It plays an important role in directing human behaviors and activating an organism.

Motive is an umbrella term covering wishes, needs, drives and interests that induce an organism to act towards a purpose.

Physiological needs of organisms to balance body processes by using many resources is called need. In addition, attainment, social approval and wish to achieve a social status, which greatly direct human behavior, are also called need.

Bodily needs such as hunger, thirst and sex create state of tension or arousal called a drive.

Stress level gets higher in the organism. Organism quickly reacts to reduce this stress level. When satisfaction process is enabled, organism turns into its original condition.

Thirst and sex, and needs are the most obvious internal motivators in physiological issues

When a person is hungry, the need for eating continually increases. At this point, hunger drive may not increase as much as the need. The need to find food continuously increases however, a problem or stress factor at work or fear of getting fat can prevent the individual from eating.

Biological factors are not always necessary in the emergence of some behaviors. Any condition around the individual may act as a stimulant for a specific behavior.

Incentive refers to non-biological elements that appeal to an individual even if he does
not feel any need and trigger him for an action accordingly.

If an organism is over an optimal arousal level, it tries to maintain a certain level of arousal by looking for a calmer environment. The motivated behavior is an attempt to reduce the unpleasant state of tension in the body and to return the body to a state of homeostatis.

The fact that human behaviors are not only innate, they can be developed later on, and
common human behaviors are not observed as many times as individually unique behaviors weakens the relationship between intuition and human beings. People learn most of their behaviors later on and often show behaviors unique to them rather than
stereotype behaviors. That is why it is difficult to explain human behavior through instinct.

It refers to a biological balance displaying an internal stable condition regarding how and how much food will be taken by the organism.

Because other motives vary according to individuals since they are learned ones.

Primary motives and social motives.

They refer to common and unlearned drives that emerge due to biological needs and direct human behaviors accordingly.

Hypothalamus is the center directing the reactions related to hunger in the body. It also controls eating process as hunger and thirst control center.

While hunger and thirst are essential for the survival of an organism, sexuality is important only for the continuation of a species. When hunger and thirst drives are not satisfied for a long time, the organism may die. However, this is not the case for sexuality behavior. In addition, the number of stimulants that might trigger sexuality motive is quite high. While hunger and thirst are directly affected by stimulants related with these needs, anything might be a stimulant for sexuality. In addition, organism spends energy while satisfying sex motive, but satisfaction of hunger or thirst provides energy for the body. Also, the motive of hunger or thirst increases even if the individual does not want. In sexuality, the individual wishes and starts the arousal and later searches for ways to relieve this tension.

Moral values and rules of a society determine the pattern and density of sexual behavior.

This motive is only about obtaining information and does not have any other important contribution to the individual.

They are shaped by social life and social values although they are sometimes affected by biological needs.

Failing to satisfy hunger and thirst motives can cause biological problems. However, when learned motives are not satisfied, psychological problems occur rather than biological ones.

Learned motives may change from culture to culture. 

While individuals with high level need for attainment want to do his job as perfectly as possible, the individuals with high level fear of failure prefer tasks with higher possibility of success and avoid other difficult tasks even if they have the potential to succeed.

• basic physiological needs such as hunger, thirst, breathing, sexuality and sleeping
• the need for safety for family, job and properties
• social needs related to love and belonging such as family, social groups, close friendship
• the need for the appreciation of value, achievement and respect
• self-actualization which covers the superiority of morality, creativity and problem solution

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it is necessary to satisfy a need at a
lower lever so that the need at the upper level becomes more obvious.

• Subjective emotional experience
• Emotional behavior level
• Physiological reactions

• fear
• joy
• anger
• sadness
• disgust
• anticipation
• acceptance
• surprise

1. Emotion-producing stimulus
2. Physiological response
3. Feeling of emotion

Cannon–Bard theory suggests that emotions accompany physiological reaction. In contrast, James-Lange theory argues that emotions induce physiological changes.

It is a term used to explain how some individuals recover from illnesses by taking fake medicine without receiving real treatment.

Basic emotion expressions such as anger, happiness, sadness, fear and surprise.