![]() Drives can be categorized in two ways: primary drives and secondary drives. When we are out of homeostasis, we have a need that creates a drive. Our body seeks homeostasis, a balanced internal state. This need creates a drive, hunger, and this drive causes you to get a candy bar from the vending machines in order to satisfy the need. If, for example, you wake up late and skip breakfast, your body has a need for food that is not satisfied. A drive is our impulse to act in a way that satisfies this need. A need is one of our requirements for survival, such as food, water, or shelter. One early theory about how our physiology motivates us was drive reduction theory, the theory that our behavior is motivated by biological needs. While psychologists debate whether humans are born with any instincts, they agree that our behavior is also motivated by other biological and psychological factors. They look for the evolutionary advantages of persistent human behaviors. Many ethologists, researchers who study animal behavior in a natural environment, examine the role evolution plays in human thought and behavior. When Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection was published, many psychologists unsuccessfully tried to explain all human behaviors through instincts. ![]() Your cat did not have to learn how to clean itself, it was born with this instinct. If you have pets, you know that different animals are born with instincts, which are automatic behaviors performed in response to specific stimuli. Finally, we will review the psychological research and theories about emotion and stress that are closely related to motivation theory. In this chapter, we will review the connections between physiology and motivation, general motivation theories, and specific examples of motivation in hunger and sex. Some motivations are obvious and conscious, but some are more subtle. Motivations are feelings or ideas that cause us to act toward a goal. One of the most common replies is “Because I wanted to figure out why people do what they do.” Motivation theories address this question directly. ![]() In my psychology class, I often ask students at the beginning of the course why they wanted to take psychology. Barron's AP Psychology, 7th Edition (2016) Chapter 8.
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