- A hospital quality-improvement team used Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to reduce nurse turnover. Surveys indicated many nurses felt physically exhausted and were skipping meals during shifts due to staffing shortages. A subset wore actigraphy devices showing reduced sleep duration. The hospital can implement either (1) guaranteed meal breaks and schedule changes to increase sleep opportunity or (2) a professional development program emphasizing leadership and recognition. Which change is most consistent with Maslow's theory for improving retention in the short term?
Assume both programs are valued but cannot be implemented simultaneously.
Answer: Implement meal breaks and sleep-supporting schedules first because physiological needs can dominate when chronically unmet
The skill being tested is the application of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to nurse retention strategies. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs proposes that human motivations are organized in a pyramid, with physiological needs at the base, followed by safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, where lower needs must be met before higher ones dominate. In this scenario, exhaustion and reduced sleep indicate chronically unmet physiological needs, dominating over esteem pursuits. Thus, the correct answer B is accurate because meal breaks and sleep support address foundational needs, improving retention. In contrast, distractor A fails because esteem is not primary under physiological strain. To check understanding, consider if a tired worker values rest or recognition; they would prioritize rest. This illustrates how basic needs underpin occupational motivation.
- A community program evaluated Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs among refugees newly arriving in a host country. Many participants reported uncertainty about legal status and personal safety; some also showed elevated resting heart rate and higher self-reported hypervigilance. Program staff could prioritize either (1) legal aid and stable housing placement or (2) language classes framed around social integration and belonging. Which prioritization is most consistent with Maslow's theory for supporting later engagement in language learning?
Assume limited staff time requires choosing one priority for the first month.
Answer: Prioritize legal aid and housing first because safety needs can constrain attention and motivation for belonging-focused activities
The skill being tested is the application of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to program prioritization for refugees. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs proposes that human motivations are organized in a pyramid, with physiological needs at the base, followed by safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, where lower needs must be met before higher ones dominate. In this scenario, legal uncertainty and hypervigilance indicate unmet safety needs, constraining motivation for belonging activities like language classes. Thus, the correct answer B is accurate because prioritizing legal aid and housing supports later engagement in higher needs. In contrast, distractor A fails because belonging needs do not precede safety in the hierarchy. To check understanding, consider if an unsafe refugee learns language or seeks shelter; they would prioritize shelter. This illustrates how safety fulfillment enables social motivations.
- A university counseling center evaluates an intervention explicitly grounded in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for students on academic probation. Intake surveys indicate that many students report persistent anxiety about personal security (e.g., unsafe living situations) and limited access to consistent meals. Clinicians note that chronic activation of stress responses can bias attention toward immediate threat and reduce capacity for sustained planning. Based on Maslow's hierarchy, which counseling-center partnership would be most consistent with the theory's approach to improving motivation for academic achievement?
Answer: Partner with campus security and food assistance services to stabilize safety and physiological needs before intensive career-planning workshops.
This question tests understanding of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in academic counseling for probationary students. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theorizes a progression where safety and physiological needs precede achievement-oriented motivation. In this university setting, security anxieties and meal inconsistencies activate stress responses, limiting planning capacity. Choice D is correct because partnering for safety and food stabilizes lower needs, fostering motivation for academic goals, per Maslow's model. Choice B fails as a distractor because it prioritizes self-actualization prematurely, violating the hierarchy. To apply this, integrate need assessments into counseling protocols. A transferable check is correlating basic need fulfillment with academic persistence outcomes.
- In a study explicitly framed by Drive Reduction Theory, participants were exposed to a mildly aversive noise for several minutes, producing increased startle response and self-reported discomfort. They were then given two options: (1) press a button to reduce the noise volume immediately, requiring repeated presses, or (2) ignore the noise and complete a short survey for a small reward. Which behavior is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory?
Assume button pressing reliably reduces the aversive stimulus.
