Sexual Motivation Human Sexual Motivation

Sexual Motivation

Human sexual motivation is an inferred, internal state influenced by several factors, which determine engagement in sexual activity. These factors include physiological correlates such as hormones, odor, smell, touch and genetic make-up. Besides physiological motivators, human sexual behavior is also determined by psychological and environmental components such as cognition, attraction, conditioning, and cultural learning (Johnson, 1997). In fact, it is now believed that human sexual motivation cannot be explained by physiological factors alone. However, there was a time when psychologists theorized that human sexual motivation had its roots purely in physiological factors. Two such motivation theories were the "instinct" and "drive reduction" theories.

The instinct theory of motivation was based on the premise that much of human behavior stems from unlearned, innate tendencies. Thus, this theory explained human behavior such as crying, moving, imitation, curiosity, sympathy, love, and jealousy as unlearned behavior, which is modified by habits that are learned. In fact, several scholars such as McDougall and Thorndike even explained emotions as either the core of instincts or as unlearned patterns of behavior. Thus, some proponents of instinct theory tended to explain virtually all human behavior as a range of innate instincts. Sigmund Freud, on the other hand, believed that human behavior was motivated by primarily three instincts: sex, self-preservation, and death. Adler and Jung, two of Freud's associates, also emphasized the role of instincts in human motivation, but differed from Freud in defining the instincts of primary importance. Adler believed that it was power while Jung stressed on nutrition and gregariousness (Demartino & Stacey, p. 4).

In sum, however, the instinct theory explained human sexual motivation as an innate tendency, which is determined by biological factors such as hormones. While the instinct theory does not suggest that human sexual motivation is grounded in reproductive urges alone, the theory does explain human sexual behavior using only physiological motivators or instincts as a framework. Freud, in fact, went as far as defining the energizing force (libido) of humans as sexual in nature (Demartino & Stacey, p. 4).