Drive to acquire– This is the drive to seek, take, control, and retain objects and personal experiences.  This drive extends beyond basic food and water; it includes enhancing one’s self-concept through relative status and recognition in society.

Drive to bond– to form social relationship and develop mutual caring commitments with others.  It explains why people form social identities by aligning their self-concept with various social groups.

Drive to Learn–  to satisfy our curiosity, to know and understand ourselves and the environment around us.  When observing something that is inconsistent with or beyond our current knowledge, we experience a tension that motivates us to close that information gap.

Drive to defend– To protect ourselves physically and socially.  The first drive to develop, it creates a “fight-or-fight” response in the face of personal danger.  The drive to defend goes beyond protecting our physical self.  It includes defending our relationships, our acquisitions, and our belief systems.