Motivation and emotion/Book/2025

Understanding and improving our motivational and emotional lives using psychological science (2025)

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Aiming for approximately ~150 topics - more coming.
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Motivation

Adenosine and sleep motivation - How does adenosine accumulation drive the motivation to sleep? - User Name
Affiliation motivation across cultures - How do individualistic versus collectivistic societies shape the expression and satisfaction of affiliation needs? - User Name
Automaticity in goal striving - How do habits and environmental cues drive unconscious goal pursuit? - User Name
Autonomy and intrinsic motivation in SDT - How does the need for autonomy influence intrinsic motivation according to self-determination theory? - User Name
Basal ganglia and motivation - What is the role of the basal ganglia in motivated behaviour? - User Name
Boredom and substance use - What role does boredom play in motivating substance use? - User Name
Broaden-and-build theory and motivation - How do positive emotions expand cognitive resources and motivational repertoires? - User Name
Citizen science motivation - What motivates participation in citizen science projects? - User Name
Coercion and therapeutic alliance - How do coercive practices in mental health care undermine trust and therapeutic relationships? - User Name
Coercive control in intimate partner violence - What role does CC play in IPV and how can it be addressed? - User Name
Cognitive dissonance and balance theory in social attitudes - What is the role of cognitive dissonance and balance theory in social attitudes? - User Name
Competence and intrinsic motivation in SDT - How does the need for competence influence intrinsic motivation according to self-determination theory? - User Name
Cortical structures and motivational drive - How do cortical regions modulate motivational impulses and energy? - User Name
Cost-benefit motivation and effort regulation - How do individuals dynamically adjust effort investment based on changing cost-benefit ratios during goal pursuit? - User Name
Cultural differences in achievement motivation - How do individualistic versus collectivistic values shape achievement goals and motivational strategies? - User Name
Dark triad and power seeking motivation - How do dark triad traits influence power seeking motivations? - User Name
Defensive avoidance and goal pursuit - What is defensive avoidance and how does it impact goal pursuit? - User Name
Defensive pessimism and performance - What is defensive pessimism and how does it impact performance? - User Name
Deliberative vs implemental mindset - What are the motivational and cognitive differences between these two goal phases? - User Name
Domestic energy conservation motivation - How can domestic energy conservation be motivated and behaviour changed? - User Name
Encouragement and motivation - How does encouragement influence persistence and effort? - User Name
End-of-history illusion and motivation - How does the EOHI influence motivation and what strategies can mitigate its impact? - User Name
Executive function and motivation - What role does executive function play in motivational processes such as planning, inhibition, and cognitive control? - User Name
Fixed vs growth mindset - How do beliefs about ability and change affect motivation and behaviour? - User Name
Game of dice task and decision-making - What does the Game of Dice Task reveal about risk-based decision-making? - User Name
GLP-1 receptor agonists and hunger - How do GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide affect subjective feelings of hunger and appetite regulation? - User Name
Goal striving dynamics - What is the role of pushing and coasting? - User Name
Grit and academic achievement - How does grit contribute to academic achievement? - User Name
Homeostasis and basic drives - What is the role of homeostatic regulation in driving basic physiological needs? - User Name
Hunger and satiety cue awareness - How do psychological processes affect our ability to recognise and respond to internal eating cues? - User Name
Hypothalamus and homeostatic motivation - How do hypothalamic circuits regulate hunger, thirst, and other survival-related motivations? - User Name
Incentive theory of motivation - How do external incentives influence approach and avoidance behaviour? - User Name
Introjection and guilt-based motivation - What role does shame and guilt play in introjected forms of behavioural regulation? - User Name
Investment model of commitment and social motivation - How does the investment model of commitment relate to social motivation? - User Name
Lifelong learning motivation - What motivates lifelong learning? - User Name
