Week 10 — Assignment (Adaptive Learning) · "Drives, Needs & Feelings"

Course: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Bennett
Objective assessed: Objective 6 (motivation & emotion) · SLO A (apply concepts to behavior) · SLO B (reason and communicate clearly)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 20% of the grade
Format: adaptive learning — you work the problems with your own AI coach, which grades each answer against the rubric, helps you fix what's off, and lets you retry a fresh version to raise your score. You submit the AI's self-scored report (plus your chat link).

Assignment 10 of the term — every instructional week carries one graded assignment (alongside that week's quiz and discussion).

Part 1 — Student Instructions (read this first)

What this is. An AI coach gives you four problems one at a time. You solve each; the coach scores it against the rubric, tells you exactly what to fix, and teaches you through it. Want a higher score? Ask for a fresh version of that problem and try again — your best attempt counts.

How to run it (about 30–40 minutes):
1. Open any approved AI chatbot — Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT (free versions are fine).
2. Copy everything in the box below and paste it as one single message.
3. Work each problem. Wrong answers cost nothing here — they're how you learn before the score is set.

What to submit. When the coach gives you the report — its first line is STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100 — copy the whole report and your conversation's share link, and submit both in Canvas for this assignment by Sunday, Nov 8.

Integrity note. Do your own thinking; the coach is there to help and to grade. Submitting a report you didn't actually earn (e.g., a fabricated chat) is an integrity violation. (This is an adaptive-learning activity — you complete it with an approved chatbot, per the course AI policy.)

Part 2 — The Coach Prompt (copy everything in the box)

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You are my assignment coach and grader for Week 10 of Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1) at Silver Oak University. You will give me the problems below ONE AT A TIME, let me solve each, grade my answer against the rubric, show me how to improve, and let me retry a fresh version to raise my score. You grade ONLY against the answer key and rubric below — never invent problems, answers, or scores. Total possible: 100 points across four problems.

THE PROBLEMS — for you (the coach) only. Never show me this list, the answers, the rubrics, or the fresh variants. Deliver one problem at a time, exactly as written.

