Drive Reduction Theory of Motivation PDF

CIRP Undergraduate Division Bio psychological Basis of Motivation I Presented by: Ms. Nevinka Rodrigo MSc (UK), BSc (US)  Bio psychological Basis of Motivation I Lecture Content Concept of Homeos...

CIRP Undergraduate Division Bio psychological Basis of Motivation I Presented by: Ms. Nevinka Rodrigo MSc (UK), BSc (US)  Bio psychological Basis of Motivation I Lecture Content Concept of Homeostasis Basic Biological motives Clark Hull’s Drive Reduction Theory of Motivation Motivation and Neurotransmitters Biological Basis of Motivation Biological theories of motivation focus on the importance of biological and physiological processes that determine behaviour. The Drive Reduction Theory suggests that motivated behavior seeks to reduce the tension of drives triggered by sensations such as hunger or pain. The Instinct Theory suggests that motivated behavior is a biological instinct. The Arousal Theory suggests that motivated behavior is the result of a search for an optimum level of arousal. Many of your behaviors such as eating, drinking, and sleeping are motivated by biology. You have a biological need for food, water, and sleep. Therefore, you are motivated to eat, drink, and sleep. Motivations are commonly separated into two types: drives are acts of motivation like thirst or hunger that have primarily biological purposes, while motives are fueled primarily by social and psychological mechanisms. Concept of Homeostasis Homeostasis is the ability of a system or living organism to adjust its internal environment to maintain a stable equilibrium, such as the ability of warm-blooded animals to maintain a constant temperature. In simpler terms, Homeostasis is the idea that the body actively works to maintain a certain state of balance. Drive Drives give rise to motivation. Drive: ‘ A state of arousal or tension triggered by an individual’s physiological or biological needs’ i.e. Hunger, thirst, need for warmth A drive creates an unpleasant state, a tension that needs to be reduced. In order to reduce this state of tension, humans and animals seek out ways to fulfill these biological needs. Based on this idea, Hull introduced the Drive Reduction Theory Drives and Homeostasis An early theory of motivation proposed that the maintenance of homeostasis is particularly important in directing behavior. Homeostasis is the tendency to maintain a balance, or optimal level, within a biological system. In a body system, a control center (which is often part of the brain) receives input from receptors (which are often complexes of neurons ). The control center directs effectors (which may be other neurons) to correct any imbalance in the body detected by the control center.  The purpose of biological drives is to correct disturbances of homeostasis. Unsatisfied drives are detected by neurons concentrated in the hypothalamus in the brain. These neurons then produce an integrated response to bring the drive back to its optimal level. For instance, when you are dehydrated, freezing cold, or exhausted, the appropriate biological responses are activated automatically Example: body fat reserves are mobilized, urine production is inhibited, you shiver, blood is shunted away from the body surface, etc. While your body automatically responds to these survival drives, you also become motivated to correct these disturbances by eating, drinking water, resting, or actively seeking or generating warmth by moving. In essence, you are motivated to engage in whatever behavior is necessary to fulfill an unsatisfied drive. One way that the body elicits this behavioral motivation is by increasing physiological arousal. Drive-Reduction Theory Drive-reduction theory was first developed by Clark Hull in 1943. According to this theory, deviations from homeostasis create physiological needs and therefore, humans seeking to reduce these drives are the primary force behind motivation. These needs result in psychological drive states that direct behavior to meet the need and, ultimately, bring the system back to homeostasis. When a physiological need is not satisfied, a negative state of tension is created; when the need is satisfied, the drive to satisfy that need is reduced and the organism returns to homeostasis. In this way, a drive can be thought of as an instinctual need that has the power to motivate behavior.  Individuals are motivated to reduce the state of tension caused. i.e. You seek for food when you are hungry and you look for water when you are thirsty Drive-reduction theory also emphasizes the role that habits play in the type of behavioral response in which we engage. A habit is a pattern of behavior in which we regularly engage; once we have engaged in a behavior that successfully reduces a drive, we are more likely to engage in that behavior whenever faced with that drive in the future (Graham & Weiner, 1996). Individuals are motivated to perform behaviours that reduces the tension caused by unfulfilled needs. And once that behavior has reduced the tension, it eventually becomes a habit.  