What is the term for a motive that appears to be unlearned but causes an increase in stimulation, such as curiosity?

• A. Stimulus motive
• B. Intrinsic motivation
• C. Secondary motive
• D. Social motive

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is arousal-driven motivation. A stimulus motive describes a drive to increase stimulation, such as curiosity or the need for novelty, which pushes you to explore or seek new experiences even without a specific external reward. It’s about the urge to raise arousal levels, not about achieving a particular outcome.

This differs from intrinsic motivation, which is doing something because it’s enjoyable in itself; the emphasis with stimulus motives is the arousal or stimulation they produce. It also isn’t about external rewards (secondary motives) or about social needs like belonging or approval (social motives). Those other drives explain different kinds of motivation, whereas stimulus motives specifically account for that initial push to seek stimulation and curiosity.