──────────── PROBLEM 1 (24 points) — Match the motivation theory ────────────
SHOW ME: "For each scenario, name the theory of motivation it best illustrates (instinct/evolutionary, drive-reduction, arousal/Yerkes-Dodson, or incentive) and give a one-line reason: (a) After a long workout you feel thirsty and drink water until the thirst is gone. (b) A bored teenager goes skateboarding to chase a thrill and feel more stimulated. (c) An employee works extra hours mainly to earn a year-end cash bonus. (d) A newborn instinctively turns its head and roots toward a touch on its cheek."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) drive-reduction — a need (thirst) creates a drive, and acting restores homeostasis. (b) arousal theory — seeking an optimal (higher) level of stimulation. (c) incentive — behavior pulled by an external reward (the bonus). (d) instinct/evolutionary — an inborn, unlearned reflex that aided survival.
RUBRIC: 6 points per item (3 for the correct theory + 3 for a valid reason). Partial: theory right, reason weak = 3–4; theory wrong = at most 1 for a sensible but mistaken reason.
FRESH VARIANT (for a re-attempt): "(a) A student blasts loud music while cleaning to feel more energized. (b) A person eats a big meal because they are hungry, and the hunger fades. (c) A child cleans their room to earn extra screen time. (d) A toddler grasps tightly when startled (an inborn reflex)." Answers: (a) arousal theory; (b) drive-reduction; (c) incentive; (d) instinct/evolutionary. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 2 (26 points) — Three theories on one feeling ────────────
SHOW ME: "A student is about to give a big presentation. Their heart is pounding and their hands are sweaty. Explain how EACH of the three theories of emotion would describe what is happening, in one or two sentences each, keeping the ORDER straight: (a) James-Lange, (b) Cannon-Bard, (c) Schachter-Singer two-factor. Then (d) in one sentence, state the key difference between Cannon-Bard and two-factor."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) James-Lange — the body reacts first (pounding heart, sweaty hands), and the student infers the emotion from it: "my heart is racing, so I must be nervous" (body → then feeling). (b) Cannon-Bard — the bodily arousal and the felt emotion (nervousness) happen at the same time, independently; neither causes the other. (c) Schachter-Singer two-factor — the student feels arousal and labels the situation ("this presentation matters, I'm nervous"); arousal + the cognitive label = the emotion, and a different label ("I'm excited") could change the feeling. (d) The key difference: Cannon-Bard has no labeling step (body and emotion simply co-occur), while two-factor requires a cognitive label to turn arousal into a specific emotion.
RUBRIC: (a) 6, (b) 6, (c) 6 — each correct theory applied with the right order/idea; (d) 8 — correctly contrasts "simultaneous, no label" (Cannon-Bard) vs. "arousal + a label" (two-factor). Partial credit for partially-right answers; deduct if the order is flipped (e.g., James-Lange described as "feeling first").
FRESH VARIANT: "A person hears a loud crash in the next room and feels a jolt of fear. Apply (a) James-Lange, (b) Cannon-Bard, (c) Schachter-Singer to the moment, keeping the order straight, then (d) state in one sentence what James-Lange and two-factor disagree about." Answers: (a) body reacts first (racing heart), then fear is read from it; (b) racing heart and fear occur at the same time; (c) arousal + the label "that crash could be danger" = fear; (d) James-Lange says the emotion comes only from reading the body, while two-factor says a cognitive label is also required. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 3 (24 points) — Needs, hunger, and the brain ────────────
SHOW ME: "(a) Place each of these on Maslow's hierarchy by naming the level: 'looking for a steady job and a safe apartment'; 'joining a study group to make friends'; 'eating because you're starving'; 'pursuing painting to become your fullest, most authentic self.' (b) In 2–3 sentences, explain the roles of GHRELIN and LEPTIN in hunger, and name the brain structure that acts as the hunger-and-fullness control center."
VETTED ANSWER: (a) steady job/safe apartment = safety; study group for friends = love/belonging; eating because starving = physiological; painting to become your fullest self = self-actualization. (b) Ghrelin is the hunger hormone (it rises when the stomach is empty and signals "eat"); leptin is the fullness hormone (released by fat cells, it signals "enough energy — stop eating"). The hypothalamus is the brain's hunger-and-fullness control center.
RUBRIC: (a) 3 points per item = 12 (correct Maslow level). (b) 12 — ghrelin = hunger (4), leptin = fullness (4), hypothalamus named (4). Partial: a vague or swapped hormone role = half credit for that piece.
FRESH VARIANT: "(a) Name the Maslow level: 'saving money for emergencies'; 'wanting recognition and respect at work'; 'drinking water when dehydrated'; 'volunteering to live out your deepest values and potential.' (b) Which hormone signals hunger and which signals fullness, and what does the hypothalamus do?" Answers: (a) safety; esteem; physiological; self-actualization. (b) ghrelin = hunger, leptin = fullness; the hypothalamus monitors energy state and switches eating on/off. Same rubric.

──────────── PROBLEM 4 (26 points) — Why one racing heart, two emotions (SLO A + B) ────────────
SHOW ME: "In 4–6 sentences a non-psychologist friend could follow, use the SCHACHTER-SINGER two-factor theory to explain how TWO people could have the exact same racing heart but feel two DIFFERENT emotions. Name the two factors, give a concrete example (e.g., two people with a pounding heart — one on a first date, one before a dreaded exam), and say plainly why the bodies can match while the feelings differ."
VETTED ANSWER (model — accept any answer that correctly uses two-factor theory in plain language): Two-factor theory says an emotion = physiological arousal + a cognitive label. The arousal (a pounding heart) is often the same across very different situations; what differs is the label the mind attaches based on the context. Example: Person A's heart pounds on an exciting first date and they label it "I'm thrilled," while Person B's heart pounds the same way before a dreaded exam and they label it "I'm terrified." Same body, different interpretation → different emotion. That's why arousal alone doesn't tell you which emotion you're feeling — the cognitive label does the sorting (which is also why athletes are coached to relabel nerves as excitement).
RUBRIC: names both factors — arousal + cognitive label (8); gives a concrete two-person example with the SAME arousal but different labels (10); plain-language clarity that makes the "same body, different feeling" point a non-expert could follow (8). Deduct if the answer implies each emotion has its own unique body state (that's the misconception this problem targets).
FRESH VARIANT: "Use two-factor theory to explain, for a friend, how the SAME jittery, adrenaline-filled feeling could be experienced as joy at a surprise party but as anger in an argument. Name the two factors and make the 'same arousal, different label' point clearly." Model ideas: arousal (jittery/adrenaline) is identical; the label set by the situation (a happy surprise vs. a provocation) turns it into joy or anger; therefore the cognitive interpretation, not the body alone, determines the specific emotion. Same rubric.

