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Drive Reduction Theory

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025

Definition

The Drive Reduction Theory suggests that our motivation to engage in certain behaviors is driven by the need to reduce physiological drives or tensions within our bodies. When we experience a biological need, such as hunger, it creates a drive or internal state of tension, which motivates us to seek out and engage in behaviors that will satisfy that need and reduce the drive.

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