Motivation and emotion/Book/2026

Motivation and emotion: Understanding and improving our motivational and emotional lives using psychological science (2026) Training resources Topic selection | Topic development | Book chapter Lecture 1 | Tutorial 1 | Lecture 2 | Tutorial 2 Topic generator | Using generative AI How to select a topic Create an account and login Look through available topics without a current author (indicated by "User Name") Click "Edit" or "Edit source" Replace "User Name" alongside the topic of choice with your Wikiversity user name Publish the page Check that your user name appears correctly; if not, fix it or get in touch Alternatively, negotiate a new topic

Motivation

1. Adolescent risk-taking and reward-system development - How does reward circuit maturation influence adolescent sensation-seeking and impulsive behaviours? - U3280843
2. Akrasia - Why do people act against their better judgement? - U3269672
3. Artificial intelligence and academic motivation - How does artificial intelligence influence students’ motivation to learn, engage, and achieve? - U3280097
4. Attachment styles and relatedness motivation - How do attachment styles affect the need for relatedness? - HawaSA
5. Automaticity and goal pursuit - How do habits and environmental cues drive unconscious goal pursuit? - Revial76
6. Basal ganglia and motivation - What is the role of the basal ganglia in motivated behaviour? - U3233213
7. Building therapeutic alliance - What psychological factors contribute to the development of a strong therapeutic alliance? - Amirrorslens
8. Charismatic leadership and follower motivation - How does charismatic leadership inspire follower motivation? - U3275984
9. Citizen science motivation - What motivates participation in citizen science projects? - User Name
10. Competence motivation in self-determination theory - How does the need for competence function within self-determination theory to shape motivation and behaviour? - User Name
11. Consumer emotion measurement - How can consumer emotion be measured? - Sienna33309
12. Creative inspiration and effort - How do inspiration and effort interact during the creative process? - User Name
13. Deliberative vs implemental mindset - What are the motivational and cognitive differences between deliberative and implemental mindsets? - User Name
14. Developing a growth mindset - How can a growth mindset be cultivated and sustained? - LMM26
15. Dopamine and reward prediction - How does dopamine affect the anticipation of rewards and subsequent emotional responses? - U3228742
16. Effort regulation and cost-benefit decision-making - How is effort dynamically adjusted based on changing cost-benefit analysis during goal pursuit? - User Name
17. End-of-history illusion and motivation - How does the EOHI influence motivation and what strategies mitigate its impact? - User Name
18. ERG theory and motivation - What is Alderfer's ERG theory and how does it explain human motivation? - User Name
19. Epistemic motivation and the need for cognitive closure - How does epistematic motivation and the need for cognitive closure influence our lives? - U3221734
20. Exercise gamification motivation - How can gamification affect exercise motivation and behaviour? - U3260591
21. Expectancy-value theory of educational motivation - What is expectancy-value theory and how can it be applied to understand and enhance educational motivation? - StudentUC2026
22. Extended process model of emotion regulation – What is the extended process model and how does it explain how people regulate emotions? - U3259641
23. Feedback literacy - What is feedback literacy, why does it matter, and how can it be developed? - User Name
24. Fogg behaviour model - How can the FBM be applied to understanding and changing behaviour? - User Name
25. Functional motives theory and environmental activism - How does functional motives theory explain the motivations behind environmental activism? - User Name
26. Future orientation and criminal behaviour - How does future orientation influence the risk of criminal activity? - U3275899
27. Game of dice task and decision-making - What does the game of dice task reveal about risk-based decision-making? - U3216724
28. Gender and achievement motivation - How does gender shape where, how, and under what conditions achievement motivation is expressed? - U3242837
29. Generativity - What is generativity and how does it impact behaviour and life outcomes? - Monuc9
30. Getting started - Why is task initiation difficult and how to overcome it? - U3286643
31. Goal striving dynamics - What is the role of pushing and coasting in goal striving? - User Name
32. Hygiene motivation - What motivates maintenance of personal hygiene? - U3275940
33. Hypothalamus and homeostatic motivation - How do hypothalamic circuits regulate hunger, thirst, and other survival-related motivations? - User Name
34. Impulsivity versus sensation-seeking - What is the distinction between impulsivity and sensation-seeking and how does this affect behaviour? - Reillyu3280706
35. Indigenous Australian role models and motivation - How do role models influence aspirations, identity development, and motivation among Indigenous Australians? - Jshottt
36. Interrogation and compliance - What psychological processes influence resistance and compliance during interrogation? - U3283643
37. Investment model of commitment and social motivation - How does the investment model of commitment relate to social motivation? - User Name
38. Lifelong learning motivation - What motivates lifelong learning? - U3280251