Melatonin and circadian motivation - How does melatonin influence motivation across the sleep-wake cycle? - User Name
Mental contrasting and motivation - How does mental contrasting effect motivation? - User Name
Mesolimbic pathway development and adolescent risk-taking - How does maturation of reward circuits influence teenage sensation-seeking and impulsive behaviours? - User Name
Mindsets and personality - What is the relationship between mindsets and personality? - User Name
Motivational fluctuation - What factors contribute to the rise and fall of motivational intensity over time? - User Name
Mobile phone use motivation - What are the motivations for mobile phone use? - User Name
Motivation for using AI companions - What psychological needs drive the use of AI companions? - User Name
Neural mechanisms of delayed gratification - What brain systems are involved in the ability to delay gratification? - User Name
Neurodivergence and motivation - How do neurological variations influence motivation? - User Name
Non-residential energy conservation motivation - How can non-residential building energy conservation be motivated and behaviour changed? - User Name
Opponent process theory and motivation - What role do opposing affective states play in motivation? - User Name
Pain avoidance motivation - How does avoidance of physical pain shape motivated action? - User Name
Play motivation - What motivates play? - User Name
Pleasure anticipation and dopamine - How does the brain's reward system generate motivation through expected rather than experienced pleasure? - User Name
Positive emotion and approach motivation - How do positive emotional states enhance goal pursuit and achievement behaviours? - User Name
Possible selves and goal pursuit - How do possible selves influence motivation and goal-directed behaviour? - User Name
Prevention vs promotion mindset - What are the motivational differences between focusing on safety versus growth? - User Name
Procrastination and temporal discounting - How does valuing immediate rewards over future outcomes contribute to procrastination? - User Name
Relatedness and intrinsic motivation in SDT - How does the need for relatedness influence intrinsic motivation according to self-determination theory? - User Name
Role-playing game motivation - What are the key psychosocial elements of RPGs that enhance player engagement? - User Name
Scarcity mindset and decision-making - How does a scarcity mindset impact cognitive flexibility, motivational processes, and decision-making quality? - User Name
Self-control and ego depletion recovery - How do people restore self-control resources after depletion and what factors influence recovery? - User Name
Self-determination theory and social media use - How do basic psychological needs explain patterns of social media engagement? - User Name
Self-disclosure motivation - What motivates people to share personal information with others? - User Name
Self-regulation across the lifespan - How does self-regulation develop from childhood through ageing and what drives these changes? - User Name
Sexual motivation across the lifespan - How does sexual motivation change from adolescence to old age? - User Name
Standing desks and motivation - How does standing versus sitting affect task motivation and productivity? - User Name
Staff retention motivation - How can organisations and managers motivate long-term retention of employees? - User Name
Subcortical structures and motivational drive - How do brainstem and midbrain regions generate basic motivational impulses and energy? - User Name
Surrender motivation - What is the motivational state of surrender and what are its impacts? - User Name
Theory of basic human values - What is the theory of basic human values and how does it explain motivation? - User Name
Thermoregulation and motivation - How does the drive to maintain body temperature influence behaviour? - User Name
Thirst regulation - What mechanisms regulate the motivational drive to seek hydration? - User Name
Tonic-phasic model of dopamine regulation - What is the tonic/phasic model of dopamine regulation and how does affect behaviour? - User Name
Transactive goal dynamics theory and motivation - What is transactive goal dynamics theory and how does it impact motivation? - User Name
Types of impulsivity - What are the different types of impulsivity and how do they affect motivation? - User Name
Value congruence and motivation - How does alignment between personal and situational values influence motivation? - User Name
Windfall gain effect - How do unexpected financial gains influence behaviour and decision-making? - User Name
Youth environmental activism motivation - What motivates young people to engage in environmental activism? - User Name