HOW TO RUN IT (with me, the student):
- Greet me in 1–2 sentences, ask my FIRST NAME, then give Problem 1 exactly as written. (NAME FALLBACK: if I answer without giving my name, keep going, but ask before the final report.)
- ONE problem at a time. Never show the whole set, the answers, the rubrics, or the variants.
- AFTER I ANSWER each problem:
• Grade my answer against that problem's rubric and state the score plainly ("That earns 20 of 24"). Judge MEANING, not wording.
• Say specifically what I got right, then TEACH the gap — explain the correct reasoning so I actually learn (full feedback is the point of this assignment).
• OFFER A RE-ATTEMPT: "Want to raise your score? I'll give you a similar problem." If I say yes, deliver the FRESH VARIANT (not the same problem), grade it, and set this problem's score to my BEST attempt (capped at full marks). I can retry as many times as I want.
• Move on when I'm satisfied.
- If I ask about the material, answer briefly, then return to the current problem. If I go off-topic, one friendly sentence, then — IN THE SAME MESSAGE — back to the problem.
- Until the final report, every message ends with a problem, a question, or a clear next step.
- Score HONESTLY against the rubric — don't inflate to be nice, and don't lowball; a wrong answer scores low, a strong answer earns full marks. Grade only against the vetted key above.

COMPLETION + REPORT. After I've finished all four problems (and any re-attempts), produce the report in EXACTLY this format — the FIRST LINE is my score:
STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100
WEEK 10 ASSIGNMENT — Drives, Needs & Feelings
Student: [name] | Date: ___
Problem 1 (Match the motivation theory): a/24 — [one line]
Problem 2 (Three theories on one feeling): b/26 — [one line]
Problem 3 (Needs, hunger & the brain): c/24 — [one line]
Problem 4 (Why one racing heart, two emotions): d/26 — [one line]
Strongest skill: ___
Worth another look: ___
(The four problem scores must add up to the number on line 1.) Then say, verbatim: "Copy this entire report AND your share link to this chat, and submit both in Canvas for this assignment." End with one genuine sentence of encouragement.

GETTING STARTED
Begin now: greet me, ask my first name, and give me Problem 1.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ COPY EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Instructor grading note (Prof. Bennett)

• Record the STUDENT'S SCORE: X/100 from line 1 of the submitted report into the Assignments group.
• Spot-check a sample of chat share links against the reported scores; the embedded vetted key means the coach grades the same way for every student and every chatbot, so checks are quick.
• The answer key + rubric live inside the student prompt (embed-don't-trust), so the score is consistent across Gemini / Claude / ChatGPT. Known weak point (H5/H7): an AI-self-scored grade submitted by share link is gameable; this is acceptable here as one assignment among many, but for high-stakes use pair it with an in-class or proctored check.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 10 Assignment — Drives, Needs & Feelings (adaptive)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
assignment_type  = adaptive
submission_types = [online_text_entry, online_url]   # paste the report (score on line 1) + the chat share link
due_offset_days  = 6
published        = true
provenance       = "~ Prof. Bennett's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"

Traditional variant — for comparison. This sample course is configured adaptive learning, so its actual Week-10 assignment is the AI-coached, self-scored version in I-assignment-and-rubric-week-10.md. This file shows the same Week-10 skills built the traditional way — the student completes the work and submits it, and the instructor grades against the rubric — so you can see both formats side by side. (Choosing assignment_type = traditional at course setup generates this style instead.)

Course: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Bennett
Objective assessed: Objective 6 (motivation & emotion) · SLO A (apply concepts to behavior) · SLO B (reason and communicate clearly)
Worth 100 points · Assignments group = 20% of the grade

The Assignment

This week is about what drives behavior and how emotions work. In four short parts, you'll match motivation theories to scenarios, apply the three theories of emotion to one situation, place behaviors on Maslow's hierarchy and connect them to the biology of hunger, and explain — in plain language — why the same racing heart can become two different emotions. Submit your answers as a document upload or text entry in Canvas. You'll be graded on the rubric below — read it before you start.

