Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Hunger motivation refers to the drive that living beings have to eat food for survival. It's a basic physiological need, which is part of our body's homeostatic mechanisms.
This theory suggests that physiological needs create an aroused state that drives us to reduce the need by engaging in some behavior - in this case, eating.
The tendency of a system, especially the physiological system of higher animals, to maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus tending to disturb its normal condition or function.
These are biological requirements for human survival including air, food, drink, shelter and clothing. If these requirements are not met, the human body cannot function properly and will ultimately fail.