MRCPsych on the Go: Revision Essentials

19. The Psychology of Curiosity: Intrinsic Motivation and the Yerkes-Dodson Law

Aalap Asurlekar Season 1 Episode 19

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 17:17

Why do some people thrive under pressure while others freeze? And why does a reward sometimes make us less motivated, not more?

In this episode, we explore intrinsic motivation and the forces that drive us from within. We cover the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, the overjustification effect, Berlyne's theory of curiosity and the Yerkes-Dodson Law. We also introduce self-determination theory as a modern integrative framework for understanding motivation.

These ideas are clinically relevant to conditions such as depression, where loss of intrinsic motivation and anhedonia are core features.

Ideal for MRCPsych Part A revision, psychology students and anyone curious about what truly drives human behaviour. Aligned with the Royal College of Psychiatrists MRCPsych Part A syllabus, paragraph 1.1.7.

I would love to hear from you!