
Full Answer
What is an example of a drive theory?
One of the most famous examples of drive theory comes from an experiment conducted by Clark Hull while he worked at Yale University. Hull put two groups of lab rats in identical mazes with food at the conclusion of each maze. One group of rats was fed in this manner every three hours while the other group was fed every twenty-two hours.
What is a drive theory?
In psychology, a drive theory, theory of drives or drive doctrine is a theory that attempts to analyze, classify or define the psychological drives. A drive is an instinctual need that has the power of driving the behavior of an individual; an "excitatory state produced by a homeostatic disturbance".
What is primary drive in psychology?
Psychology Definition of PRIMARY DRIVE: An essential drive in living creatures created when a necessary item is missing. (e.g. water or shelter. Also the need
What are the five major theories of psychology?
What are the main theories in psychology?
- The Behaviorist Theory. Behavior theory focuses on the stimulus-response behaviors.
- The Psychodynamic Theory. The psychodynamic theory of psychology helps people look at their subconscious mind.
- The Humanistic Theory.
- The Cognitive Theory.
- Biological Theory.

What is drive theory?
In Freudian psychoanalysis, drive theory refers to the theory of drives, motivations, or instincts, that have clear objects. Examples include what Freud called Eros and Thanatos, the drives toward Life and Death, respectively.
What are the problems with drive theory?
The first problem is that it does not explain how secondary reinforcers reduce drive. For example, money does not itself satisfy any biological or psychological need, but it reduces drive on a regular basis by a pay check. Secondly, drive reduction theory has trouble explaining why humans and other animals voluntarily increase tension by exploring their environments, even when they are not hungry or thirsty.
What is behavioural drive reduction?
In early attachment theory, behavioural drive reduction was proposed [by whom?] as an explanation of the mechanisms behind early attachment in infants. Behavioural drive reduction theory suggests that infants are born with innate drives, such as hunger and thirst, which only the caregiver, usually the mother, can reduce. Through a process of classical conditioning, the infant learns to associate the mother with the satisfaction of reduced drive and is thus able form a key attachment bond. However, this theory is challenged by the work done by Harlow, particularly the experiments involving the maternal separation of rhesus monkeys, which indicate that comfort possesses greater motivational value than hunger.
What is drive reduction theory?
The terms drive theory and drive reduction theory refer to a diverse set of motivational theories in psychology. Drive theory is based on the principle that organisms are born with certain physiological needs and that a negative state of tension is created when these needs are not satisfied. When a need is satisfied, drive is reduced and the organism returns to a state of homeostasis and relaxation. According to the theory, drive tends to increase over time and operates on a feedback control system, much like a thermostat.
When was Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents published?
Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents was published in Germany in 1930 when the rise of fascism in that country was well under way, and the warnings of a second European war were leading to opposing calls for rearmament and pacifism. Against this background, Freud wrote “In face of the destructive forces unleashed, now it may be expected that the other of the two ‘heavenly forces,’ eternal Eros, will put forth his strength so as to maintain himself alongside of his equally immortal adversary.”
What is drive theory?
Drive Theory, or the Theory of Instinctual Drive, was introduced by Freud to understand aggressive behaviour. In the early stages of the development of psychoanalysis, the concept of drive was an important aspect. ‘ Drive ’ is an ‘ appetitive internal force ’. Freud says that the human body constantly strives for a homeostatic state. However, when this homeostatic state is disturbed, our body reacts by forming drives. These drives are ‘mental representations of unspecified nervous system excitation related in some way to sexual and aggressive urges.’ The individual seeks to satisfy these urges so that he can return to the homeostatic state.
What is the difference between Oedipus and Electra?
Oedipus complex refers to boys who have sexual impulses towards their mothers and Electra complex refers to girls who have sexual impulses towards their fathers. However, they control these urges due to fear of repercussions. Boys fear castration by their fathers and girl fear jealousy by their mothers.
What is a drive in psychology?
These drives are ‘mental representations of unspecified nervous system excitation related in some way to sexual and aggressive urges. ’. The individual seeks to satisfy these urges so that he can return to the homeostatic state. According to Freud, drives are dual in nature. They consist of libidinal and sexual drives.
What is the libidinal stage?
Here, the libidinal energy is directed towards normal childhood activity like school, sports, hobbies and friendship. Genital Stage – This spans beyond twelve years of age. In this stage, the individual now focuses his or her sexual energy on the opposite sex.
What did Freud label as a function?
Thus, he labeled all facets of personality and psychopathology as a function. This means that he juxtaposed the role of objects only against the discharge of drives. However, in his later works, Freud reduced the emphasis on drives.
Which is more important, the libidinal drive or the libidinal drive?
He says that the libidinal drive is the more important one of the two. Even though Freud described drives as reactions to certain stimuli, he, ironically, studied it in isolation. He was cognizant of the need for ‘object relations’ that is, studying drives in context with the broader environment.
What are the three parts of Freud's mind?
Freud categorizes the human mind into three parts – id, ego and super ego. Human beings go through psychosexual stages of development where their personality is developed and molded in the first five years of their life.
What is drive theory?
Drive theory summarises a direct linear relationship between arousal and sporting performance; In effect meaning the more an athlete is ‘psyched up’ , the better their performance potential in any given event.
What is drive theory in sports psychology?
As with many early sports psychology theories- Drive Theory is very basic in its approach and has subsequently been discredited with the knowledge that even the best performers have a tendency to experience deterioration in performance at the highest levels of arousal. Whether it’s a footballer who misses a penalty kick after being hacked down in front of goal or Lindsay Jacobellis in the Boardercross final knowing the gold medal is hers.
What is the negative aspect of drive theory?
