Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Scientists identify fifteen key motives driving human behavior

National Research University Higher School of Economics

Evolved human motives — image:
Network plot of the selected items by evolved human motives
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Credit: Robert Aunger, Albina Gallyamova, Dmitry Grigoryev, Network psychometric-based identification and structural analysis of a set of evolved human motives, Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 233, 2025

Researchers at HSE University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have identified 15 key motives that drive human behaviour. By analysing people's views, preferences, and actions through an evolutionary lens, they demonstrated how these motives intertwine to shape habits and interpersonal relationships. The findings have been published in Personality and Individual Differences.

The question of what motivates human behaviour has long intrigued psychologists. Various approaches are used to assess these underlying motives. The most well-known theory is Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, introduced in the mid-20th century. However, most approaches emphasise the social aspects of motivation while overlooking its evolutionary underpinnings.

A group of researchers at HSE University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine proposed analysing human behaviour motives from an evolutionary perspective. In the proposed framework, all motives are viewed as evolutionary adaptations that enhanced early humans' ability to survive in their environment and continue to influence behaviour today. The scientists proceed from the premise that if certain evolutionary mechanisms once triggered specific behaviours, the underlying motives can be identified using standard psychometric techniques.

To accomplish this, the study authors conducted an online survey with over 500 participants who were asked to rate 150 statements concerning their everyday preferences, fears, desires, and social aspirations. The statements were based on previously identified motives from other studies reflecting physical, reproductive, or social needs, such as 'I enjoy going on roller coasters,' 'Eating is less important to me than it seems to be for most people,' and 'I spend a lot of time staying in touch with my friends,' among others.

Using network analysis, the researchers identified stable clusters of motives. The study found that human behaviour is driven by 15 key motives, which can be grouped into five broad categories: environmental (Hoard, Create), physiological (Fear, Disgust, Hunger, Comfort), reproductive (Lust, Attract, Love, Nurture), psychological (Curiosity, Play), and social (Affiliate, Status, Justice).

The researchers also identified functional relationships between motives, contributing to a deeper understanding of motivational structures. For example, Justice has strong ties to Nurture and Curiosity, suggesting that it is a function of both concern for the welfare of others and a need to keep abreast of where anti-social behaviours might be occurring.

Interestingly, the motives of Play and Status emerged as pivotal points of connectivity, interacting extensively with other nodes, suggesting they influence a broad range of related motives. Status appears to be important as it facilitates the attainment of other goals by providing access to resources that enhance the chances of success in life, including attracting a partner. Maintaining status involves hoarding resources, fearing the loss of these resources, and effectively using them in various situations. The motive of play, in turn, helps develop the skills needed to maintain status and adapt to changing circumstances.

Albina Gallyamova

'Using network-based psychometric techniques, we were able to observe how motives interrelate. For instance, the motives of Love and Nurture are positioned close to each other in the network, which makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, as caring for offspring enhances their chances of survival. Conversely, the motives of Fear and Curiosity often have opposing effects. Fear keeps us away from danger, but when excessive, it can suppress curiosity, which fosters knowledge and innovation,' explains Albina Gallyamova, Junior Research Fellow at the HSE Centre for Sociocultural Research.

The study also revealed age- and gender-related variations in the significance of different motives. Women tend to show a greater interest in the motives of Nurture and Comfort, while men are more likely to focus on the motives of Status and Attraction. The researchers note that these differences are linked to the traditional roles men and women played in our evolutionary past.

Age also contributes to shaping our priorities. Younger individuals tend to be more focused on Status and Play, while as people age, Fear and concern for Comfort become more prominent. 'These changes reflect different life stages: initially, we strive to secure our place in society, and later, we focus on safety and survival,' adds Gallyamova.

