There Are Five Different Theories That Attempt to Explain Our Motivations

Module 33 – Motivation

Motivation – need or desire that serves to energize behavior and to direct it toward a goal.

There are five different theories that attempt to explain our motivations.

Instinct – behavior must be a fixed pattern throughout a species and be unlearned. (unlearned, uniform in expression, universal in species)

·  Emphasis is placed on biology - genetically programmed to do certain behaviors.

Therefore, All human beings must have same motives.

Key motive/Instinct = survival (focus is on basic needs food, sex, thirst)

·  Ex. Humans will stay up all night with their infants – no other species does this.

·  Problems – Not all humans do this, humans have individual differences (ie, some are motivated by jealousy)

Socio-Biological Approach – try to explain social behavior through biology

·  Emphasizes evolutional approach

·  Darwinian view – we are motivated to select mates that will ensure reproductive success (we look for traits in our mate that will ensure our offspring’s success in the world)

·  Better explanation of gender differences

Drive-Reduction Theory – internal state of tension motivates a person to do something (a behavior) to reduce/lower the tension (drives you to act)

Ex. food → hunger/discomfort → eat (to reduce tension)

(need) (drive) (drive reduction)

·  Need – physiological, drive – psychological

·  Physiological aim of drive reduction is homeostasis (maintain a balanced/constant internal state)

·  Problem -Explains hunger, thirst, sleep – However, people still eat too much/not enough.

o  And – it doesn’t explain some drives, like the thirst for knowledge.

Incentive Theory – external goal that motivates your behavior – pulls you to do behavior Ex. do good to please parents

Incentive – pos./neg. environmental stimulus that motivates behavior

·  More environmental emphasis – Skinnerian Approach(Oper. Cond.)

·  Helps to explain over/under eating

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – Pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety needs and then psychological needs become active

·  According to Maslow, MLK, Jr./Ghandi/Eleanor Roosevelt were self-actualized (but didn’t have basic needs)

·  Problem – the order of needs doesn’t fit everyone – people who starve to make a political statement