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Hunger Motivation

What do you do when you’re hungry? You eat! This concept is not rocket science; however, scientists have taken decades to find an exact explanation for why we, as humans, feel hungry. People eat out on dates, on holidays, and simply to feel closer to one another. There are multi-million dollar businesses founded on the impetus of eating. Something this important to the human experience must be studied, and this explanation will help you digest information regarding the definition of hunger motivation, the psychological theories, and the role biological mechanisms play in hunger.       

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Hunger Motivation

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What do you do when you’re hungry? You eat! This concept is not rocket science; however, scientists have taken decades to find an exact explanation for why we, as humans, feel hungry. People eat out on dates, on holidays, and simply to feel closer to one another. There are multi-million dollar businesses founded on the impetus of eating. Something this important to the human experience must be studied, and this explanation will help you digest information regarding the definition of hunger motivation, the psychological theories, and the role biological mechanisms play in hunger.

  • What is hunger motivation?
  • What is hunger motivation theory?
  • How is hunger motivation caused?

Hunger Motivation in Psychology

Before understanding the many theories and explanations regarding the motivation behind hunger, we must empirically define and operationalize the relevant terminology.

Hunger Motivation, a child eating a piece of watermelon, VaiaFg. 1 Eating, pexels.com.

Definition of Hunger Motivation

Hunger itself can have multiple scientific definitions depending on how a study intends to measure and observe the presence of hunger.

The medical dictionary provides a basic definition explaining that hunger is simply the desire or need to consume food.

Motivation is defined by the American Psychological Association (2007) as the force that gives direction and purpose to an individual's behavior regardless of their own awareness.

The topic of motivation is a widely researched concept with several valid theories. Hunger and motivation are some of the most crucial correlational factors within these studies and provide both biological and psychological perspectives.

Hunger Motivation Theory

There is no one explanation or theory for motivation and hunger. Many early psychologists and scientific studies suggest that hunger motivation is solely a biological and physiological process. However, since these theories were founded, there have been many contradictory factors involving the motivations behind hunger.

Many ideas surrounding the late hunger motivation theory beg the question - is hunger an internal or external motivation?

A case for both explanations can be made. Some theories of motivation support hunger as a biological occurrence which would be an example of internal motivation.

One hunger motivation example supporting the biological perspective is the local theory of hunger and stomach contraction theory (Cannon & Washburn 1995). This theory is founded on the idea that hunger comes from the biological process of stomach contractions that signal to the brain when we are hungry.

Psychologist Al Washburn tested his stomach contraction theory by inflating a balloon-type material in his stomach. When the balloon had become fully inflated, he reported this diminished his feeling of hunger (Hara 1997). This proved his theory that internal motivation uses biological signals of hunger by stomach contractions.

Causes of Hunger Motivation

Early biological explanations for the motivation of hunger also included drops in glucose levels or even a decrease in fatty acids resulting in hunger signals. Over time, these theories have been proven insufficient as the main motivators of hunger.

While they make sense in terms of the biological and primary physiological needs of humans, they cannot account for several other external motivators behind feeling hungry.

External Causes of Hunger Motivation and Examples

A few of the main causes of hunger motivation include external factors. These are akin to psychological theories of hunger.

Often, people find themselves eating even when they are not hungry. This is precisely what contradicts the previously mentioned biological drive theories. If the only motivator to eat is to reduce feelings of hunger, then why do so many admit to eating despite the lack of hunger?

Incentive and Arousal Theories

General theories that may account for the external motivation of hunger are incentive and arousal.

Incentive theory (1940) states that motivation can stem from external stimuli that provide reinforcement for behavior. When applying this theory to hunger motivation the act of eating must be reinforced by some sort of external motivator or stimulus as an incentive to continue the behavior.

One example of hunger motivation based on incentive theory can be seen in bodybuilders. Usually, people who want to maintain or gain weight will eat in a calorie surplus. The motivator in this situation is the external desire to achieve a certain physique or weight goal. This reinforcer causes the individual to increase the behavior of eating thus supporting the incentive-based theory.

Arousal theory (1908) was founded on the idea that motivation comes from the desire to reach a level of Sensation. Of course, this would make sense in the motivation for hunger due to our natural willingness to satiate taste receptors.

Think about how good it feels to indulge in a big slice of chocolate cake, a juicy steak, or a bag of salty fries. You may enjoy eating these not just because you are hungry, but because it is pleasurable.

It is no secret that eating can produce feelings of pleasure and there is an abundance of psychological studies to support this. One study explores the brain’s pleasure cycle in relation to eating and concludes that the cycle “links pleasure with the cyclical changes in hunger levels related to the initiation and termination of meals” (Kringelbach, 2015).

Studies like this support the external motivation of hunger as well as the implications behind theories of the biological processes of hunger motivation.

Hunger Motivation - Key takeaways

  • Hunger is the desire or the need to consume food.
  • Motivation is the force that gives direction and purpose to the behavior of an individual.
  • Hunger motivation is not solely a biological and physiological process.
  • Internal biological theories cannot account for several other external motivators.
  • General theories that may account for external motivation of hunger are incentive theory and arousal theory.
    • Incentive theory states the act of eating must be reinforced by some sort of external motivator.
    • Arousal theory supports the idea that motivation comes from the desire to reach a level of Sensation.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hunger Motivation

Hunger motivation in psychology is the motivation or drive that causes the feeling of hunger, whether it is an internal physiological or external process.