Answer: More button pressing to reduce the noise because behavior is motivated to decrease an aversive drive-like state and restore comfort
The skill being tested is the application of Drive Reduction Theory to aversive noise and behavioral response. Drive Reduction Theory posits that motivation arises from the need to reduce aversive internal states, such as physiological drives, to restore homeostasis. In this scenario, noise induces discomfort and startle, creating an aversive state that motivates reduction efforts. Thus, the correct answer D is accurate because more button pressing decreases the noise, alleviating the drive. In contrast, distractor B fails because aversive states do not increase pursuit of unrelated rewards over direct reduction. To check understanding, consider if someone in loud noise turns it down or does a task; they prioritize turning it down. This illustrates how drives promote direct aversive stimulus control.
- To test Drive Reduction Theory in pain-related motivation, participants immersed a hand in cold water (cold pressor) and then were offered a choice: (1) stop the immersion immediately or (2) continue for an additional minute to earn a small reward. Pain ratings and sympathetic arousal (skin conductance) increased during immersion. Which behavior is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory?
Assume the reward is modest and participants are not competing.
Answer: More immediate stopping because terminating the stimulus reduces an aversive drive state associated with pain and arousal
The skill being tested is the application of Drive Reduction Theory to pain avoidance and choice behavior. Drive Reduction Theory posits that motivation arises from the need to reduce aversive internal states, such as physiological drives, to restore homeostasis. In this scenario, cold immersion increases pain and arousal, creating an aversive drive that motivates termination to alleviate discomfort. Thus, the correct answer D is accurate because immediate stopping reduces the pain state. In contrast, distractor B fails because aversive states do not increase preference for prolonged stimulation. To check understanding, consider if someone in pain chooses relief or a reward; they would prioritize relief. This illustrates how drive reduction promotes escape from aversive stimuli.
- In a laboratory study on Drive Reduction Theory, healthy adults are randomly assigned to either 12 hours of food deprivation or no deprivation. After the manipulation, all participants complete a computer task in which they can work to earn either (i) a snack available immediately or (ii) extra points redeemable for a snack the next day. Salivary ghrelin (a peripheral hormone that increases with fasting) is sampled immediately before the task. The researchers report that the deprived group shows higher ghrelin and chooses the immediate snack more often. Based on Drive Reduction Theory and the biological basis of hunger signaling, which additional finding is most consistent with the theory as applied to this scenario?
Answer: After eating the snack, deprived participants will show reduced motivation to continue working for food-related rewards during the task.
This question tests understanding of Drive Reduction Theory, which posits that physiological imbalances create drives that motivate behavior to restore homeostasis. In this scenario, food deprivation creates a hunger drive (reflected in elevated ghrelin), motivating participants to seek immediate food rewards. The key prediction is that once the drive is reduced by eating, motivation for food-related rewards should decrease. Answer B correctly states that after eating the snack, deprived participants will show reduced motivation to continue working for food rewards, as their hunger drive has been satisfied. Answer A incorrectly introduces social approval as a mediator, which is not part of Drive Reduction Theory. To verify this concept, remember that Drive Reduction Theory predicts behavior follows a cycle: physiological imbalance → drive state → motivated behavior → drive reduction → decreased motivation.
- A hospital unit is experiencing high staff turnover. Administrators propose an intervention based explicitly on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. A needs assessment finds that nurses report concerns about workplace safety (frequent understaffing, fear of making errors) and also report feeling undervalued. The unit's occupational health team notes that persistent threat perception can elevate sympathetic activity and cortisol, which may narrow attention toward immediate risk management. According to Maslow's hierarchy, which change should be prioritized to most effectively support motivation for esteem-related engagement (e.g., seeking leadership roles) later?
Answer: Increase staffing ratios and implement nonpunitive error-reporting to address safety needs before expecting sustained esteem striving.
This question tests understanding of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs applied to workplace motivation and turnover. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theorizes that needs are hierarchical, with safety needs requiring satisfaction before esteem needs can motivate behaviors like seeking leadership. In this hospital setting, understaffing and error fears elevate stress physiology, focusing attention on immediate safety rather than esteem. Choice D is correct because addressing safety through staffing and reporting systems lays the foundation for later esteem motivation, consistent with Maslow's sequential model. Choice B fails as a distractor because it assumes recognition satisfies all needs at once, ignoring the hierarchy's structure. To apply this, prioritize interventions based on the lowest unmet need in assessments. A transferable check is monitoring stress indicators to identify blocked need levels.
