Drive theory

In psychology, a drive theory, theory of drives or drive doctrine^[1] 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;^[2] an "excitatory state produced by a homeostatic disturbance".^[3]

Drive theory is based on the principle that organisms are born with certain psychological 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.

In 1943 two psychologists, Clark Hull and Kenneth Spence, put forward a drive theory as an explanation of all behavior.^[4] In a study conducted by Hull, two groups of rats were put in a maze, group A was given food after three hours and group B was given food after twenty-two hours. Hull had decided that the rats that were deprived of food longer would be more likely to develop a habit of going down the same path to obtain food.^[5]

^ Cite error: The named reference Mélon96 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Leopold Szondi (1972), Lehrbuch der Experimentellen Triebdiagnostik p.25 quotation:
Abschnitt I Trieblehre, Kapitel I Das Menschliche Triebsystem.
Triebe sind Radikale der menschlichen Handlungen und Verhaltungen. Sie sind die bedingenden und erhaltenden Wurzeln des menschlichen Daseins überhaupt.
^ Seward, J. (1956). drive, incentive, and reinforcement. Psychological Review, 63, 19-203. [1]^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Clark Hull and Kenneth Spence".
^ "Drive Theory In Social Psychology - IResearchNet". 3 January 2016. Retrieved 2019-04-15.

[Mélon96-1] Cite error: The named reference Mélon96 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Leopold Szondi (1972), Lehrbuch der Experimentellen Triebdiagnostik p.25 quotation:
Abschnitt I Trieblehre, Kapitel I Das Menschliche Triebsystem.
Triebe sind Radikale der menschlichen Handlungen und Verhaltungen. Sie sind die bedingenden und erhaltenden Wurzeln des menschlichen Daseins überhaupt.

[3] Seward, J. (1956). drive, incentive, and reinforcement. Psychological Review, 63, 19-203. [1]^{[permanent dead link]}

[4] "Clark Hull and Kenneth Spence".

[5] "Drive Theory In Social Psychology - IResearchNet". 3 January 2016. Retrieved 2019-04-15.

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