A presentation about needs,drives and instincts to ponder about,especially for sociology students.

1. NEEDS,DRIVES AND INSTICTS
Sociology in broad perspective.

2. INSTICTS THEORY
• This states that motivation is the result of biological genetic
programming.
• All beings within a species ae programmed for the same motivation.
• At the heart of this perspective, is the motivation to survive. We are
all programmed to survive.
• All our behaviors and motivation stem from biological programming.
Thus are actions are instincts.
• For example human mother will stay awake for the all night trying to
provide comfort.

3. William Mc Dougal(1908)-influential theorist.
• He viewed instincts as behavior patterns that are unlearned, uniform
in expression and universal in a species. For example birds build the
same nests and work in the same way even those born and raised in
captivity and isolation.
• Humans are the same and have instincts for behaviors, for example
parenting,submission,jealousy,mating etc.

4. DRIVES
• An intention state of tension that motivates an organism to engage in
activities that should reduce this tension.
• For example hunger leads to physical discomfort, leading to
motivation to get food which leads to eating, leading to a reduction in
physical tension which finally leads to a restoration of equilibrium.

5. NEED HIERACHY
• The systematic arrangement of needs according to priority which
assumes that basic needs must be met before less basic needs are
aroused. Thus like stage theories, we must meet one need before we
move on the next levels.

6. LEVELS OF NEEDS
• Physiological; include food, water and other vital components of life, if
these needs are not met,the organism cannot survive thus they are most
basic and important.
• Safety and security; these needs refer to more to the long term survival
than day to day needs, that is people seek out stable lives with careers,
homes and insurance.
• Belongingness and love; after obtaining a safe environment to live and
establishing some long term plans, people seek out love and affection from
family members, friends and lovers.
• Esteem; people become concerned with self esteem which may be based
on achievements that they earn, recognition from others for jobs they do.
• Cognitive; needs are based on acquiring knowledge and understanding of
the world, people and behavior.