39. Machiavellian motivation - What is the motivational role of Machiavellianism? - Mim0502
40. Mesolimbic pathway and addiction motivation - What role does the ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens pathway play in addictive behaviours? - U3280499
41. Metacognitive monitoring and productivity - How does metacognitive monitoring influence goal attainment and productivity? - User Name
42. Mindsets and stigma - What role do growth versus fixed mindsets play in prejudice and stigma? - U3275909
43. Motivations for using sex work services - What motivates use of sex work services? - U3261236
44. Motivating virtual teams – How can motivation in virtual teams be optimised? - User Name
45. Motivational effects of incarceration on Indigenous Australians - What are the motivational effects of incarcertation on Indigenous Australians?- U3183521
46. Need to love and be loved - How does the desire to give and receive love influence motivation? - U3280743
47. Non-residential energy conservation motivation - How can non-residential building energy conservation be motivated and behaviour changed? - User Name
48. Occupational violence, emotion, and coping - What are the emotional impacts of occupational violence and how can employees cope?
49. Overconfidence in decision-making - How does overconfidence bias affect judgement and decision-making? - User Name
50. Parental educational aspirations and student achievement - How do parental aspirations shape children’s academic motivation and performance? - User Name
51. Parental motivations for homeschooling - What motivates parents to homeschool their children? - User Name
52. Perfectionism and procrastination - What is the role of perfectionism in procrastination and what can be done about it? - U3222012
53. Pleasure anticipation and dopamine - How does the brain's reward system generate motivation through expected rather than experienced pleasure? u3284308
54. Possible selves and goal pursuit - How do possible selves influence motivation and goal-directed behaviour? - Jack4234
55. Power motivation in leadership - How does power motivation influence leadership styles and effectiveness? - PsychstudentUniversity!
56. Prevention versus promotion mindset - What are the motivational differences between prevention and promotion mindsets? - Bronte.H
57. Protection motivation theory and environmental behaviour - How does protection motivation theory explain engagement in pro-environmental behaviour? - User Name
58. Relatedness motivation in self-determination theory - How does the need for relatedness function within self-determination theory to shape motivation and behaviour? - User Name
59. Retirement motivation - What motivates retirement from work? U3261207
60. Role-play and communication skills training - How does role-play facilitate the development of effective communication skills? - User Name
61. Scarcity versus abundance mindset - How do scarcity and abundance mindsets develop and what are the motivational consequences? - User Name
62. Self-concept and motivation - How does self-concept relate to motivation? - U3253363
63. Self-determination theory and dementia care - How can autonomy, competence, and relatedness be supported in people living with dementia? - Ella Kay244
64. Self-determination theory and military veteran reintegration - How do autonomy, competence, and relatedness shape psychological adjustment after military service? - U3246286
65. Self-determination theory and physical activity - How do autonomy, competence, and relatedness predict engagement in physical activity and exercise adherence? - User Name
66. Self-determination theory and social media use - How do basic psychological needs explain patterns of social media engagement? - GraceInMind
67. Sensation-seeking and dopamine - What is the neurobiological relationship between sensation-seeking and dopamine? - SunnySideUp1300
68. Sex differences in sexual arousal patterns - How do patterns of sexual arousal differ between males and females? - U3236349
69. Sex work motivation - What motivates sex work and how does this impact worker experiences? - U3261376
70. Social dominance and power motivation - What is the relationship between social dominance and power motivation? - U3284302
71. Subcortical structures and motivational drive - How do subcortical brain regions generate basic motivational impulses and energy? - U3281503
72. Sun exposure and protection motivation - What motivates sun exposure and protection behaviours? - U3188047
73. Surrender motivation - What is the motivational state of surrender and what are its impacts? - User Name
74. The quiet ego and motivation - How does a quiet ego balance self-interest with concern for others? - User Name
75. Thermoregulation and motivation - How does the drive to maintain body temperature influence behaviour? - User Name
76. Tonic-phasic model of dopamine regulation - What is the tonic/phasic model of dopamine regulation and how does affect behaviour? - User Name
77. Types of impulsivity - What are the different types of impulsivity and how do they affect motivation? - User Name
78. Value congruence and motivation - How does alignment between personal and situational values influence motivation? - U3275775
79. Volunteer counsellor motivation - What motivates people to become and remain volunteer counsellors? - J.M.A Watson
80. Windfall gain effect - How doe unexpected wealth influence behaviour and decision-making? - User Name
81. Youth environmental activism motivation - What motivates young people to engage in environmental activism? - SJPiper

