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Name and describe McGuire's four overarching categories of psychological motives?

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Final answer:

McGuire's four overarching categories of psychological motives include Biological Drives, Self-Efficacy, Social Motives, and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. These categories explain the various internal and external factors influencing human behavior, ranging from basic survival needs to self-actualization desires.

Step-by-step explanation:

McGuire's Overarching Categories of Psychological Motives

McGuire's psychological motives theory categorizes the driving forces behind human behavior into four overarching domains. These domains broadly define why individuals act and respond in various situations. The four overarching categories of psychological motives as described by McGuire are:

Biological Drives: This includes innate instincts and the drive to maintain bodily homeostasis. These are fundamental for survival and include the need for food, water, and shelter.

Self-Efficacy: This is influenced by personal beliefs in one's own abilities to succeed in particular situations. People with high self-efficacy are more likely to accept challenging tasks and persist through difficulties.

Social Motives: These include the need for achievement, affiliation, and intimacy. They drive social behaviors like forming relationships, seeking recognition, and pursuing goals within a community.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Abraham Maslow conceptualized a pyramid of human needs starting from basic physiological requirements to the need for self-actualization. It suggests that higher-level motivations emerge once the more fundamental needs are satisfied.

Understanding the interconnected nature of these categories can provide insight into the complexities of human motivation.