Drive theory explains the generation and mechanism of behavioral motivation. When the needs of an organism are not met, a drive is produced, which causes a response, the end goal of which is that the needs are met. American physiologist Walter B. Cannon proposed the concept of homeostasis, according to which organisms must maintain the balance of their body’s internal environment. If body temperature, blood, hormones, nutrition, and other metabolic factors are out of balance, these need to be adjusted.
In the 1950s, the American psychologist Robert S. Woodworth replaced the concept of instinct with the concept of drives. He uses drive to refer to the tension state caused by an individual’s physiological needs, which stimulates or drives behavior to meet the needs and eliminate the tension, thus restoring the balanced state of the organism.
American psychologist Clark L. Hull developed the concept of drive and put forward the theory of drive reduction. He believes that drive is a strong...
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Peng D-L (2004) General psychology. Beijing Normal University Publishing House, Beijing
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Ningjian, L. (2024). Drive Theory. In: The ECPH Encyclopedia of Psychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6000-2_294-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6000-2_294-1
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