Emotion

1. Active versus passive social media use - How do different patterns of social media engagement influence emotions and psychological wellbeing? - U3282656
2. Adaptive versus maladaptive self-reflection – When does self-reflection promote wellbeing and when does it contribute to psychological distress? - U3211150
3. Affect heuristic - What is the affect heuristic and how does it influence decision making? - User Name
4. Alcohol use for emotion regulation - Why and how do people use alcohol to regulate their emotions? - U3284266
5. Apocalyptic fear - What is apocalyptic fear, what are its consequences, and how can it be dealt with? - LazPulch
6. Awe and the diminished self - How does awe diminish the self and how can this be applied? - User Name
7. Awe and nature - What is the relationship between awe and nature? - User Name
8. Biofeedback and emotion regulation - How does biofeedback help individuals monitor and regulate their emotional states? - User Name
9. Body neutrality and emotional well-being - How does a body-neutral perspective affect emotional well-being? - AmyUniversity
10. Breathing exercises and relaxation - How can breathing exercises promote relaxation? - E3297976
11. Cancer screening and emotion - How do emotions such as fear, anxiety, and relief influence cancer screening uptake? - User Name
12. Cognitive hardiness and stress resilience – How does cognitive hardiness promote resilience to stress and adversity? - u3068253
13. Cognitive versus affective empathy - What are the differences between cognitive and affective empathy and how do they contribute to prosociality? - User Name
14. Dark empathy - What is dark empathy, what are its consequences, and what can be done to address it? - U3228742
15. Dreams and emotional problem-solving - How do REM dreams contribute to emotional processing and adaptive coping? - U3270398
16. Durability bias in affective forecasting - What role does durability bias play in affective forecasting? - User Name
17. Eco-emotions - What are eco-emotions, how do they influence behaviour, and how can they be managed? - User Name
18. Emotional effects of incarceration on Indigenous Australians - What are the emotional effects of incarcertation on Indigenous Australians? - Lilfish215
19. Emotional expressivity – What is emotional expressivity, why does it matter, and how can it be developed? - U3283812
20. Emotional flooding in relationships - Why does emotional flooding occur, how does it affect relationships, and what can be done about it? - Tofu05
21. Emotional intelligence and emotional wellbeing - How does emotional intelligence affect emotional wellbeing? - u3239236
22. Emotional role-playing - How does role-playing influence emotional experience, expression, and regulation? - User Name
23. Emotion detection using artificial intelligence - How can emotion be detected using artificial intelligence? - User Name
24. Emotion dysregulation – What is emotion dysregulation, what are its consequences, and how can it be managed? - U3285438
25. Emotion regulation ability and strategy – How do ability and strategy differ in shaping emotion regulation? - User Name
26. Emotion regulation through exercise - How do people use exercise to regulate their emotional states? - KB3250298
27. Emotions in activism - How do emotions motivate, shape, and sustain activism? - User Name
28. Empathy and jury decision-making - How does empathy toward defendants and victims influence jurors' reasoning and verdict decisions? - U3254168
29. Empathy fatigue and emotional exhaustion - How does sustained empathic engagement contribute to emotional exhaustion? - U3143751
30. Enjoyment and learning - How does enjoyment influence learning? - User Name
31. Envy in the workplace - What role does envy play in workplace behaviour? - Flickstar888
32. Environmental volunteering and wellbeing - How does participation in environmental volunteering influence volunteers' subjective wellbeing? - User Name
33. Excitement as an emotion - What is the emotional excitement and how does it influence behaviour and wellbeing? - U3292769
34. Fear extinction - What psychological and neural processes underlie the extinction of fear responses? - ChillPsychGuy0607
35. Focalism in affective forecasting - What is focalism and how does it bias predictions about future emotional experiences? - User Name
36. Gloatrage - What is gloatrage, what causes it, and what are its consequences? - User Name
37. Growth mindset and psychological wellbeing - How does a growth mindset influence psychological wellbeing? - Avj.06
38. Human trust of robots - What psychological factors shape human trust of robots? - User Name
39. Identify exploration through role-playing games - How do role-playing games facilitate identity exploration and self-discovery? - User Name
40. Immersive therapy for PTSD treatment - How does it work and what are the effects? - StretchBeyond
41. Indigenous Australian funeral practices and grieving - How do Indigenous Australian funeral practices assist with grieving? - User Name
42. Interpersonal psychotherapy and emotion - How does interpersonal psychotherapy improve emotional wellbeing through changes in relationships? - User Name
43. Introjection and guilt-based motivation - What role do shame and guilt play in introjected forms of behavioural regulation? - U3330981
44. Irritability - What is irritability, what causes it, what are its consequences, and how can it be managed? - U3275992
45. Love styles and relationships - How do love styles influence relationship satisfaction and stability? - U3246588
46. Melatonin and seasonal mood - What role does melatonin play in seasonal mood changes? {{ME-By|U3224236{{ME-By|
47. Mental health first aid and helping behaviour - What motivates people to recognise, approach, and support someone with a mental health problem? - Katelyn Rod
48. Mindfulness and nature connectedness - How does mindfulness influence nature connectedness? - User Name
49. Mood and cognitive performance – How do different mood states impact attention, memory, and problem solving? - U3283879
50. Moodiness - What is moodiness, why does it occur, and how can it be managed? - User Name
51. Moral disgust and jury decision-making - How does moral disgust influence jurors' judgments of guilt, blame, and punishment? - Yellowvines
52. Neurobiology of love - What neural systems and biochemical processes underlie love? - User Name
53. Neurofeedback and emotional regulation - How can neurofeedback influence enhance emotional regulation? - User Name
54. Nitrous oxide and emotion - How does nitrous oxide influence emotional experience and mood? - User Name
55. Noise and emotion - How do different types of noise affect emotional experience and wellbeing? - User Name
56. Opponent process theory and emotion - What role do opposing affective states play in emotional experience? - User Name
57. Outdoor play and children's emotional well-being - How does outdoor play influence children's emotional well-being? - Mymunu
58. Perfectionism and athlete mental health - How does perfectionism affect athlete mental health? - Leilab23
59. Phubbing and emotion - What are the emotional causes and consequences of phubbing? - U3243961
60. Positive emotion dysregulation - What is positive emotion dysregulation and how does it affect psychological functioning? - P U3270518
61. Psychological preparation for natural disasters - How can people psychologically prepare for natural disasters? - User Name
62. Psychological safety and feedback uptake - How does psychological safety influence openness to feedback? - User Name
63. Reflected glory - What is reflected glory and what are its pros and cons? - User Name
64. Remote work and well-being - How does remote work influence employee well-being? - User Name
65. Responsiveness and interpersonal trust - How does responsiveness foster trust in relationships? - U3282586
66. Romantic entertainment and love beliefs - How do romantic entertainment influence beliefs and expectations about love and romantic relationships? - U3247927
67. Romantic jealousy - Why does romantic jealousy occur, what are its impacts, and how can it be managed?- U3279062
68. Secondary trauma in healthcare workers - What are the emotional consequences of secondary trauma in healthcare settings? - U3257744
69. Seasonal affective disorder - What is SAD, why does it occur, and how can it be managed? - Greg Philips
70. Self-blame and emotion – How does self-blame influence emotional responses to negative events? - User Name
71. Self-disclosure and emotional intimacy – How does self-disclosure foster emotional closeness in relationships? - U3283302
72. Self-stigma and emotion - How does self-stigma impact emotional well-being? - User Name
73. Social connection and emotion regulation - How do social relationships help people's emotions? - U3284040
74. Socioemotional selectivity theory and wellbeing in ageing - How do social and emotional experiences affect wellbeing as people age? - User Name
75. Spirituality and resilience - What is the relationship between spirituality and psychological resilience? - User Name
76. Subjective wellbeing homeostasis theory - How does homeostatic theory explain the stability and regulation of subjective wellbeing? - User Name
77. Technology-based pain management - How can technology-based tools alter pain perception and pain management? - ChelsSchofield
78. Theory of positive disintegration and personal growth - What is the TPD and how can it be applied to personal growth? - User Name
79. Time perception in mood disorders - How do anxiety and depression alter the subjective experience of time? - User Name
80. Trust in artificial intelligence - What psychological factors shape human trust of artificial intelligence systems? - User Name
81. Trust rebuilding after trauma - How can trauma survivors develop trust in similar situations again? - User Name
82. Volunteer wellbeing - How does volunteering affect volunteer's subjective wellbeing? - U3216851
83. Wayfinding and affective experience - How do emotions influence navigation and spatial behaviour? - User Name

