Which theory emphasizes pursuing novelty and intense experiences as the primary motivation?

• A. Adventure seeking
• B. Belongingness
• C. Instincts
• D. Sensation seeking theory

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is sensation seeking—the tendency to pursue novel, varied, and intense experiences and to take risks to get them. This theory presents motivation as driven by a desire for heightened arousal and new stimulation, so people high in sensation seeking seek out exciting, sometimes risky activities to reach their preferred level of arousal.

This framework fits because the emphasis is on actively pursuing novelty and intense experiences as the primary motive, not on social needs or basic instinctual patterns. It explains why someone might gravitate toward thrilling activities, fast-paced environments, or unusual experiences to feel energized. The other ideas don’t center on arousal and novelty in the same way: belongingness focuses on social connection, instincts describe broad inherited drives, and while adventure seeking sounds similar, sensation seeking is the established theory that specifically targets seeking varied and intense experiences.