Psychoanalytic Theory of Motivation
pleasure (Democritus)
Freud posits that: (1957)
‘‘Motivational states create a condition of tension that the
individual seek to reduce.”
He noted that individuals have little control over innate
conditions that generate the motivational tension and as a
result the ego must have repeated control behaviors to keep
the tension low within the id.
ID – EGO – SUPEREGO
ID: basic drives such as hunger, thirst, sex and aggression;
all energy needed for the behavior resides within ID. ID is
directly responsive to bodily needs.
EGO: rational part of the personality that tries to “referee”
between demands of the id for immediate gratification and
the hesitancy on the part of the superego. The “higher”
structure that has power to prevent immediate gratification.
If goal attainment will lead to more pain than pleasure, the
ego establishes a “counter-cathexis” (force opposing goal
satisfaction = defense mechanism) *delayed gratification
SUPEREGO: equivalent to “conscience”; such can be
developed as a child learned values from parents and
culture (what is right/good, what is wrong/bad) and are
internalized and becomes part of the individual. Theses
internalized values serve as ideals and internal sources of
reward and punishment. * choice, preference, perseverance
HEDONISM
“If it feels good, o it!”
People behave in order to obtain the greatest amount of
restore stability where there is a departure from
People are motivated to obtain pleasure (Epicurus)
All Actions are motivated by desire to seek pleasure and
avoid pain (Hobbes)
(Activation through Homeostasis and hedonism)
HOMEOSTASIS
 The purpose of motivation is to maintain
homeostasis (i.e the idea that an optimal level
exists for various states of the body).
 Tendency toward the maintenance of a relatively
stable internal environment; remain in a state of
internal equilibrium
CLASSIC HOMEOSTATIC THEORY
1. Constancy of the Internal Environment
- Biological approaches to motivation – drawn
from Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
- If complex organisms are to reproduce, they
must survive and must monitor the status of
their internal environments, make the
behavioral adjustments necessary to keep
healthy.
- Internal environment: Bodily Fluids
“The Necessary conditions for a free life is constancy of
the internal environment” – Claude Bernard (1865,1957)
Father of Experimental Medicine
Walter Canon (1939)
- Considered homeostasis as the “wisdom of the
body”
- Automatic adjustments the body makes to
narrow tolerance ranges of the body
(temperature, acidity, glucose, salt, water)
- Automatic adjustments are signaled by CNS
and ANS = motivates behavior
o Note: our body pushes us to act
- Regulation of internal states – motivates
behavior
- Deficiency in the body START SIGNALS to
trigger appropriate regulatory behaviors and
STOPS SIGNALS to terminate behavior when
the deficiency has been offset.
HEDONIC THEORY ON MOTIVATION
Emphasizes the idea that cues or stimuli have
motivational properties because they have become
associated with positive or negative experiences.
 Pleasurable experiences likened to incentives
 Incentives motive behavior because they arouse
hedonic effect , i.e., maybe goal objects become
incentives because they arouse pleasure or pain
o Note: all have motivational properties
 Spencer proposed that pleasurable behavior have
survival value for an organism
 Seen as adaptive over the history of the species
 Pleasure and pain were important modifiers of
behavior
o Note: forerunner to Thorndike’s Law of
Effect and Modern Reinforcement Theory
NERVOUS SYSTEM IS ESPECIALLY TUNED TO - “bright pressure” vs “dull pressure” 4. There is an Object: the person or object in the
PLEASURABLE AND AVERSIVE EVENTS. environment through which the aim may be
(Troland, 1932) satisfied
3 Stimulations (synapses) Libido: Psychological Energy (Influenced by ego
and superego)
1. Beneception – occurs when pleasant feelings are 2 Groups of Impulsive Drives
aroused by stimuli The Nature of individual’s repressed wishes and
2. Nociception – occurs as a result stimuli that desires is erotic (Freud) Freudian theory views libido as a kind of pleasure-seeking,
arouses unpleasant feelings (aversive) life-maintaining energy which becomes focused on certain
- Viewed sexuality as a bodily process that could objects or goals.
3. Neutroception – exits when stimuli cause neither be understood under the model of tension
pleasant nor unpleasant feelings reduction EROS – refers to life impulses/drives; forces that maintain
Categories: - The goal of human was simply to reduce the life processes and ensure reproduction of the species. The
tension created by accumulated energy and to key to these forces is the sexual drive, whose energy force
 Neutroceptive: vision, audition, cutanoues touch restore a state of balance. is libido (Note*: Survival)
 Nociceptive: pain, bitter, taste, intense salt, intense
THANATOS – encompassing death impulses/drives, is a
sour, nauseating or repugnant smells, cold,
biological reality and the source of aggressiveness and
excessive heat, hunger, thirst and some visceral Freud conceptualized all the energy available to the reflects the ultimate resolution of all of life’s tensions and
responses personality as libido or drive energy. He emphasized the deaths.
 Beneceptive: erotic stimuli, sweet tastes, pleasant psychological character of mental processes and sexuality.
smells FREUD’S PRIMARY MODEL OF BEHAVIOR
*Note: Superego…is acting Libido – Referred by Freud as the emotional and psychic
energy derived from biological drive sexuality - All behavior is instigated by/rooted from ID
Note*: create relationships (Instinctual Wishes)
- Wishes represented in thought creates demand
HEDONIC CONTINUUM Drive – a psychological or mental representation of an on the body
inner bodily source of excitement; a form energy that - The demand (drive/tension) instigate actions
(Beebe-Center, Troland (1932))
combines both the elements of body and mind (that will reduce the tension/drive/instinctual
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 Note*: how to express mental representation urges
Very Aversive Neutral Very Desirable Characteristics of Libido - Wish = cathected energy

