7/11/2019

I. Evolutionary Theory
• Early Instict Theories: fixed, genetically programmed patterns
of behavior
• William James’ (1890) Principles of Psychology: instincts as habits
stemming from innate tendencies
• People inherit social behavior instincts (love, sympathy, modesty, etc)
and “survival instincts”

Motivation Theories • William McDougall – 18 basic instincts

• Migrating behaviors and mating displays of birds
• Examples of human behaviors, including rooting, sucking, grasping
Lesson 1

Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory:

• Ethology: relating behavior to features of the environment • Instincts are a product of natural selection: Instinctual
• Instincts are inherited dispositions that generate specific behaviors that increase reproductive success (fitness)
fixed-action patterns (e.g., Konrad Lorenz, nest building, become more frequent ; others die out.
bird songs) • Basic emotions are included among instincts
• Instincts reflect adaptation to a particular part of the
habitat or niche
• Development and expression of instincts can vary (e.g.,
with seasons, abundance of food or mates)
• Sign stimuli, such as coloration or shape, trigger
behavior

Modern evolutionary psychology: predispositions and probabilities,

not instincts II. Arousal Theory
• Natural selection acts on genes (genotype) expressed in particular
circumstances (phenotype) • Motivation: to achieve and maintain a certain
• Selection takes place at the individual level; it is not “survival of
species”
level of arousal
• Evolutionary history makes people more or less likely to develop, • Animals seek activities and situations that create
learn and behave in certain ways (e.g., to like sweets, to learn to fear
a desired level of physiological arousal
snakes)
• Behaviors adaptive in one time or place may not be adaptive in • Theories differ in assumptions about whether
others (e.g., preferring fatty foods in marginal environments versus arousal is negative or positive.
affluent society)
• Adaptation is not the only way evolution occurs (e.g., heritable
tendencies resulting from isolation of small breeding populations or
genetic drift)

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criticism
• The Drive-Reduction Theory (Clark Hull) • 1. Demonstrations of drive induction: Animals
• Behavior originates from physiological needs for food, water, are. will work to increase arousal levels (Sheffield,
These needs create tension (irritation) away from homeostasis
• When needs are met (homeostasis), arousal is low; needs give rise to 1966)
drives. Biological needs or tissue deficits lead to a drive state.
• 2. Harry Harlow and his “Mother Love”
• Animals are motivated to reduce the drive
• Behaviors such as eating, drinking, and breathing reduce the need by experiment
restoring homeostasis
• Behaviors are reinforced and strengthened through drive reduction
• Acquired motivation: Stimuli associated with drives become
motivators; stimuli associated with drive reduction become rewarding