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Chapter 8: Problem 1

True or false? Because they had so much difficulty trying to identify human behaviors that might be instinctual, early psychologists abandoned instinct theories as an explanation of human motivation.

Short Answer

Expert verified
False. Early psychologists did not completely "abandon" instinct theories but instead sought to expand and refine their understandings, incorporating additional perspectives like cognitive and social influences to account for the complexity and richness of human motivations.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Early Psychological Theories

Early on, psychologists attempted to explain human behavior primarily through instinct theories, suggesting behaviors were mostly driven by innate biological responses or instincts.
02

Recognizing the Limitations

As the field progressed, psychologists encountered difficulty applying these instinct theories uniformly to the diverse and complex range of human behaviors and motivations.
03

Evolution of Theoretical Approach

Recognizing these limitations, psychologists didn't completely "abandon" these theories but instead sought to expand and refine their understandings. Different approaches, such as psychodynamic, cognitive, and social theories, emerged in an attempt to provide a more comprehensive explanation of human behaviors and motivations.
04

Coming to the Conclusion

Given this, it is not entirely accurate to say that psychologists abandoned instinct theories due to their difficulty in identifying instinctual human behaviors. They instead evolved their approaches to account for the complexity and richness of human motivations. Therefore, the original statement is False.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

True or false? Leptin is a neurotransmitter that is associated with reduced feelings of hunger, while ghrelin is a neurotransmitter that is associated with increased feelings of hunger.

True or false? Evidence suggests that obesity may be associated with reduced dopamine function in the brain.

Circle the letter of the correct answer. Compared to those in individualistic cultures, people in collectivistic cultures: a. are much less likely to achieve self-actualization b. are more likely to value extrinsic motivation over intrinsic motivation c. are more likely to be motivated to pursue achievements to promote the social status of their family or social group d. place much less value on the importance of self-esteem in psychological well-being

True or false? Whereas drive theories "pull" us to behave in certain ways, incentive theories describe the motivational "push" of external goals.

Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory: a. accurately describes psychological motives in individualistic but not collectivistic cultures b. has shown that self-actualization can be achieved even if only one of the innate psychological needs has been satisfied c. challenged the evolutionary perspective's notion that the need for relatedness has adaptive advantages d. contends that psychologically healthy people internalize external motivators as part of their identity and values
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