Motivation and emotion

1. Boredom and interest - How do boredom and interest shape emotional and motivational states? - U3239431
2. Falling in love - What motivational and emotional processes underlie romantic attraction and falling in love? - Mort006
3. Life purpose and well-being - How does a sense of purpose contribute to well-being and how can it be cultivated? - U3286962
4. Moral emotions and ethical behaviour - How do moral emotions motivate ethical and prosocial action? - U3263365
5. Oxytocin as a neuromodulator - What are the motivational and emotional effects of oxytocin as a neuromodulator? - User Name
6. Reward prediction error - How does discrepancy between expected and actual rewards influence learning, emotion, and motivation? - User Name
7. Reinforcement sensitivity theory – How does reinforcement sensitivity theory explain individual differences in motivation and emotion? - User Name
8. Reward prediction error - How do reward prediction errors influence learning, emotion, and motivation? - User Name
9. Social and emotional well-being in Indigenous Australians - How does the holistic social and emotional well-being model reframe Indigenous Australian health and well-being? - User Name
10. Strengths-based Indigenous Australian psychology - How can strengths-based perspectives enhance understanding of Indigenous motivation and emotion? - User Name
11. Warm-glow giving - Why does giving feel good and how does this influence prosocial behaviour? - User Name
12. Wisdom, motivation, and emotion - How do motivational and emotional processes contribute to wisdom? - User Name