- In a controlled feeding study grounded in Drive Reduction Theory, participants fasted overnight and then either consumed a high-protein breakfast or remained fasting. Blood glucose was measured; the fasting group had lower glucose and reported stronger hunger. Thirty minutes later, participants could work on a tedious task to earn snack portions. Which outcome is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory given the biological drive state?
Assume the task requires moderate effort and snacks are immediately available after completion.
Answer: Fasting group completes more work to obtain snacks because eating reduces the hunger drive associated with low glucose
The skill being tested is the application of Drive Reduction Theory to hunger and effortful behavior for food. Drive Reduction Theory posits that motivation arises from the need to reduce aversive internal states, such as physiological drives, to restore homeostasis. In this scenario, low blood glucose in the fasting group creates a hunger drive, motivating greater effort to obtain snacks. Thus, the correct answer D is accurate because the fasting group works more to reduce the hunger state. In contrast, distractor B fails because hunger drives energize, rather than reduce, eating-related behaviors. To check understanding, consider if a starved animal forages more; it would to alleviate hunger. This illustrates how drives increase instrumental actions toward reduction.
- Researchers examined Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in a sample of newly housed adults transitioning out of homelessness. Participants were offered two optional programs during their first month: (1) a nightly meal plan with guaranteed calories and (2) a peer-led community arts group designed to increase belonging and esteem. Many participants reported persistent hunger and irregular access to food despite stable housing. Fasting ghrelin levels were elevated in those with the most food insecurity. Based on Maslow's framework and the biological drive signal described, which program uptake is most consistent with the theory during the first month?
Context: elevated ghrelin indicates stronger hunger signaling.
Answer: Higher enrollment in the meal plan because physiological needs are prioritized when hunger signals remain high
The skill being tested is the application of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to program uptake in formerly homeless adults. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs proposes that human motivations are organized in a pyramid, with physiological needs at the base, followed by safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, where lower needs must be met before higher ones dominate. In this scenario, persistent hunger and elevated ghrelin indicate unmet physiological needs despite secured housing, constraining motivation for higher-level activities. Thus, the correct answer C is accurate because higher enrollment in the meal plan addresses the prioritized physiological need for food. In contrast, distractor A fails because esteem needs would not take precedence while physiological hunger signals remain high, per the hierarchy. To check understanding, consider if a starving artist would focus on painting or eating; they would prioritize eating first. This illustrates how unmet basic needs can block engagement with self-fulfillment pursuits.
- In an animal-model experiment framed by Drive Reduction Theory, rodents are food-deprived for 18 hours and then placed in an operant chamber where lever pressing yields either (a) standard chow pellets or (b) non-nutritive flavored pellets with similar texture. In a subset of animals, hypothalamic neurons that respond to energy deficit are transiently inhibited prior to testing. The investigators describe these neurons as part of a circuit that translates metabolic signals into hunger-related motivation.
Which result is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory and the proposed biological basis of hunger?
Answer: Inhibiting the hunger-related hypothalamic neurons reduces lever pressing for chow because the physiological drive signal is blunted, decreasing motivation to restore energy balance.
This question tests Drive Reduction Theory's biological basis using an animal model of hunger motivation. Drive Reduction Theory proposes that physiological drive states, created by deviations from homeostasis, motivate behaviors that reduce these drives. In this experiment, food deprivation creates an energy deficit that activates hypothalamic hunger circuits, generating a hunger drive state. When these hunger-related hypothalamic neurons are inhibited, the physiological drive signal is blunted or eliminated. According to Drive Reduction Theory, reducing the drive signal should decrease motivation to engage in behaviors (lever pressing) aimed at obtaining food, because the internal motivational state has been artificially reduced. This demonstrates that motivation depends on physiological drive states rather than just prior learning (choice C). The theory predicts reduced, not increased, responding when drives are diminished (choice B), and focuses on biological mechanisms rather than anthropomorphic preferences (choice D).
- Researchers test Drive Reduction Theory using a within-subject design. Participants complete two sessions: in one, they drink a high-salt broth; in the other, they drink a low-salt broth matched for volume and temperature. Immediately afterward, they can choose to work on a tedious button-press task that earns either water or a savory snack. The investigators highlight that increased plasma osmolality activates osmoreceptors and hypothalamic circuits that generate thirst. Based on Drive Reduction Theory, which pattern of reward selection is most consistent with the theory?
