Drive Reduction Theory

In psychology a “motive” is generally defined as a state of physiological or psychological arousal, which influences how we behave.

For example, a physiological arousal such as hunger or thirst motivates us to eat or get something to drink.

Whilst a psychological arousal such as the need for love and companionship, motivates us to seek the company of others and interact with them.

In addition to this, it is important to understand that physiological and psychological arousal can occur together in combination. For example, the desire for sex and the desire for love.

Intervening Variable

In psychology a motive is also classified as an “intervening variable”, because it is said to reside within a person and “intervene” between a stimulus and a response.

As such, an intervening variable cannot be directly observed, and therefore must be indirectly observed by studying behaviour.

For example, if you see someone buying some food you may come to the conclusion that they are hungry (they are driven by physiological arousal).

However this person could just as easily be buying some food for their friend.

So even though their behaviour appeared to have been driven by physiological arousal, they were in fact being driven by psychological arousal.

As you can see from this example, understanding what truly motivates someone to do something can be very difficult and prone to error since we are not directly experiencing their motives for ourselves.

So it is important to keep this mind, and collect as much evidence as possible before coming to a firm conclusion as to the cause of someone’s behaviour.

Biological Drives

Since we are all living organisms, it should come as no surprise to learn that our biology plays a big role in how we behave.

The drives which stem from our biology as known are biological drives, and their purpose is to keep us alive and out of danger.

Some examples of biological drives include hunger, thirst, sleep, temperature, pain and sex. All of these drives can act as a motive by changing our behaviour in some way.

So for example, if you are thirsty you become motivated to drink, if you are hungry you become motivated to eat and if you are tired you become motivated to sleep.

Note : Most of the biological drives we experience drive us towards a stimulus, such as food. However some drives such as pain, drive us away from a stimulus.

Homeostasis

In order to keep our body alive, we need to satisfy our drives at the right time and stop when they are satisfied to an adequate level.

The way the body does this is through a process known as homeostasis, which basically involves keeping the body in balance.

Let’s use the example of food to demonstrate how this process works.

Homeostatic Regulation Of Hunger

When you haven’t eaten any food for awhile your blood sugar level drops, which then makes you feel hungry.

After you have eaten an adequate amount to satisfy your hunger, your blood sugar rises back up and you no longer feel hungry.

If however you were to continue eating more food your blood sugar levels would start to rise, and so your body would secrete insulin to return it back to a safe level.

Without homeostasis, you would die just from eating food.

Hormones

Hormones can have a big influence on regulating our biological drives. One obvious example of this occurs during puberty, where various sex hormones increase our sexual drive.

Other hormones such as melatonin can influence when we sleep, or how tired we are throughout the day.

So whilst it is true that biological drives can affect the way we act, it is important to realise these drives themselves can be modified which can result in a drive increasing (upregulate) or a decreasing (down regulate).

For example, increased levels of testosterone in men can increase their sex drive, but decreasing testosterone will lower their sex drive.

Drive Reduction Theory

Drive reduction theory states that when we do something which reduces the tension associated with a biological drive (that is in a state of arousal), then that action is reinforced.

As a result, drive reduction theory states that our biological drives play a big role in how we learn.

A good example of this can bee seen with B. F. Skinner and his work on operant conditioning.

If a rat is hungry and by pressing the lever it gets food, then this action (lever pressing) is reinforced because it has satisfied a biological drive that was in a state of arousal (hunger).

Therefore whenever we do something which is successful in satisfying a biological drive, that behaviour is likely to become reinforced and so we will repeat it time and time again.

For example, when you are hungry you learn that by going to the shop you can buy food, and by doing so are able to satisfy your drive for food. As a result, you will repeat that behaviour the next time you are hungry and have no food.

If however that store was to suddenly close down and you were unable to get any food, you would then have to learn a new way to satisfy your hunger such as by learning to hunt.

Generally speaking, drive reduction applies to anything that involves satisfying biological needs associated with food, water, safety and sex. All of which are primitive animalistic drives.

This is why people will often act like animals when they are in danger or do not have a regular supply of food or water.

Essentially their brain puts them into survival mode, so that they do whatever is needed to keep their body safe and alive.

Summary

• A motive is a state of physiological or psychological arousal which influences behaviour.

• An intervening variable can only be studied indirectly.

• Biological drives are an important factor in determining how we behave.

• Homeostasis keeps our body in balance.

• Hormones can regulate our biological drives.

• Drive reduction theory states that actions which satisfy our drives are reinforced.