Deck 11: C: Motivation and Emotion

Question 1

Lie detectors are a common part of many television shows and movies.How does the traditional polygraph detector work? Do they appear to actually determine whether a person is lying or not?

Answer 1

A good answer will include the following key points.
- Polygraphs measure respiration,blood pressure,and palm sweat-autonomic nervous system responses that should increase when someone lies.
- Most research indicates that,while polygraphs are good at measuring autonomic arousal,they are not a valid measure of lying.

Question 2

The "bottomless bowl" study described in your textbook is one example of creative ways researchers have investigated the factors the influence how much we eat.Describe this studies,the results,and what each one tells us about why we eat and why we stop.

Answer 2

A good answer will include the following key points.
- Bottomless bowl
* Volunteers were asked to eat soup until they had enough.
* In the experimental condition,a tube continued to fill the soup bowl from the bottom so that it could not be detected by the volunteers.
* These individuals stopped eating after consuming,on average,over 70% more than those participants who knowingly refilled their bowls.
* Despite eating more food,these participants did not feel any more satiated,nor did they believe they had eaten any more than the individuals in the control group.
* This suggests that the perceived serving size is an important cue when determining how much we should eat.

Question 3

Research into the sexual response cycle of men and women has revealed some surprising similarities and differences.Describe some of these similarities and differences.

Answer 3

A good answer will include the following key points.
- Similarities
* Both men and women experience the four basic stages of the cycle (excitement,plateau,orgasm,and resolution).
* Men and women appear to experience orgasms in a very similar way.
- Differences
* The sexual response cycle is much more variable for women than men.
* The duration and experiences during for each stage differ between men and women.
* Men usually experience a single orgasm followed by a refractory period,a time period during which erection and orgasm are not physically possible.In contrast,some women experience multiple orgasms without a refractory period.