Human behavior is driven by fifteen key motives

A new study has identified 15 fundamental motives that drive human behavior, showing how these forces intertwine and relate to one another.

Analyzing these motives through an evolutionary lens clarifies how they guide our habits and interactions – ultimately shedding light on our emotional life and decision-making processes.

Human motives beyond social needs

Psychological theories exploring why we do what we do have often focused on social or cultural drivers of behavior, with Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs being the most familiar. 

But while Maslow’s pyramid emphasizes belongingness and other higher-level needs, it does not fully capture the significance of evolutionary pressures that once helped humans survive and now underlie our modern choices.

Seeking a deeper understanding, HSE University scientists, alongside colleagues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, propose treating human motives as evolutionary adaptations. 

If certain behaviors once aided survival in prehistoric environments, they reason, the motives behind those behaviors can still be detected today through standard psychometric techniques.

Creating a catalog of core motives

To test this idea, the research team conducted an online survey of more than 500 participants. In the survey, respondents were asked to rate their agreement with 150 statements referencing routine preferences, worries, and social goals. 

The statements covered a spectrum of basic needs and impulses, such as “I enjoy going on roller coasters,” “Eating is less important to me than it seems to be for most people,” and “I spend a lot of time staying in touch with my friends,” among others.

Using network analysis, the team searched for stable clusters in participants’ motivations. 

The result was a catalog of 15 core motives, organized into five larger categories:

• Environmental: Hoard, Create
• Physiological: Fear, Disgust, Hunger, Comfort
• Reproductive: Lust, Attract, Love, Nurture
• Psychological: Curiosity, Play
• Social: Affiliate, Status, Justice

How motives interact

While identifying motives was a crucial step, the researchers also explored how these motives functionally interact with each other. 

“For instance, the motives of Love and Nurture are positioned close to each other in the network, which makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, as caring for offspring enhances their chances of survival,” explained Albina Gallyamova, a junior research fellow at the HSE Center for Sociocultural Research.

By contrast, the motives Fear and Curiosity often appear in tension with each other: Fear protects against potential dangers but, when too strong, can suppress Curiosity – needed for innovation and knowledge.

Motives with broad impacts

Two motives stood out for their broad impact on the entire network: Play and Status. 

The motive for Status can facilitate achieving other goals by opening up access to valuable resources, which boosts an individual’s likelihood of success in multiple areas, including romantic relationships. 

On the other hand, Play aids skill development, which in turn helps a person maintain or improve their Status.

The study also revealed intriguing links, like how Justice correlates with both Nurture and Curiosity, implying that an individual’s concern for fairness may be partly driven by empathy for others (Nurture) and a desire to stay informed (Curiosity) about potentially antisocial behavior.

Age and gender differences

Among other findings, the scientists noted important differences in how people of varying ages and genders prioritize certain motives. 

Women tended to rank Nurture and Comfort more highly, while men showed a greater focus on Status and Attract, a pattern that aligns with presumed evolutionary roles. Younger participants also gravitated to motives like Play and Status, while older individuals gave more weight to Fear and Comfort.

“These changes reflect different life stages: initially, we strive to secure our place in society, and later, we focus on safety and survival,” Gallyamova said.

Practical applications of the research 

Understanding these 15 fundamental motives can guide approaches in marketing, therapy, and AI development, the researchers say. For example, in targeted advertising, knowledge of which motives appeal to different demographics allows more precise messaging. 

Younger individuals driven by Status and Play might respond to promotions involving social prestige and fun, whereas older audiences may value reliability and comfort.

Similarly, developers of artificial intelligence could use an evolutionary perspective to build user interfaces that resonate with people’s core motivations – perhaps focusing on user autonomy, creativity, and social connectivity for younger audiences, while emphasizing convenience for an older group. 

In therapy, counselors might find it helpful to identify whether a client’s motives for Fear or Curiosity are out of balance and address them accordingly, potentially mitigating excessive anxiety.

“Ultimately, understanding the evolutionary motives that drive our behaviour enables us to create solutions that make people’s lives more comfortable, safer, and more interesting,” Gallyamova concluded.

The study is published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

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