Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 June 2026
Chapter 1 describes the defining characteristics of motivation ( i.e. purpose, flexibility and goal direction, reinforcement, affect, a capacity to overcome obstacles, resolution of competition), with varying sensitivity to internal (e.g. nutrient levels) and external incentive (e.g. food) factors. The dichotomy between approach and avoidance is introduced. It goes on to introduce the topics of the remaining chapters of the book. Motivation potentiates certain functionally appropriate responses (e.g. lordosis in the female rat). The chapter describes Tinbergen’s four types of explanation: causal, functional, evolutionary, and developmental/learning.
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