Answer: After the high-salt broth, participants will preferentially work for water because behavior is directed toward reducing the thirst drive.
This question tests understanding of Drive Reduction Theory in the context of thirst and salt-induced drives. Drive Reduction Theory explains motivation as the drive to reduce physiological imbalances, such as thirst triggered by high osmolality, prompting behaviors to restore equilibrium. In this study, high-salt broth increases plasma osmolality, activating thirst circuits, while low-salt does not, creating differential drives for water versus snacks. Choice C is correct because after high-salt broth, the thirst drive motivates preferential work for water to reduce that specific drive, matching the theory's emphasis on homeostasis. Choice B fails as a distractor because it misinterprets the drive as craving more salt rather than reducing thirst through fluid intake. To verify, confirm if the chosen reward directly alleviates the induced physiological drive. A transferable check is distinguishing between drives by their homeostatic targets in experimental designs.
- A sleep laboratory evaluates Drive Reduction Theory in the context of sleep pressure. Participants are kept awake for 24 hours under controlled conditions. Researchers measure subjective sleepiness and record adenosine-related sleep pressure indirectly via EEG markers associated with increased homeostatic drive. During the deprivation period, participants can choose between (i) a quiet dark room to nap or (ii) a bright lounge with engaging media. The study frames sleepiness as an aversive internal state that motivates behavior to reduce the drive. Which observation is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory and the biological basis of sleep homeostasis?
Answer: As sleep pressure increases, participants will increasingly choose the nap option, and choosing it will reduce subsequent sleep-seeking behavior.
This question tests Drive Reduction Theory applied to sleep homeostasis. Sleep deprivation creates a physiological drive state (sleep pressure) marked by adenosine accumulation and EEG changes, which motivates sleep-seeking behavior. Drive Reduction Theory predicts that as this aversive state intensifies, participants will increasingly choose options that reduce the drive. Answer D correctly states that as sleep pressure increases, participants will choose the nap option more frequently, and that napping will reduce subsequent sleep-seeking behavior by satisfying the drive. Answer C incorrectly suggests drive reduction strengthens the drive, which contradicts the theory's fundamental principle that satisfying a drive reduces motivation. The key verification is that Drive Reduction Theory predicts a negative feedback loop: drive increases → behavior to reduce drive → drive decreases → reduced motivation.
- To examine Drive Reduction Theory and thermoregulation, participants sat in a cold chamber for 15 minutes. Core temperature decreased slightly, and participants reported discomfort. They were then offered a choice between (1) putting on a warm jacket or (2) completing a short puzzle for a small reward before receiving the jacket. Which behavior is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory and the biological basis of the drive?
Assume the jacket reliably increases warmth.
Answer: Choose the jacket immediately because it reduces the aversive cold state and restores homeostatic comfort
The skill being tested is the application of Drive Reduction Theory to thermoregulatory behavior in cold exposure. Drive Reduction Theory posits that motivation arises from the need to reduce aversive internal states, such as physiological drives, to restore homeostasis. In this scenario, decreased core temperature creates discomfort, motivating actions to restore warmth. Thus, the correct answer D is accurate because choosing the jacket immediately reduces the cold-induced aversive state. In contrast, distractor B fails because cold exposure does not increase curiosity as a dominant drive over thermoregulation. To check understanding, consider if a cold person chooses a blanket or a book; they would prioritize the blanket. This illustrates how drive reduction directs behavior toward homeostasis restoration.
- In a behavioral neuroscience experiment focused on Drive Reduction Theory, rodents are food-restricted overnight. One group receives an injection of a hormone that increases hunger signaling (modeled on ghrelin-like effects), while a control group receives saline. Animals are then placed in an operant chamber where lever presses deliver food pellets. The researchers emphasize that hypothalamic circuits integrate peripheral hunger signals to motivate feeding. Which result is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory's account of motivated behavior in this paradigm?
Answer: Hormone-injected rodents will press the lever more because an increased hunger drive produces stronger motivation to reduce that drive by obtaining food.