- Hedonic value of an object in the environment
is closely tied to sensory qualities & its effect
to the nervous system (Troland)
- Pleasant/Unpleasant stimuli depend on the way
in which the sense organs react to stimulation
(Beebe-Center)
1. It has a Source: the bodily stimulus or need Cathexis (any energy/wish/drive) → Action on Object →
2. It is Impetus: the amount of energy or intensity of Discharge Cathexis
the need Drive/Pain →Drive Action/Behavior →
3. It has Aim: it’s goal or purpose was to reduce the Gratification/Pleasure
excitement
SECONDARY THOUGHT ACTION MODEL  Behavioral adjustment made by the organism (eg.
Seeking warmer/cooler places)
Cathexis > Delay of Gratification (drive object absent) >
 There are biological needs and determines
Detour activity (delay) > Gratification
behavior, whose key role is adaptation and
-Ego intervenes (intervening process) between the onset of adjustment.
the wish and the expression  Organisms’ drive was to meet goals for survival.
Hence the behavior was adaptive act.
---------------------------- END ---------------------------------- NEED VS DRIVE VS GOAL
Learning = HABIT STRENGTH (sHr)
strength of association between stimulus &
responses
Motivation = DRIVE (D)
activates habit into performance
Energies all responses equally
multiplies habit to produce
EXCITATORY POTENTIAL

NEED  E=HxD
DRIVE THEORY IN MOTIVATION  sEr = sHr x D
 Excess/ deficiency of some product for survival
EVOLUTIONARY VIEW ON THE CONCEPT  May lead to activity that would restore appropriate
OF DRIVE balance
BIOLOGICAL
 Claude Bernard (1878): Constancy of Internal DRIVE
Environment  Inferred state Drive – Primary (Biological)
 Homeostasis as a useful focus for thinking  Antecedent condition may be the same as need but ↓
about physiological regulation and stability the consequent condition are the behavioral acts
 Specific type of regulatory system that uses a  Provides persistent Stimulus to behavior Secondary Drive (Learning)
setpoint or built-in goal value, to maintain a A. FEARS
stable physiological state GOAL Characteristics
 SETPOINTS between land-dwelling & sea-  Object/commodity that will reduce the drive that 1. Energize Behavior
dwelling initiated the activity Creates Physiological reaction (pushes to
 WALTER CANON (1939) incorporated SEQUENCES OF THE ADAPTIVE ACT behave)
Bernard’s Consistency of Internal Environment as 2. Reinforce Behavior – Instigate Behavior
Homeostasis NEED → DRIVE→ ACTIVITY → GOAL → REDUCED 3. Punisher – Suppress Behavior
 Self-regulating capacities of the organism for DRIVE → REDUCED ACTION *Learning that creates habit
keeping internal matrix stable (blood sugar level, eg. Punishes – Shock, Cry
water content, blood pressure, acid-base balance, Reinforce – Hug, run to Mom
etc.) HULL’S DRIVE THEORY (comfort zone)
 Homeostatic adjustment vs behavioral adjustment > learning new habit (traumatizing)
made by the organism. PERFORMANCE and the variables of performance:
LEARNING & MOTIVATION
 Homeostatic adjustment made by the body (eg.
Shivering, sweating).
CRITICISMS ON SECONDARY DRIVE LIFE SPACE
 Secondary = Aversive behavior? People and Environmental influence to behavior
Tolman = INCENTIVE (as a secondary drive)  Developmental Experiences
(energy)  Needs
↓  Values
value-goal  Socialization to People
↓  BASTA LAHAT PUTANG INA
goal = satisfied need & drive
 Rat experiment (reward maze)
PxE=B
↑ Reward ↑ Action Behavior
↓ Reward ↓ Action Behavior

EXPECTANCY
(Habit)
If it does not see value, does not change excitatory
potential.
If they see connection between incentive and behavior
(increase in behavior = expectancy)
Tolman = criticism on Hull’s Theory
sEr = H x D x I

EXPECTANCY THEORY
Kurt Levin
Past & Future has a motivational value for present
state/behavior