Motivation on a physiological basis.

Both internal and external psychological factors influence hunger motivation.

Many theorists believed that hunger was solely an internal motivation; however, there are also many external factors of motivation as well.

Both the hypothalamus and the amygdala motivate hunger.

Final Hunger Motivation Quiz

Hunger Motivation Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

Question

Hunger motivation is solely a biological and physiological process. True or False?

Show answer

Answer

False.

Show question

Question

Is hunger motivation internal or external?

Show answer

Answer

Both

Show question

Question

Describe the stomach contraction theory.

Show answer

Answer

 hunger comes from the biological process of stomach contractions that signal to the brain when we are hungry. 

Show question

Question

 Al Washburn tested his stomach contraction theory by inflating a balloon-type material in his stomach. True or False?


Show answer

Answer

True

Show question

Question

What are the causes of hunger motivation?

Show answer

Answer

internal and external theories of motivation

Show question

Question

Describe incentive theory of hunger

Show answer

Answer

the act of eating must be reinforced by some sort of external motivator

Show question

Question

Describe arousal theory of hunger

Show answer

Answer

motivation comes from the desire to reach a level of sensation

Show question

Question

Basic definition of hunger

Show answer

Answer

the desire or need to consume food

Show question

Question

APA defines motivation as 

Show answer

Answer

the force that gives direction and purpose to the behavior

Show question

Question

Some theories of motivation support hunger as a biological occurrence which would be an example of...



Show answer

Answer

Internal motivation

Show question

Question

Humans are motivated to eat through glucose receptors in the stomach. This is an example of...

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Answer

a biological internal motivation

Show question

Question

I at a large piece of carrot cake after a bad day to feel better. This is an example of what theory?

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Answer

arousal theory

Show question

Question

A child eats their vegetables to receive praise from their parent. What theory is this an example of?

Show answer

Answer

Incentive theory

Show question

Question

Hunger is based on external motivation only. True or False?

Show answer

Answer

False.

Show question

Question

I eat balanced meals to get in better shape. What theory is this an example of?

Show answer

Answer

Incentive theory

Show question

Question

True or False? There is no one explanation for motivation and hunger. 

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Answer

True

Show question

Question

Your stomach is growling. You forgot to eat breakfast and you forgot your lunch. According to the stomach contraction theory, what is signaling to you that you are hungry?

Show answer

Answer

Stomach contractions causing your stomach to growl send a signal to your brain. 

Show question

Question

What is hunger?

Show answer

Answer

The desire or need to consume food

Show question

Question

True or false? Hunger only refers to when humans need to consume food

Show answer

Answer

False

Show question

Question

What is motivation?

Show answer

Answer

The force that gives direction and purpose to an individual's behavior regardless of their own awareness

Show question

Question

According to the stomach contraction theory, if you drink enough water so that your stomach is full of water, will you still be hungry?

Show answer

Answer

No

Show question

Question

How do biological drive theories of hunger explain eating when you're not hungry?

Show answer

Answer

They don't

Show question

Question

True or false? The incentive theory of hunger says that people are motivated to eat by external stimuli. 

Show answer

Answer

True

Show question

Question

Would eating more food to conform to your friend group be explained by incentive theory or arousal theory?

Show answer

Answer

Incentive

Show question

Question

Can you eating food that you don't like be explained by the arousal theory of hunger motivation?

Show answer

Answer

No

Show question

Question

Which hunger motivation theory would explain eating when you're bored?

Show answer

Answer

Incentive theory

Show question

Question

What used to be believed as the biological explanations for hunger?

Show answer

Answer

Drops in glucose levels or even a decrease in fatty acids resulting in hunger signals

Show question

Question

Which form of hunger motivation is this? Bob eats cookies every day because he loves sweets. 

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Answer

Arousal

Show question

Question

Which form of hunger motivation is this? Fred wants to bulk up for football season so he eats past the point of him being full.

Show answer

Answer

Incentive

Show question

Question

Which form of hunger motivation is this? Joe eats because he feels hungry. 

Show answer

Answer

Internal

Show question

Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards

True or false? Hunger only refers to when humans need to consume food

According to the stomach contraction theory, if you drink enough water so that your stomach is full of water, will you still be hungry?

True or false? The incentive theory of hunger says that people are motivated to eat by external stimuli. 

Next

Flashcards in Hunger Motivation30

Start learning

Hunger motivation is solely a biological and physiological process. True or False?

False.

Is hunger motivation internal or external?

Both

Describe the stomach contraction theory.

 hunger comes from the biological process of stomach contractions that signal to the brain when we are hungry. 

 Al Washburn tested his stomach contraction theory by inflating a balloon-type material in his stomach. True or False?


True

What are the causes of hunger motivation?

internal and external theories of motivation

Describe incentive theory of hunger

the act of eating must be reinforced by some sort of external motivator

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