This question tests understanding of Drive Reduction Theory in operant behavior influenced by hunger signals. Drive Reduction Theory holds that stronger physiological drives, like amplified hunger, increase motivation to engage in behaviors that reduce those drives, such as seeking food. In this experiment, the hunger hormone injection enhances hypothalamic signaling, intensifying the drive compared to saline controls. Choice A is correct because the injected rodents experience a stronger hunger drive, leading to more lever presses to obtain food and reduce the drive, aligning with the theory. Choice B fails as a distractor because it incorrectly suggests stronger drives cause helplessness rather than increased motivation. To verify, examine if behavior intensity correlates with drive strength. A transferable check is using physiological manipulations to test drive-motivated responses in animal models.
- A clinic implements a workplace wellness program explicitly designed around Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Employees at a manufacturing plant report high fatigue and skipped meals due to unpredictable shift schedules. The program can fund only one intervention initially. The medical director notes that chronic sleep restriction and irregular meals can alter cortisol rhythms and appetite-regulating hormones, increasing perceived stress and distracting from long-term goals. According to Maslow's framework, which intervention is most consistent with improving motivation for later higher-order goals (e.g., professional development) in this setting?
Answer: Stabilize shift schedules and guarantee protected meal breaks to address physiological needs before targeting esteem-related outcomes.
This question tests understanding of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in motivating behavior through sequential need satisfaction. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs suggests that human motivation is structured in a pyramid, where lower-level needs like physiological requirements must be met before higher-level needs such as esteem or self-actualization can effectively drive behavior. In this manufacturing plant scenario, unpredictable schedules lead to fatigue and skipped meals, disrupting physiological needs via altered cortisol and appetite hormones, which distracts from higher goals. Choice C is correct because stabilizing schedules and ensuring meal breaks addresses physiological needs first, enabling motivation for higher-order goals like professional development, aligning with Maslow's prepotency principle. Choice A fails as a distractor because it prioritizes higher needs like self-actualization without addressing foundational physiological deficits, contradicting the hierarchy. To apply this, assess if lower needs are unmet before targeting higher ones. A transferable check is evaluating interventions by their alignment with the hierarchy's bottom-up progression.
- To test Drive Reduction Theory, investigators measured feeding behavior after administering a drug that increases hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY), a signal associated with hunger. Participants then completed a taste test with unlimited access to crackers. Compared with placebo, the NPY condition showed higher self-reported hunger before eating. Which finding is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory and the biological manipulation?
Assume participants are not dieting and have similar baseline BMI.
Answer: NPY participants eat more crackers because increased hunger drive motivates behavior that reduces the internal deficit state
The skill being tested is the application of Drive Reduction Theory to hunger manipulation and feeding behavior. Drive Reduction Theory posits that motivation arises from the need to reduce aversive internal states, such as physiological drives, to restore homeostasis. In this scenario, increased NPY heightens hunger, creating an internal deficit state that motivates eating to alleviate it. Thus, the correct answer D is accurate because NPY participants eat more crackers to reduce the hunger drive. In contrast, distractor B fails because anticipation alone does not reduce biological hunger drives; consumption is required. To check understanding, consider if a fasting person eats more when food is available; they would to satisfy hunger. This illustrates how drive reduction promotes actions that restore physiological balance.
- In a laboratory study of Drive Reduction Theory, healthy adults arrive after a 12-hour fast. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either a small glucose drink (enough to raise blood glucose modestly) or a noncaloric sweetened drink. Ten minutes later, they complete a computer task where they can work to earn snack points, which can be exchanged for food immediately after the task. The research team notes that fasting is associated with increased ghrelin and hypothalamic signaling related to energy balance, and that glucose ingestion can reduce these signals. Based on Drive Reduction Theory, which outcome is most consistent with the theory's prediction about behavior on the snack-point task?
Answer: Participants given the glucose drink will earn fewer snack points because reducing the physiological hunger drive decreases motivation to obtain food.
