Push Theory Motivation
Push Theory Motivation - Related Videos
01:27
Drive-Reduction Theory: Push Theory of Motivation
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2025
Clark Hull's drive-reduction theory, introduced in the 1940s and 1950s and often termed the "push theory" of motivation, provides a framework for understanding how biological and learned drives influence behavior. Hull suggested that motivation originates from the need to alleviate physiological tension caused by unmet biological necessities. The theory proposes that when a basic need, such as hunger or sleep, goes unfulfilled, it creates an internal imbalance. This imbalance, or drive, pushes...
01:18
Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation
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2025
Incentive theory, or the "pull theory" of motivation, suggests that external rewards primarily drive behavior. Individuals are motivated to engage in activities when they anticipate a desirable outcome. This is why people often work hard for promotions or study intensively to achieve high grades. These incentives can be tangible, physical rewards such as money or promotions, or intangible, non-physical rewards like praise and social recognition. The theory differentiates between intrinsic and...
02:45
Self-Discrepancy Theory
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2020
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states. According to the self-discrepancy theory, people hold beliefs about what they’re really like—their actual self—as well as what they would ideally like to be—their ideal self—and what they think they should be—their ought self. Ideally,...
02:06
Social Exchange Theory
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2020
We have discussed why we form relationships, what attracts us to others, and different types of love. But what determines whether we are satisfied with and stay in a relationship? One theory that provides an explanation is social exchange theory. According to social exchange theory, we act as naïve economists in keeping a tally of the ratio of costs and benefits of forming and maintaining a relationship with others (Rusbult & Van Lange, 2003). People are motivated to maximize the benefits...
12:09
Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
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Cited by 9 •
2014
This article describes a set of methods for the measurement of food related motivation and food related goal values in humans.
FAQs
Internal states provide the pressure that directs behavior toward a particular change. Physiological conditions such as hunger or exhaustion can make food or rest especially relevant, while emotional tension or unmet needs can direct action in other ways. The framework therefore connects a person’s current internal condition with the behavior selected to reduce discomfort or restore balance.
Tension reduction explains why behavior may continue until an unmet condition becomes less pressing. When an internal force creates discomfort or imbalance, action can serve as a way to relieve that pressure. This principle helps account for goal-directed behavior because the expected outcome is not simply activity itself, but movement toward a more balanced condition.
Push theory emphasizes forces arising within the person, whereas an incentive-centered explanation gives greater weight to desirable or influential conditions in the environment. The two perspectives can operate together: an internal need may prepare a person to act, while an external incentive can shape which option appears most useful. This interaction supports analysis of varied decisions and behaviors.
Researchers can examine the internal condition preceding an action, the pressure or unmet need associated with it, the behavior that follows, and whether that behavior appears to reduce tension or restore balance. They can also consider external incentives, because these may influence how internal forces become goal-directed choices. This approach links motivation with observable decisions and outcomes.
The framework can organize explanations for seeking food when hungry, resting when exhausted, or pursuing social contact when isolated. In each case, the relevant internal condition provides a reason for action, and the behavior addresses that condition. These examples make the theory useful for connecting physiological and emotional experiences with ordinary patterns of goal-directed behavior.
Push theory helps researchers ask how internal needs and emotional pressures influence the goals people select and the actions they take. Decision-making can be examined as an interaction between those internal forces and external incentives, rather than as a process determined by only one source. This perspective is useful when studying why behavior changes as needs or pressures change.