Welcome to Anger Management with Metacognitive Solutions.

I hope you’ll find this course both useful and enjoyable.

Class 2: Mood and Motivation

We will open the black box concerning mood and motivation.

The focus is on how we subjectively value outcomes, in terms of both potential and actual gains and losses. This helps determine the severity of an anger response, and hence, we can learn how to minimize it.

Mood Defined

So what is mood? We start with a definition. It is the net rate of intake of reinforcement, or net pleasure.

That is, mood = pleasure – displeasure.

It is the currency into which all needs and gains and losses are converted.

Mood, continued

Anytime we engage in a behavior, we either expect the pleasure to exceed the displeasure in terms of costs or punishment, or to avoid displeasure as much as possible. At the very least, every behavior costs us time and energy.

Ultimately, the brain is wired to try to use resources efficiently to pass genes, or reproduce. This drives the process of biological evolution.

Subjective Value

So, what decides how much we value something?

Well, first there is a minimum amount of certain things we must have, like food. We have to take in calories, for example, to at least correspond to our activity levels. And then, there is this simple concept:

Subjective Value, pt. 2

The more of something you have, the less you value each additional unit. And conversely, the less of something you have, the more you value each additional unit.

Most of us are less likely to share potato chips or money, for example, the less of each we have.

Subjective Value, pt. 3

These facts can be illustrated with the curve below. Utility is a word that means subjective value.

Subjective Value, pt. 4

Notice how each step in the curve is smaller with respect to utility on the way up. Subjective value

is falling.

Subjective Value, pt. 5

So, the higher you are on the curve, the more of something you’ve taken in and the less of it you need. In terms of potato chips, you are getting full.

Subjective Value, pt. 6

This also means mood is increasing the closer you are to getting full. The same is true of money, or anything you need or want, all of which are translated into mood.

Subjective Value, pt. 7

So, your starting point can be anywhere on the curve and you can move up or down. In terms of expectations, expected gains are further up the curve, and expected losses down.

Subjective Value, pt. 8

Given the same level of objective expected gains and losses, subjectively the losses will be more highly valued than the gains.

Subjective Value, pt. 9

Hence, the lower you are on the curve, the lower the mood, and the less net motivation you have to engage in a certain behavior. Your mind is conserving resources.

Subjective Value, pt. 10

As mood decreases, net motivation decreases at an increasing rate, and vice versa.

Subjective Value, pt. 11

This very similar to the monetary wealth effect. Generally, the more dollars you have, the more likely you are to spend each dollar. Utility shrinks.

An Aside: Depression

Depression can be understood in these terms. As mood gets lower, the values of both gains and losses increase, but those of losses faster than gains.

Again, marginal utility is subjective value.

mood

An Aside: Depression, pt. 2

So, there is a motivational trap, which grows more severe as mood decreases.

Again, marginal utility is subjective value.

mood

An Aside: Depression, pt. 3

So there increased loss sensitivity and obviously lower moods lead to more severe negative emotional responses, such as fear, sadness, and anger.

Keeping moods high, by sustainably meeting your needs and wants, will reduce the average severity of anger responses.

More Effects of Low Moods

Low moods also cause preferences to shift to more rewarding and immediate gains to try to increase mood as much as possible.

Examples include increased appetites for higher calorie(comfort) foods, more immediate and “superficial” sex, and a decreased focus on the long term versus short.

This is an unconscious process and feels natural, even if consciously displeasing.

Medications

In this context, it may be clear why medication is needed to treat depression and related problems.

Given that depression results in a motivational trap, depending on the patient to seek and obtain more reward from his/her environment is often a poor bet.

Medications, pt. 2

Various medications can lift mood directly, or indirectly to then allow patients more motivation to develop better ways to meet their own needs and wants. Examples are:

1. Antidepressants, which lift mood directly via serotonin. However, they fail to work for about half of patients. These include Prozac, Lexapro, etc.

Medications, pt. 3

Anxiolytics, or anti-anxiety drugs. These lift mood indirectly by increasing GABA, which decreases the perceived values of losses and response costs. These include Valium, Tegretol, etc.

Stimulants. These include Adderall, Ritalin, caffiene, etc. Given side effects and addictiveness, these are not recommended for treatment of depression.

Next Time

We’ll focus on emotions.

End of Presentation: Motivation

Progress!