The basis of goal-directed activity
The behavior of living creatures cannot be reduced exclusively to reactivity — a simple response to external stimuli. There is a fundamentally different form of activity based on motivations. They force the organism not just to wait passively for a stimulus, but to enter a state of active search for the necessary objects in the external environment.
Such active search has a number of specific characteristics:
- Persistence in achieving the result.
- High energy expenditure on carrying out search behavior.
- Overcoming obstacles encountered on the way to the final goal.
I.P. Pavlov's doctrine of primary drives
Academician I.P. Pavlov described such active goal-directed forms of activity as «primary drives of organisms». As classic examples of such states, he cited the drive of hunger, which forces an animal to look for food, and exploratory behavior aimed at studying a new environment.
It is important to clearly distinguish between the concepts of drive (motivation) and a classical reflex:
- Reflex is an organism's reaction to external stimuli that are already acting on it at the present moment.
- Drive (motivation) is an internal state aimed at searching for specific stimuli in the external environment that are not present at the moment, but are critically necessary.
Modern terminology and classification
In modern physiological literature, the term "urge" is quite rare. Instead, Russian researchers prefer to use the terms "drive" or "motivation" (etymologically derived from the English word movement). In foreign physiological and psychological schools, the concept of "drive" (drive) has become established to denote basic urges.
Globally, all motivations of living creatures are generally divided into two large groups depending on the nature of the need that causes them:
- Biological motivations (aimed at the survival of the organism and the species).
- Social motivations (associated with the interaction of individuals in a group and society).
Briefly: answers to topical questions
What specific brain structures and regions form biological motivations?
Biological motivations are formed systemically, starting in the hypothalamus and spreading to other parts of the brain. This process involves:
- Hypothalamus — generates primary impulses and plays a leading pacemaker role in the structure of excitation.
- Cingulate gyrus (Gyrus cinguli) and limbic system structures — ensure the long-term maintenance of motivational tension through the circulation of excitation.
- Brainstem reticular formation (Formatio reticularis) — increases general tone and readiness for action, exerting an ascending activating influence on the cortex.
- Frontal cortex (Cortex frontalis) — carries out decision-making, programs activity, and provides descending control for goal-directed behavior.
What are the main types of biological motivations?
The main types of biological motivations are aimed at satisfying leading biological needs for the preservation of the individual, species, or genus. The following types are distinguished:
- Hunger, thirst.
- Fear, aggression.
- Sexual and parental drives.
- Urges to urinate and defecate — are adjacent to this group.
Physiological basis of leading needs:
- Nutritional — decrease in nutrient levels.
- Drinking — increase in osmotic pressure.
- Thermal — change in body temperature.
- Sexual — increase in sex hormone levels.
How does motivational excitation form within the framework of P.K. Anokhin's theory of functional systems?
The formation of motivational excitation occurs via a pacemaker principle, beginning at the stage of afferent synthesis of the behavioral act. This process includes the following stages:
- Primary emergence — excitation periodically appears in the motivational centers of the hypothalamus as the need increases to a critical level.
- Generalization of excitation — a widespread propagation of impulses occurs in the ascending direction up to the cerebral cortex.
- Tuning of neurons — excitation alters the reactivity of cortical formations, preparing them for reinforcing stimuli.
The formed dominant motivation forms the basis of goal-directed behavior oriented toward achieving an adaptive result.
Difference from a reflex: Reflex — Reacts to what ALREADY exists. Motivation — Mobilizes to search for what does NOT exist.
Class and exam questions
What is the main difference between motivation and a reflex?
A reflex is triggered by an already acting external stimulus. Motivation, however, triggers an active search for the required stimulus (object) which is currently absent in the environment.
What is «drive» in physiology?
This is a foreign term (drive) which is an analogue of the concepts «primary drive» or «motivation». It denotes an internal urge to action.
What brain structures are involved in motivation?
Motivation unites neural elements of various levels of the brain, creating a single functional system to achieve a goal.
What else to study on this topic
- Neurophysiological mechanisms: how different brain levels unite during motivation
- Detailed classification of biological motivations (nutritional, drinking, sexual, etc.)
- Features and formation of social motivations in humans
- The role of emotions in assessing need satisfaction
- Mechanisms of terminating search behavior upon achieving the goal
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