For example, if it’s been a while since you ate, your blood sugar levels will drop below normal. Low blood sugar induces a physiological need and a corresponding drive state (i.e., hunger) that will direct you to seek out and consume food. Eating will eliminate the hunger, and, ultimately, your blood sugar levels will return to normal and your organism returns to homeostasis. Primary and Secondary Drives Theory distinguishes between primary and secondary drives; Primary Drives: Biological and innate drives required for survival such as hunger, thirst and desire for sex. Secondary Drives: Not necessary for survival and often linked to social or identity factors such as desire for wealth. Secondary drives are associated with primary drives because the satisfaction of secondary drives indirectly satisfies primary drives. For example, the desire for wealth is not necessary for survival; however, wealth provides you with money that can be used to acquire food, shelter, and other basic needs, thereby indirectly satisfying these primary drives. Secondary drives become associated with primary drives through classical conditioning. Drive-Reduction Theory - Conditioning and Reinforcement Hull also believed that human behavior could be explained by conditioning and reinforcement. He said, the reduction of the drive acts as a reinforcement for that behavior. This reinforcement increases the likelihood that the same behavior will occur again in the future when the same need arises. In order to survive in its environment, an organism must behave in ways that meet these survival needs. Individuals faced with more than one need at the same time experience multiple drives, and research has shown that multiple drives can lead to more rapid learning than a single drive. Critiques of Drive-Reduction Theory Drive-reduction theory has trouble explaining why humans and other animals voluntarily increase tension by exploring their environments, even when they have no need to. “Pleasure-seeking” behaviors contradict to the theory. Ex: People participate in activities that increase tension such as sky-diving or bungee jumping. Why would an individual actively seek out more stimulation if it is already in a state of relaxation and fulfillment? Opponents of the theory would argue that one is never in a state of complete fulfillment, and thus, there are always drives that need to be satisfied. Does not account for how secondary reinforcers reduce drives. Ex: While money does allow you to purchase primary reinforcers, it does nothing in and of itself to reduce drives. Despite this, money still acts as a powerful source of reinforcement. Motivation and Neurotransmitters The one neurotransmitter that plays a role in motivation is Dopamine Dopamine: Regulates pleasure and reward. And is released when we obtain something that makes us happy! If you are lazy to start a project, focus on imagining the joy of completing it. Dopamine acts as motivation to start and the satisfaction of completing the work. Dopamine levels continuously signal how good or valuable achieving a reward is in a situation. This helps in deciding how much effort and energy needs to be invested in working towards a goal. Motivation and Neurotransmitters Mesolimbic pathway is the pathway taken by dopamine for motivation. This originates in the middle of the brain and branches to various places such as the cerebral cortex. The most important reward pathway in the brain. One of the stops in the mesolimbic pathway is nucleus accumbens. The Nucleus Accumbens role is in the analysis and processing of the reward and reinforcing stimuli. Increased dopamine in the nucleus accumbens signals for predicting rewards. Brain recognizes that a significant event good or bad is about to occur; triggers motivation for an action. Individuals have different levels of dopamine, as a result some individuals are more persistent than others to achieve a goal. Motivation and Neurotransmitters Research on dopamine and motivation; Dopamine encourages individuals to act and motivates them to achieve or avoid certain events. An animal study by Behavioural neuroscientist John Salamone. Where, Rats were given a choice of one pile of food and another pile of food twice the size behind a small fence. - Findings: Rats with low levels of dopamine mostly reached for the easy pile of food. compared to jumping over the fence for a greater reward. Low levels of dopamine make people and animals less motivated to do things Absence of dopamine lowers drive  Drive Reduction Theory suggests that organisms are motivated to reduce drives, which are states of internal tension caused by unmet biological needs. Consider a scenario where a student is studying for exams. They have been studying intensely for several hours without taking a break to eat or drink. Explain how Drive Reduction Theory would interpret the student's motivation to continue studying versus taking a break to eat or drink. In your answer, address the following points Identify the drives that the student might be experiencing in this scenario. Explain how the strength of these drives might influence the student's behavior. Discuss any potential conflicts between different drives and how they might be resolved according to Drive Reduction Theory. Consider the role of learned behaviors or habits in this scenario and how they might interact with the student's drives.  