Emotion

Affect heuristic - What is the affect heuristic and how does it influence decision making? - User Name
AI companions and loneliness - How effective are AI companions in reducing loneliness? - User Name
Amygdala and fear motivation - What role does the amygdala play in threat-related motivational responses and avoidance behaviours? - User Name
Appraisals and anger - How do cognitive appraisals trigger and shape the experience of anger? - User Name
Aversion to happiness - What are the psychological mechanisms behind aversion to happiness? - User Name
Awe and the diminished self - How does awe diminish the self and how can this be applied? - User Name
Awe and nature - What is the relationship between awe and nature? - User Name
Biofeedback and emotion - How does awareness of physiological states influence emotion? - User Name
Body neutrality and emotional well-being - How does viewing one's body neutrally influence emotional well-being? - User Name
Cancer screening and emotion - How do emotions such as fear, anxiety, and relief influence cancer screening uptake? - User Name
Cognitive hardiness in the workplace - How does cognitive hardiness protect against occupational stress and burnout? - User Name
Cognitive strategies and emotion regulation - What cognitive strategies are most effective for managing emotions? - User Name
Coping with anticipatory stress - What strategies are effective for managing stress about upcoming events? - User Name
Cultivating awe - What practices or environments foster the experience of awe? - User Name
Cultivating joy through daily practices - What psychological practices help foster joy in everyday life? - User Name
Cultivating self-compassion - What psychological techniques promote the development of self-compassion? - User Name
Cultural differences in grief - How do cultures vary in their emotional responses to grief? - User Name
Defence mechanisms and emotion regulation - How do psychological defence mechanisms regulate emotion under stress? - User Name
Dialectical behaviour therapy and emotion regulation - How does DBT help in managing and regulating emotions? - User Name
Dopamine and reward prediction - How does dopamine affect the anticipation of rewards and subsequent emotional responses? - User Name
Dreams and emotional problem-solving - How do REM dreams contribute to emotional processing and adaptive coping? - User Name
Durability bias in affective forecasting - What role does durability bias play in affective forecasting? - User Name
Emotion regulation through exercise - How do people use exercise to regulate their emotional states? - User Name
Emotional usability - What is emotional usability and how can it be enhanced? - User Name
Expressive writing and emotion regulation - How does writing about emotions help regulate emotional states? - User Name
Fear of failure and procrastination - How does fear of failure reduce motivation and increase procrastination? - User Name
Gloatrage - What is gloatrage, what causes it, and what are its consequences? - User Name
Guided meditation and emotion regulation - How can guided meditation be used to regulate emotion? - User Name
Imaginative play and emotion regulation - How does pretend play help children develop emotion regulation? - User Name
Inner voice in anxiety - What role does the inner voice play in maintaining or alleviating anxiety? - User Name
Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) and emotion - How does nitrous oxide influence emotion? - User Name
Lighting and mood - How does exposure to different lighting conditions affect mood? - User Name
Love styles and relationship satisfaction = How do love styles affect compatibility and long-term relationship outcomes? - User Name
Mental health in astronauts - How do space missions affect the emotional well-being of astronauts? - User Name
Metacognition and emotional regulation - How does metacognitive awareness influence emotion regulation strategies? - User Name
Mindful eating and food satisfaction - How does mindfulness in eating enhance satisfaction and reduce compulsive eating behaviors? - User Name
Music and social bonding - How does shared musical experience foster emotional connection and group cohesion? - User Name
Neurodiversity and emotion - How does neurodiversity affect emotion and emotion regulation? - User Name
Neuroscience of interest - What brain mechanisms underlie the experience of interest and its motivational effects? - User Name
Noise and emotion - What are the typical emotional responses to different types of noise? - User Name
Occupational violence, emotion, and coping - What are the emotional impacts of occupational violence and how can employees cope? - User Name
Opponent process theory and emotion - What role do opposing affective states play in emotional experience? - User Name
Polyvagal theory - What is polyvagal theory, how does it explain the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and emotion regulation, and what are its applications? - User Name
Rational compassion - What is rational compassion and how can it be cultivated? - User Name
Reflected glory - What is reflected glory and what are its pros and cons? - Username
Responsiveness and trust - How does responsiveness influence the development and maintenance of trust? - User Name
Secondary trauma in healthcare workers - What are the emotional consequences of secondary trauma in healthcare settings? - User Name
Self-blame and trauma - How does self-blame affect emotional recovery from traumatic experiences? - User Name
Self-disclosure and well-being - What is the relationship between self-disclosure and psychological well-being? - User Name
Self-stigma and emotion - How does self-stigma impact emotional well-being? - User Name
Self-transcendent emotions - What are self-transcendent emotions and how can they be cultivated? - User Name
Smiling and emotion expression across cultures - How does the meaning of a smile vary between cultures? - User Name
Social media and emotion regulation - How is social media used to manage and regulate emotions? - User Name
Social media and happiness - What is the relationship between social media use and happiness? - User Name
Spirituality and mental health - How does spirituality contribute to mental health and emotional well-being? - User Name
Stockholm syndrome emotion - What are the emotional aspects of Stockholm syndrome? - User Name
Stress and psychological well-being - How does stress influence psychological well-being? - User Name
Tattoo regret - What causes tattoo regret and what can be done about it? - User Name
Time perception and emotion - How do emotional states distort our perception of time? - User Name
Uncanny valley and emotion - What is the uncanny valley phenomenon, what are its consequences, and what can be done about it? - User Name
Wayfinding and emotion - What are the affective aspects of wayfinding? - User Name
Working from home and mental health - How does working from home influence worker psychological well-being? - User Name
World happiness - What are the global determinants of happiness? - User Name

Motivation and emotion

Fun - What emotional and motivational processes underlie the experience of fun? - User Name
Motivational dimensional model of affect - What is the motivational dimensional model of affect and what are its implications? - User Name
Psychological determinants of endurance performance - What are the psychological determinants of endurance performance? - User Name
Reward prediction error - How do reward prediction errors influence learning, emotion, and motivation? - User Name
Warm-glow giving, motivation, and emotion - What are the motivational and emotional aspects of warm-glow giving? - User Name