Motivation and biology

Why do we like certain content?

• Nature v. nurture• Overall population tendencies v. individual

differences

Evolution

• What is the overall theory of evolution?– Individuals within a given species vary on a number of

traits– The traits have ‘survival value’—that is, some

individuals are able better to survive and procreate based on their traits

– The traits are passed down to their offspring, who are also better able to survive

– Over time, the more ‘fit’ come to make up a larger proportion of the population and the species changes

Sociobiology

• Behavior reflects the biological inheritance of the species

• Behavioral tendencies can have survival value– This appears to have special impact on

procreation

Why do women and men act the way they do?

• Men and women have different roles in procreation– Obviously

• Those roles imply conflict in sexual behavior

• Sexual behavior is also strongly influenced by culture

• However, culture is affected by evolution/biological determinism as well

So . . .

• The goal of each generation is to extend its genetic distribution in the next generation– “selfish genes”

• For men, because they can have lots and lots of children in rapid order, the goal is to impregnate as many women as they can get their hands on and then move on– “love ‘em and leave ‘em”

• On the other hand, women are stuck for at least 9 months and probably significantly longer, and are unlikely to be able to protect the child when then next male arrives.– Examples of cannibalism, child murder in the

animal kingdom

• Men also want to see their progeny survive to reproductive age, so . . .

• They will remain and protect their children and accept that they can impregnate fewer females– Harem as a compromise– Marriage/monogamy as the extreme example

Why do men want good-looking young women?

• Physical attractiveness and youth signal likely success of childbirth and child rearing

Why do women want rich men?

• The indication of having plenty of food to eat attracts women who must survive pregnancy and breastfeeding as well as see to it that their children are fed until they are old enough to care for themselves

What has this got to do with electronic media?

• Many of the findings of content analyses of entertainment products seem to follow the rules of sociobiology– Listen to Jay Leno’s monologue once and

you’d think he wrote the book

What has this got to do with electronic media?

• Ohler and Nieding argue that entertainment has survival value, especially as a form of attracting fit mates– Big brains have survival value– Entertainment is a marker for intelligence

What else has this got to do with electronic media

• Vorderer, Steen and Chan argue that entertainment is our inherited form of play, which had survival value but might not anymore—that is, when play developed it was a way to prepare for a tiger trying to eat you

• “Tag” as practice in predation and escape– Play had to be intrinsically motivating

Intrinsic motivation

• Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory– Competence– Autonomy– Relatedness