose that homeostatic processes control food consumption, with people being motivated to eat (or not) when their energy supplies fall below (or above) their set point.

Hormone that plays a role in motivating sexual desire in both men and women.

A classification of human motives according to five basic needs, with lower-level needs requiring fulfillment before moving up to higher levels.

Hormone that activates muscles needed for childbirth and stimulates the release of breast milk; in the brain, it may stimulate feelings of trust.

Desires that motivate people to interact with others and to achieve a meaningful role in society.

A broad class of motives that concern the growth and enhancement of an organism, from obtaining food to attaining a higher social status.

A motivation to realize one’s inner potential.

A desire to succeed on challenging activities requiring skilled, competent performance.

Broad patterns of thoughts and feelings that can affect people’s behavior across a wide variety of tasks.

A goal that specifies an achievement in the distant future.

A drive to protect oneself from threats and dangers, both physical and social.

A social need that motivates people to spend time with others and to become part of social groups.

Plans that specify exactly when and where you will work on achieving a goal.

A feeling of having eaten enough food, or being “full.”

A social need to comprehend why events occur and to predict what the future might bring.

A social need to grow as a person, to live a meaningful life, and to realize your true potential.

A phenomenon in which the mere presence of other people improves people’s performance on tasks on which they are skilled.

A desire to avoid situations in which lack of competence might lead to failure.

A mental representation of the aim of an activity; more simply, goals are thoughts about future outcomes that people value.

A research procedure in which participants carry an electronic device throughout the course of a study, signaling the participant to respond at random intervals throughout the day.

A goal that specifies what should be done in the near (“proximal”) future.

Eating disorder characterized by such a fear of being fat that people severely restrict their intake to the point of starvation.

The psychological and biological processes that impel people, and other organisms, into action and sustain their efforts over time.

A pattern of repeatedly eating excessively; binging without purging.

Hunger that arises from the anticipated pleasure of eating good food.

Disturbances in eating in which people lose the ability to control their intake of food, resulting in serious health risks.

A neural system activated by stimuli that signal the future presence of rewards, energizing an organism to seek out rewarding stimuli.

A psychological state in which your attention is directed intently on an activity for a long period of time, and you feel immersed in the activity.

Necessities required for an organism’s survival (food, drink) and for reproduction.

Sexual arousal in which stimuli that typically are not sexual in nature stir desires.

A mental approach to activities in which the mind is focused on accomplishments that one personally hopes to attain.

A desire to select one’s life activities and to be able to influence events.

Eating disorder characterized by a fluctuating pattern of binging and purging.

The match between a motivational orientation and a behavioral strategy.