PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT

#1
BY FA17-BSE-C-133

Hashir Tariq
Psychology is the study of a person's psyche and behavioral habits. Modern psychology is based on the
converting of these patterns into theory and law, and one of the patterns found was inspiration. The
motivation is the "drive" to do something, or the pushing power a person has when they want to do
something, due to the lack of a better term. In addition, perseverance and the will to achieve a challenge
by determining an objective have been compared to motivation. But the truth is that motivation can be
found for worldly activities, such as motivating people to get a glass of kitchen water etc. The following
theories explain what motivation is and they try to break down motivation into logical statements that
can be explained:

Instinct Approaches:
The theory states that all living beings are born with a tendency to survive that dictates how they
behave. This theory is an example of innate patterns, patterns that we are born with and don't have to
teach. The theory is perceived differently by different people, the popular belief of William McDougall,
the person who defined the theory, is that instinct is unlearned, uniform in expression, unlearned.

Example:
An example of this is when Konrad Lorenz demonstrated the power of instincts when he was able to
imprint young geese on him. The geese would consider hum as their mother and would start to follow
him. Criticism is that not all humans will show the same level of expression like anger and aggression as
each other. Factors such as individual experiences and personalities that will play a key role in how we
act, so the theory cannot be scientifically tested.

Drive Reduction Approaches:

The theory is a biological one, and it works on the principle that a person is in a form of homeostasis, a
state where the person is satisfied with his/her way of living and all the bodies biological needs are met.
Failure to keep the body in homeostasis will cause the body to react in a such a way to make the body
go back to a state of homeostasis. The theory was first developed by Clark Hull in 1943 and it can also be
said that the physiological needs of a person can be categorized as instincts, hence it is similar to the
first theory in this regard, the only difference being this is more related to biological factors. Once the
body achieves homeostasis it will be less likely to engage in the previous activity again for the time that
it is satisfied. There are two types of drives here, primary, and secondary. The primary drive deals with
the biological needs (thirst, hunger, sexual etc.) that are necessary for survival. The secondary drive are
indirect factors that influence the primary drive objectives like sense of security and need for wealth,
which are not directly necessary for survival but, with money and security you can purchase food and
maintain your lifestyle.

An example of said theory in real life would be the body increasing its temperature when faced with
cold weather or when faced with a threat such as an infection, but as soon as the infection is cured or if
the body is being supplied with enough heat, the body will return back to normal. Another example
would be how our body would start to burn through not only fat but also muscle when dieting, this
response is due to the body thinking that it is being starved and hence resorts to consuming muscle
mass to keep itself functioning, being in a caloric surplus will result in the condition being fixed, reaching
homeostasis.
The main criticism that this theory faces has to do with the need to satisfy ourselves with luxuries and
pleasures. The average person would engage in dangerous activities like overs speeding and will actively
put him/herself in danger. Another example of this would be how people will eat even when they do not
need to eat, in some cases this is called comfort eating, where one eats to relive stress and another one
can be called peer pressure where one will eat in a group of friends even if that individual is satiated.
The last outlier would be people actively seeking adrenaline rushes, often called adrenaline junkies, who
will doo dangerous stunts for the jump in adrenaline. So, the general idea is that the theory holds true
for the primary drives but does not hold true for the secondary and that reduction in drive sometimes
does not work.

Arousal Approaches
The idea is how we as people want psychological excitement to keep us motivated and to encourage us
to accomplish a goal, so one may say that by completing activities that inspire us we aim to reach the
best possible degree of psychological excitement. Various individuals are mentally awakened at various
stages. One of the fundamental principles of the theory of excitement is that we are driven to take acts
that help us achieve an optimal equilibrium. The theory also tells us that if we get this excited condition,
we need something to relax, as well as something that can endure and heal our boredom. We can say
that we need to maintain a level of arousal to achieve peek performance.

For example, when testing your arousal level, you'll be at your full concentration. But if you grow an
unhealthy excitement level, you begin to experience discomfort and nervousness that prevent you from
concentrating. Being lonely you want to go with your kids, but you will get tired and relax at home for
the day. The principal critique facing this hypothesis is that the research findings differ. A variety of
variables influence the excitement levels of the individual and the desired excitation level of the person
would be different.

Incentive Approach
The principle of incentives presupposes, that if individuals have an advantage, or an opportunity, they
will be more likely to do something. People will work more and feel inspired even because they realize
that they are honored for their work. The hypothesis was based on Clark Hull's theories and originated
in the 1940's and 1950's.Likewise, if they are disciplined for the task, an individual is less likely to
perform a task and will thus refrain from the task in future. This is different from other ideas because it
does not include internal drives but outside incentives.

One example is the normal day worker or office worker. When benefits such as a raise and bonus are
given, the employee will work harder. Another example is suspension at school, where a pupil is less
likely to do an action if it is disciplined. Another example is a detention at school. Even dogs will have
identical behaviors, as they will treat the dog for any trick it performs correctly and scorn him for
anything it does wrong, and the dog will in future practice the tricks and not do the activities for which
he is scorned.

The critique of this theory is that many people carry out tasks for which they know they will be
disciplined, especially during their adolescence. Similarly, when you are not motivated at the start or if
the incentives are too low, each person will perform different for similar rewards or bonuses, given the
amount of the incentive, based on such factors as upbringing and personal security.