The Inverted-U Hypothesis is accepted by most coaches and sports psychologists as the general notion of how arousal and sporting performance are directly linked. Read more on the Inverted-U Hypothesis.
Does a heightened arousal level increase performance?
For many successful sports-people who are accustomed to performing a skill it is likely that a heightened arousal level will lead to an increase in the dominant response (performance). However difficulty arises once an untrained individual such as a beginner becomes involved. Their dominant response may not translate as being adequate in the sport they are performing with a potential manifestation of deterioration in performance.
Does drive theory take into account arousal?
Unfortunately the linear graph initial proposed for drive theory doesn’t take into account that arousal can actually have a negative effect on performance at certain levels. Can you think of any sports where a high level of arousal might be detrimental to performance?
Who is Liam Hallam?
Liam Hallam is a sports science graduate. He is also a keen cyclist as well as being a lover of the Derbyshire Dales and Peak District.
What did Hull believe about motivation?
Hull believed that behavior was one of the ways that an organism maintains this balance. Based on this idea, Hull suggested that all motivation arises as a result of these biological needs. In his theory, Hull used the term drive to refer to the state of tension or arousal caused by biological or physiological needs.
What did Hull believe about human behavior?
Conditioning and Reinforcement . Hull is considered a neo-behaviorist thinker, but like the other major behaviorists, he believed that human behavior could be explained by conditioning and reinforcement. The reduction of the drive acts as a reinforcement for that behavior.
What is the drive reduction theory of motivation?
Criticism. Influence. The drive reduction theory of motivation became popular during the 1940s and 1950s as a way to explain behavior, learning, and motivation. The theory was created by behaviorist Clark Hull and further developed by his collaborator Kenneth Spence.
What is the effect of reduction of drive on behavior?
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.
What is the theory of homeostasis?
Hull based his theory on the concept of homeostasis, the idea that the body actively works to maintain a certain state of balance or equilibrium. For example, your body regulates its temperature in order to ensure that you don't become too hot or too cold.
How does drive affect humans?
In order to reduce this state of tension, humans and animals seek out ways to fulfill these biological needs. We get a drink when we are thirsty. We eat when we are hungry. We turn up the thermostat when we are cold.
Why did Hull's theory fall out of favor?
While Hull's theory was popular during the middle part of the 20th century, it began to fall out of favor for a number of reasons. Because of his emphasis on quantifying his variables in such a narrowly defined way, his theory lacks generalizability.
What did Hull believe about hunger?
Hull had an explanation for this. He, like many behaviorists before and after him, believed that humans could be conditioned. When a human reduced their drive for hunger with food, they reinforced that habit. The next time they feel an arousal associated with hunger, they are likely to look for food.
What are the factors that affect homeostasis?
Energy, nutrition, temperature, and climate all influence whether or not the body is in homeostasis. When the body is out of balance, it will experience a drive. Hull also called this an “arousal.”. Only when the body is back in homeostasis does the arousal go away. Here’s a simple example.
What is Hull's theory of motivation?
Hull theorized that human beings were motivated by “drives” or “arousals.”. Their decisions helped to reduce these drives and create homeostasis in the body. There are two different “drives” that motivate us to take action: primary and secondary drives. Hull explained that primary drives were physiological drives.
What is Clark Hull's most famous work?
Hull was a psychologist who influenced many through his work with hypnosis and conditioning. But his most famous work was the Drive-Reduction Theory .
Why is it called drive reduction theory?
That hunger and fatigue is a high drive, or arousal. While experiencing this drive, you are motivated to eat and reduce that drive. That’s why this theory is called Drive-Reduction Theory.
What is Hull's theory?
His method of quantifying behavior influenced the way that psychologists use the scientific method in their testing. He is also credited as influencing Albert Bandura, one of the most influential psychologists of all time.
How many hours of sleep is better than a chicken sandwich?
These actions don’t just happen one time. You might know that eating chicken reduces your drive for hunger more than eating a salad. Or that eight hours of sleep is more effective than four. So you are more likely to strive for eight hours of sleep or reach for a chicken sandwich.

An Insight Into The Relationship Between Arousal and Sports Performance
Drive Theory in Sports- Expert Versus Novice
- For many successful sports-people who are accustomed to performing a skill it is likely that a heightened arousal level will lead to an increase in the dominant response (performance). However difficulty arises once an untrained individual such as a beginner becomes involved. Their dominant response may not translate as being adequate in the sport they are performing with a …
The Downsides of Drive Theory
- Unfortunately the linear graph initial proposed for drive theory doesn’t take into account that arousal can actually have a negative effect on performance at certain levels. Can you think of any sports where a high level of arousal might be detrimental to performance? The other question that arises is should the graph really be linear? Would a certain increase in arousal always lead to a …
Habit Strength Theory in Sports
- As with many early sports psychology theories- Drive Theory is very basic in its approach and has subsequently been discredited with the knowledge that even the best performers have a tendency to experience deterioration in performance at the highest levels of arousal. Whether it’s a footballer who misses a penalty kick after being hacked down in front of goal or Lindsay Jacobell…
Drive Theory Helped to Shape The Inverted-U Hypothesis
- The negatives aspects of drive theory helped to shape arguably one of the most well known sports psychology theorems. The Inverted-U Hypothesis is accepted by most coaches and sports psychologists as the general notion of how arousal and sporting performance are directly linked. Read more on the Inverted-U Hypothesis
References
- Hull, C. L., (1943), Principles of behavior. New York: Appleton- Century-Crofts Spence, J.T., & Spence, K.W. (1966). The motivational components of manifest anxiety: Drive and drive stimuli. In C.D. Spielberger (Ed.), Anxiety and behavior. New York: Academic Press.