Module 7: Motivation, Emotion, and Stress

Emotions and motivations guide your behavior, help you make decisions, and have a major impact on your mental and physical health. In addition, emotions are influenced by arousal. Specifically, they are the bodily responses created by the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. Emotions are also the mental and physiological feeling states that direct your attention and govern your behavior. The most fundamental emotions are anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. There are three primary theories of emotion, each supported by research evidence: the James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, and Schacter Two Factor.

Moreover, stress is a part of daily life, but when it is extreme or prolonged, it can create substantial health problems. The general adaptation syndrome describes the three phases of physiological change that occur in response to long-term stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Successful ways to manage stress include exercise, social support, and meditation.

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