Final answer:
The drive to be pain-free is indeed a driver of human behavior, which is evident through psychological theories like Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the drive theory of motivation. Avoiding pain acts as a form of negative reinforcement, shaping behavior through operant conditioning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question posed is about human behavior and what drives it. Specifically, it asks whether a pain-free existence is a driver of human behavior. Among the provided options, c. Pain-free existence is a driver of human behavior is the most accurate. The behavior of humans can be driven by various needs and avoidance of discomfort or pain. Psychologists have extensively studied this topic, specifically within frameworks like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, operant conditioning, and drive theory.
Abraham Maslow proposed that human beings have a series of needs that must be fulfilled in a certain order, with the highest being the need for self-actualization. Pain avoidance is a basic need that would fall under Maslow's safety needs, which come just after physiological needs like food and water. Additionally, from the perspective of drive theory, the experience of pain can create a psychological drive state that directs behavior to relieve it, much like hunger drives us to seek food.
Furthermore, operant conditioning explains how behaviors are shaped by rewards and punishments. Avoiding pain can be considered as a form of negative reinforcement, where the removal of an unpleasant stimulus, like pain, strengthens the likelihood of the behavior that led to its removal.