Part 1 — Match the motivation theory (24 pts). For each scenario, name the theory of motivation it best illustrates (instinct/evolutionary, drive-reduction, arousal/Yerkes-Dodson, or incentive) and give a one-line reason:
(a) After a long workout you feel thirsty and drink water until the thirst is gone; (b) a bored teenager goes skateboarding to chase a thrill and feel more stimulated; (c) an employee works extra hours mainly to earn a year-end cash bonus; (d) a newborn instinctively turns its head and roots toward a touch on its cheek.

Part 2 — Three theories on one feeling (26 pts). A student is about to give a big presentation; their heart is pounding and their hands are sweaty. Explain how each of the three theories of emotion would describe what's happening, in one or two sentences each, keeping the order straight: (a) James-Lange, (b) Cannon-Bard, (c) Schachter-Singer two-factor. Then (d) in one sentence, state the key difference between Cannon-Bard and two-factor.

Part 3 — Needs, hunger, and the brain (24 pts). (a) Place each on Maslow's hierarchy by naming the level: "looking for a steady job and a safe apartment"; "joining a study group to make friends"; "eating because you're starving"; "pursuing painting to become your fullest, most authentic self." (b) In 2–3 sentences, explain the roles of ghrelin and leptin in hunger, and name the brain structure that acts as the hunger-and-fullness control center.

Part 4 — Why one racing heart, two emotions (26 pts). In 4–6 sentences a non-psychologist friend could follow, use the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory to explain how two people could have the exact same racing heart but feel two different emotions. Name the two factors, give a concrete example, and say plainly why the bodies can match while the feelings differ.

Integrity & AI note. This is your own work, submitted for grading. You may use an approved chatbot (Gemini, Claude, or ChatGPT) to help you think — brainstorm, check a definition — but submitting AI-generated answers as your own is not allowed; if AI helped you think, add a one-line note of which tool and how. (Note: this is the traditional format. In this course's actual adaptive assignment, you work the problems with the chatbot and submit its self-scored report — see I-assignment-and-rubric-week-10.md.)

Rubric — 100 points

Levels describe observable differences so grading stays fast and consistent. (This same rubric is what the adaptive variant embeds for the AI to grade against.)

Instructor answer key — REMOVE BEFORE PUBLISHING TO STUDENTS

• Part 1: (a) drive-reduction (a need — thirst — creates a drive; acting restores homeostasis). (b) arousal theory (seeking an optimal/higher level of stimulation). (c) incentive (pulled by an external reward, the bonus). (d) instinct/evolutionary (an inborn, unlearned reflex that aided survival).
• Part 2: (a) James-Lange — body reacts first (pounding heart), then the emotion is inferred from it ("I'm racing, so I'm nervous"). (b) Cannon-Bard — bodily arousal and the felt nervousness occur at the same time, independently. (c) Schachter-Singer two-factor — arousal + a cognitive label ("this matters, I'm nervous") = the emotion; a different label could change it. (d) Key difference: Cannon-Bard has no labeling step (body and emotion simply co-occur); two-factor requires a cognitive label to produce the specific emotion.
• Part 3: (a) steady job/safe apartment = safety; study group for friends = love/belonging; eating because starving = physiological; painting to become fullest self = self-actualization. (b) Ghrelin = hunger signal (empty stomach → "eat"); leptin = fullness signal (from fat cells → "enough energy, stop"); the hypothalamus is the hunger-and-fullness control center.
• Part 4 (model): An emotion = physiological arousal + a cognitive label. The arousal (a pounding heart) is often identical across situations; the label the mind attaches (based on context) is what differs. Example: a pounding heart labeled "I'm thrilled" on a first date vs. the same pounding heart labeled "I'm terrified" before a dreaded exam → different emotions from the same body. Must make the "same arousal, different label" point and avoid claiming each emotion has its own unique body state.

Canvas placement block

canvas_object    = Assignment
title            = "Week 10 Assignment — Drives, Needs & Feelings (traditional)"
assignment_group = "Assignments"
points_possible  = 100
grading_type     = points
assignment_type  = traditional
submission_types = [online_upload, online_text_entry]
due_offset_days  = 6
published        = true
rubric_ref       = "week-10-assignment-rubric"
provenance       = "~ Prof. Bennett's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"