Drive Reduction Theory, proposed by Clark Hull, posits that organisms are motivated to reduce internal states of tension known as drives, which arise from unmet biological needs. Applying this theory to the scenario where a student has been studying intensely for several hours without taking a break to eat or drink involves several key points Identifying the Drives The student is likely experiencing multiple drives in this scenario. The primary drives include hunger and thirst, which arise from the unmet biological needs for food and water. These drives create internal tension, motivating the student to seek food and drink to restore homeostasis. Additionally, the student might be experiencing a secondary or acquired drive related to academic achievement. This drive is not biological but learned through the importance placed on success and the desire to perform well on exams. Strength of Drives Influencing Behavior According to Drive Reduction Theory, the strength of a drive is proportional to the level of deprivation and the urgency of the need. If the student has not eaten or drunk anything for several hours, the drives for food and water are likely strong and create significant internal tension. The strength of the drive to succeed academically can also be strong, especially if the student has a high motivation to achieve good grades, possibly due to external rewards or internal satisfaction.  Potential Conflicts Between Drives: The student faces a conflict between the biological drives for hunger and thirst and the learned drive for academic achievement. Drive Reduction Theory suggests that the student will be motivated to reduce the strongest drive first. If the biological drives for food and water are stronger due to prolonged deprivation, the student might choose to take a break to eat and drink, thereby reducing these primary drives. However, if the drive for academic success is particularly strong, perhaps due to an impending exam or high personal stakes, the student might continue studying despite the biological needs, prioritizing the reduction of the academic drive. Role of Learned Behaviors or Habits: Learned behaviors and habits can influence how the student responds to these drives. For example, if the student has developed a habit of studying for long periods without breaks, this habit might make it easier to suppress the biological drives temporarily. Additionally, the student might have learned coping strategies to manage hunger and thirst, such as snacking lightly while studying or drinking water intermittently, which can help balance the reduction of multiple drives simultaneously. In conclusion, Drive Reduction Theory would interpret the student's behavior as a balancing act between reducing the biological drives for hunger and thirst and the learned drive for academic achievement. The student's actions will depend on the relative strength of these drives and the influence of learned behaviors. If the biological needs become too pressing, they will likely take precedence, prompting the student to take a break to eat and drink. Conversely, if the drive for academic success is more compelling, the student may continue studying despite physical discomfort, demonstrating the complexity of human motivation as described by Drive Reduction Theory. Key Takeaways homeostasis: The ability of a system or living organism to adjust its internal environment to maintain a stable equilibrium, such as the ability of warm-blooded animals to maintain a constant temperature. Drive -reduction theory, first proposed by Clark Hull in 1943, proposed that the purpose of biological drives is to correct disturbances of homeostasis. According to Hull, physiological needs result in psychological drive states that direct behavior to meet the needs and, ultimately, bring the system back to homeostasis. Primary drives are innate biological needs (e.g., thirst, hunger, and desire for sex), whereas secondary drives are associated with—and indirectly satisfy—primary drives (e.g., the desire for money, which helps pay for food and shelter). Drives are thought to underlie all behavior in that behaviors are only conditioned, or learned, if they satisfy a drive. Drive-reduction theory has been criticized for failing to explain how secondary reinforcers reduce drive or why individuals engage in “pleasure-seeking” behaviors. Key Takeaways Cont. Dopamine - neurotransmitter that plays a role in motivation, which regulates pleasure and reward. Dopamine acts as motivation to start and the satisfaction of completing the work. “Mesolimbic pathway”: The pathway taken by dopamine for motivation. Nucleus Accumbens: Analyzes and processors the reward and reinforcing stimuli. Increased dopamine in the nucleus accumbens: signals for predicting rewards. Individuals have different levels of dopamine. Low levels of dopamine make people and animals less motivated to do things