Define Motivation. Discuss the component parts of the definition.

Motivation, per se, is a process that instigates, conducts, and sustains or upholds goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation causes an individual to act, and it describes why a person might want to do something (Cherry, 2020). This process involves cognitive, emotional, biological, and social forces that trigger human behaviors and actions. The motivation to do something or engage in certain behaviors can either come from external or internal factors (extrinsic and intrinsic factors). To a large extent, motivation describes the needs or wants that drive goal-oriented behaviors. Extrinsic motivation arises from forces outside an individual and includes rewards like money, praise, trophies, or social recognition. Intrinsic motivation emanates from within a person; for instance, it can be seen when an individual solves a complicated math problem for personal gratification. Various motivational theories lie behind human motivations (Cherry, 2020). Such theories include instinct, drive, and humanistic theories (Maslow's hierarchy of needs). The main components of motivation include persistence, activation, and intensity. The degree of each of the components mentioned above can affect whether a person achieves their goal or not.

With regard to categories of analysis, what does "Innate vs. Acquired" mean?

With regard to categories of analysis, innate things are those that must be fulfilled daily to enhance the survival of human beings. Usually, people are born with innate things, for instance, instincts; however, acquired ones are learned in the course of one's lifetime. Innate things exist from birth. Ideally, innate things are intrinsic and inherent to an individual. In relation to motivation, innate is core to an individual and remains entirely significant throughout one's lifetime. A person can be innately motivated by general intelligence or cognitive aptitude to engage in certain actions or behaviors. Some motives in people and certain species appear to be mostly innate—for instance, the courting behaviors of species like the three-spined stickleback. While innate motives are typically genetically programmed, acquired are learned through regular interactions with the environment. Acquired motivations are often facilitated through observation, formal training, or experiencing their environments or surrounding as well. Typically, an acquired motivation is not inborn and does not meet the requirements of fundamental psychological needs. For example, the desire to win a singing competition is an acquired motivation.

Explain the function of the Reticular Activating System. 

According to Merchant (2011), the Reticular Activating System is the brainstem reticular formation responsible for motivation, behavioral arousal, and consciousness. The Reticular Activating System is quite essential, and it plays a significant role, as mentioned below. Besides controlling arousal, the Reticular Activating System plays an integral role in regulating sleep-wake transitions (Wijdicks, 2019). The Reticular Activating System also filters out any unwanted and unnecessary noise that interferes with message processing or slows down the process of message processing when a person is asleep. This is possible because it alters the brain's electrical activity; this includes the speed at which neurons in the brain fire and the brain waves electrical voltage. It should be noted that considering how the Reticular Activating System configures the signals as mentioned earlier, an individual might feel more awake, more cognizant, more alert, less awake, less cognizant, or less alert (Wijdicks, 2019). Notably, if the Reticular Activating System is damaged, a person might have sleep problems or disturbances, coma, or lethargy.

With regard to Arousal Theory, what is the Inverted U Function (Yerkes-Dodson Law)?

The Yerkes-Dodson law is a relationship model between stress and performance. This law provides that a person reaches their peak performance level with intermediate stress or arousal level (Corbett, 2015). Ideally, too much or too little arousal leads to reduced performance. The relationship between changes in motivation and arousal is often expressed as an Inverted U Function (Yerkes-Dodson Law). According to the Inverted U Function, elevated levels of arousal enhances performance, albeit to certain levels. When arousal is excess, then performance is threatened. To a large extent, the Yerkes-Dodson law provides that increasing arousal and stress levels might help in shaping one's focus on attention and motivation on the task at hand (Corbett, 2015). An example of how this law operates can be seen in a student taking their final exams. Their optimal stress levels will shape their focus, enabling them to recall things they studied for the exam; however, the excessive stress level will likely undermine the students' ability to recall and write down the correct answers.

Describe proposed physiological/ neurological functions of dreaming

Physiological theories suggest that a dream is a product of processes that the brain interprets when asleep. Such theorists claim that dreams are elaborate products of disorders in the brain. Dreams are believed to have the question of why human beings dream has perplexed scientists and philosophers alike. As suggested by Harvard psychiatrists Robert McCarley and J. Allan Hobson, dreaming is a process that emanates from numerous attempts by the brain to make to understand the neural activity that happens when people sleep (Merced, 2012). Therefore, it serves the function of social communication and memory consolidation. Although a person might think they are asleep, their brain is always active. During sleep, per se, lower levels in the rains are largely responsible for some of the biological processes. Notably, these biological processes are interpreted by parts of the brain that are responsible for high-order functions, including processing data and thinking. Dreams are a result of the brain's physiological processes.