This question tests understanding of Drive Reduction Theory as a motivation theory related to physiological drives. Drive Reduction Theory posits that motivation arises from the need to reduce internal states of tension or arousal caused by unmet physiological needs, such as hunger, leading to behaviors that restore homeostasis. In this scenario, fasting induces a hunger drive through increased ghrelin and hypothalamic signaling, and glucose ingestion reduces these signals, while the noncaloric drink does not. Choice B is correct because the glucose drink reduces the hunger drive, thereby decreasing motivation to work for snack points, consistent with the theory's prediction that reduced drive leads to less motivated behavior. Choice A fails as a distractor because it incorrectly assumes sweet taste alone reduces the hunger drive without caloric content affecting physiological homeostasis. To verify Drive Reduction Theory application, check if the behavior is aimed at reducing a specific physiological imbalance. A transferable check is ensuring the intervention directly addresses the underlying drive rather than superficial cues.
- A community program aimed at improving academic persistence in adolescents states that it is guided by Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Program staff observe that some students frequently arrive hungry and report unstable housing. The school nurse notes that chronic food insecurity and sleep disruption are associated with physiological stress responses that can impair concentration and increase irritability. Based on Maslow's hierarchy, which program change is most consistent with the theory's prediction about supporting students' motivation for achievement-related goals?
Answer: Provide reliable access to breakfast and connect families to housing resources before emphasizing honors-track enrollment.
This question tests understanding of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in academic motivation for at-risk adolescents. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs proposes that physiological needs, such as food and shelter, must be fulfilled before higher needs like achievement can effectively motivate behavior. In this program, hunger and unstable housing trigger stress responses that impair concentration, blocking higher motivation. Choice D is correct because providing breakfast and housing resources addresses physiological needs first, enabling pursuit of achievement goals like honors enrollment, per Maslow's theory. Choice B fails as a distractor because it reverses the hierarchy by prioritizing self-actualization over basics. To apply this, identify unmet lower needs via surveys before higher interventions. A transferable check is linking physiological stressors to motivational barriers in educational settings.
- A neuroscience study examines thirst-related behavior under Drive Reduction Theory. Participants complete a mild exercise bout designed to increase osmolarity and subjective thirst. They are then offered either plain water or a small volume of highly salty broth. The researchers note that osmoreceptors and hypothalamic circuits contribute to thirst signaling and motivate fluid intake to restore homeostatic balance.
Which choice pattern is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory given the biological drive state induced by exercise?
Answer: Participants preferentially choose water because it reduces the deviation from homeostasis that generated the thirst drive.
This question tests Drive Reduction Theory applied to thirst as a physiological drive state. Drive Reduction Theory proposes that deviations from homeostasis create drive states that motivate behaviors to restore balance. Exercise increases osmolarity (concentration of solutes in blood), which is detected by osmoreceptors and triggers hypothalamic thirst circuits, creating a physiological drive to consume fluids. According to Drive Reduction Theory, participants should preferentially choose plain water because it effectively reduces the osmotic imbalance and restores homeostasis. Salty broth would actually worsen the osmotic imbalance by further increasing osmolarity, intensifying rather than reducing the thirst drive. This demonstrates that drive reduction motivates behaviors that actually restore homeostasis, not those that worsen the imbalance (choice A). The theory focuses on physiological drives rather than cognitive interpretations (choice C) or moral signaling (choice D).
- Researchers assessed Drive Reduction Theory in salt appetite. Participants were placed on a low-sodium diet for 48 hours, leading to increased aldosterone (a hormone that promotes sodium retention) and self-reported craving for salty foods. In a buffet, participants could choose between high-sodium soup and low-sodium soup with similar calories. Which selection is most consistent with Drive Reduction Theory and the biological state?
Assume participants like both soups equally at baseline.
Answer: Prefer high-sodium soup because consuming sodium reduces the physiological deficit state signaled by elevated aldosterone
The skill being tested is the application of Drive Reduction Theory to salt appetite and food choice. Drive Reduction Theory posits that motivation arises from the need to reduce aversive internal states, such as physiological drives, to restore homeostasis. In this scenario, low-sodium diet increases aldosterone, creating a deficit state that motivates high-sodium selection to alleviate it. Thus, the correct answer D is accurate because preferring high-sodium soup reduces the physiological deficit. In contrast, distractor B fails because drive reduction promotes, rather than avoids, the deficit-correcting substance. To check understanding, consider if sodium-deprived people crave salt; they do to restore balance. This illustrates how hormonal signals direct drive-reducing choices.
