Chapter 5 Motivation at Work Nelson & Quick. Definition of Motivation Motivation – the process of arousing and sustaining goal-directed behavior relatively.

Unlike overreward, in underreward, one gets more outcomes relative to his or her inputs than the referent being considered for comparison. Unlike overreward, underreward occurs when a referent’s outcome/input ratio is better than one’s own outcome/input ratio.

Extrinsic rewards—including pay, material goods, and social recognition—are granted by others. Intrinsic rewards are psychic rewards, such as a sense of competence or a feeling of accomplishment, that are self-granted and experienced internally.

With fixed interval reinforcement schedules, a consequence follows every instance of a behavior, whereas with fixed ratio reinforcement schedules, consequences are delivered following a specific number of behaviors.

A weekly paycheck is a good example of a fixed-interval schedule. The employee receives reinforcement every seven days, which may result in a higher response rate as payday approaches. Dental exams also take place on a fixed-interval schedule.

Fixed-ratio schedules are those in which a response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses. An example of a fixed-ratio schedule would be delivering a food pellet to a rat after it presses a bar five times.

Intermittent Schedules. Continuous schedules reward a behavior after every performance of the desired behavior. This reinforcement schedule is the quickest way to teach someone a behavior, and it is especially effective in teaching a new behavior.

Natural reinforcers are often the most effective, but social reinforcers can also be extremely powerful. Tokens are often more useful with children, while tangible reinforcers are essential for training dogs, for example.

An external stimulus is a stimulus that comes from outside an organism and causes a reaction. If there is an external stimulus, there must also be an internal. An internal stimulus is a stimulus that comes from inside an organism.

Dendrites are the branched projections from the neurons. Axon, better called as nerve fibres, are also cytoplasmic projections from the neurons. Unlike dendrites, the axons are long and un-branched and they carry the nerve impulse away from the nerve cells.

Cerebrum: The inner portion of the cerebrum consists of white matter mainly containing the axons nerve fibres of the neurons. Spinal cord: The inner portion of the spinal cord consists of gray matter containing the cell bodies motor and associated neurons whereas the white matter forms outer layer.

Both are anatomically different and are found in different locations of the body….

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, and it contributes nearly 80% of the total weight of the human brain. The cerebellum makes up the remaining part of the brain….

The spinal cord is a complex organization of nerve cells responsible for movement and sensation. It carries signals between the brain and the rest of the body.