What is the Difference Between Biological and Social Motives

Biological and social motives are the driving forces that fulfill the wants and needs of people. Motives are often categorized into primary and secondary. Primary motives are common to both animals and humans, whereas secondary motives can differ from animal to animal and person to person. Examples of primary motives are biological motives, while examples of secondary motives are social motives. In addition to the above, there are some motives called personal motives, which are allied with the above biological and social motives.

The key difference between biological and social motives is their nature. Biological motives are primary motives that satisfy the basic needs of people, while social motives are secondary motives that are learned through the association with primary motives.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Biological Motives
3. What are Social Motives
4. Similarities – Biological and Social Motives
5. Biological vs Social Motives in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Biological vs Social Motives
7. FAQ – Biological and Social Motives

What are Biological Motives?

Biological motives are primary or basic motives that are learned. They are biological in origin and common to all normal members of a species. Biological motives satisfy the basic needs of people. These motives are involved with the need for self-preservation.

Biological motives mainly include needs such as hunger, thirst, warmth, sex, and avoidance of pain. Biological motives may also include other motives that influence a person’s behaviour at a very basic level of needs.

Social motives are secondary motives. They are learned either through association with primary motives or in more complex social ways. These types of drives or motives differ from animal to animal and person to person. In many ways, these motives involve a person’s own sense of values and priorities in life.

Social motives are conscious ones. In case of social motives, a person consciously desires a particular goal and behaves in a way that brings them closer to that particular goal. Furthermore, some examples of social motives may include achievement motive, aggregation motive, power motive, acquisitive motive, curiosity motive, and gregariousness.

Biological and social motives are the driving forces that fulfill the wants and needs of people.
Social motives are learned through the association with biological motives.
Both these motives are conscious ones.
Personal motives are allied with both biological and social motives.

Definition

Biological motives are primary motives.
Social motives are secondary motives.

Learned or Unlearned

Biological motives are learned.
Social motives are unlearned.

Change

Biological motives do not change from animal to animal or person to person.
Social motives change from animal to animal and person to person.

Need for Survival

Biological motives are needed for survival.
Social motives are not needed for survival.

Examples

Examples of biological motives include hunger, thirst, need for oxygen, regulation of body temperature, need for sleep, avoidance of pain, elimination of waste, sex motive, and maternal motive.
Examples of social motives include achievement, aggression, power, acquisitiveness, curiosity, and gregariousness.

The following table summarizes the difference between biological and social motives.

Summary – Biological vs Social Motives

Motives are needs or desires that cause a person to act or work. They are mainly divided into primary and secondary. Biological motives are primary motives, while social motives are secondary motives. Biological motives are unlearned and satisfy the basic needs of people. On the other hand, social motives are learned either through association with primary motives or complex social ways. Furthermore, biological motives do not change from animal to animal or person to person, whereas social motives change from animal to animal and person to person. This is the summary of the difference between biological and social motives.

1. What are primary motives based on?

Primary motives are motives based on biological needs that need for the survival of the people. They are innate like hunger, thirst, pain avoidance, needs for oxygen, sleep, elimination of wastes and regulation of body temperature.

2. What are biogenic and sociogenic motives in psychology?

The biogenic motives are physiologically based and include maternal motive, avoidance of pain, thirst, fatigue, and hunger. Sociogenic motives are involved in the development of a personality that is not physiologically based.

3. What are the core social motives?

Social motives are secondary motives that are learned by association with primary motives or complex social ways. The core social motives include achievement, aggression, power, acquisitive, curiosity, and gregariousness.

4. What are personal motives?

Personal motives are allied with biological motives and common social motives. Personal motives are intrinsic or self-motivation. They are people’s wants and aspirations. They are not commonly shared by others.

5. What are examples of personal motives?

Some examples of personal motives are the need for achievement, vocational ambitions, life goals, levels of aspirations, the force of habit, interests, attitudes, curiosity, and fear.

Reference:

1. “Types of Motives: Biological, Social and Personal Motives: Psychology.” Psychology Discussion – Discuss Anything About Psychology.
2. “Social Motivation.” Social Motivation | ScienceDirect.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Origins of Motivation in Sub-Primate Mammals” By Rampjs48 – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia

CONTENTS