The study findings can be valuable in various fields, ranging from marketing to IT. For example, in advertising, understanding the motives of different social groups allows for more precise and effective communication. Youth focused on Status and Play are more likely to respond to incentives related to prestige and entertainment, while a more mature audience prioritises safety, reliability, and comfort. In the field of AI, understanding evolutionary motives enables a more human-centred approach, offering gamification and social interaction for younger users, while emphasising convenience and simplicity for the older generation. In therapy, understanding the underlying motives can help provide a more accurate response to the client's needs. For example, addressing anxiety can take into account the evolutionary mechanism of avoiding danger and help strike a balance between safety and curiosity.

'Ultimately, understanding the evolutionary motives that drive our behaviour enables us to create solutions that make people's lives more comfortable, safer, and more interesting,' explains Gallyamova.

DOI

10.1016/j.paid.2024.112921

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Network psychometric-based identification and structural analysis of a set of evolved human motives

Article Publication Date

18-Feb-2025

MASLOW HIERARCHY OF NEEDS HAD FIVE

What makes us remember our dreams?

The ability seems to be based both on individual characteristics and external factors: a new study by researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies sheds light on the various factors that influence dream recall

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca

Some people wake up vividly recalling their dreams from the night, and can tell precise stories experienced during the night, while others struggle to remember even a single detail. Why does this happen? A new study, conducted by researchers at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, and published on Communications Psychology explores the factors that influence so called "dream recall"— the ability to remember dreams upon awakening—and uncovers which individual traits and sleep patterns shape this phenomenon.

The reason why there is such a difference in recalling dreams remains a mystery. Some studies found that women, young persons, or people with a tendency to daydreaming tend to better recall night dreams. But other studies did not confirm these findings. And other hypotheses, such as that personality traits or cognitive abilities count, received even less support from data. During the recent COVID pandemic, the phenomenon of the individual differences in morning dream recall attracted renewed public and scientific attention when an abrupt surge in morning dream recall was reported worldwide.

The new research, carried out in collaboration with the University of Camerino, was conducted in the years from 2020 to 2024, and involved over 200 participants, aged 18 to 70, who recorded their dreams daily for 15 days while their sleep and cognitive data were tracked using wearable devices and psychometric tests. Each study participant was given a voice recorder to report, every day right after the awakening, about the experiences they had during sleep. Participants had to report whether they remembered having dreamed or not, if they had the impression of having dreamed but did not remember anything about the experience, and to describe the content of the dream if they were able to remember it. For the duration of the study, participants also wore an actigraph, a sleep monitoring wristwatch that detects sleep duration, efficiency, and disturbances. At the beginning and end of the dream recording period, participants were subjected to psychological tests and questionnaires that measure various factors, from anxiety levels to interest in dreams, proneness to mind-wandering (the tendency to frequently shift attention away from the task at hand toward unrelated thoughts, or internal reflections), up to memory and selective attention tests.

Dream recall, defined as the probability of waking up in the morning with impressions and memories from a dream experience, showed considerable variability between individuals and was influenced by multiple factors. The study revealed that people with a positive attitude toward dreams and a tendency for mind-wandering were significantly more likely to recall their dreams. Sleep patterns also seemed to play a critical role: individuals who experienced longer periods of light sleep had a greater likelihood of waking with a memory of their dreams. Younger participants showed higher rates of dream recall, while older individuals often experienced "white dreams" (a sensation of having dreamt without recalling any details). This suggests age-related changes in memory processes during sleep. Moreover, seasonal variations emerged, with participants reporting lower dream recall during winter compared to spring, hinting at the potential influence of environmental or circadian factors.

“Our findings suggest that dream recall is not just a matter of chance but a reflection of how personal attitudes, cognitive traits, and sleep dynamics interact,” explains lead author Giulio Bernardi, professor in general psychology at the IMT School. “These insights not only deepen our understanding of the mechanisms behind dreaming but also have implications for exploring dreams' role in mental health and in the study of human consciousness.”

“Data collected within this project will serve as a reference for future comparisons with clinical populations,” adds Valentina Elce, researcher at the IMT School and first author of the study. “This will allow us to move forward the research on the pathological alterations of dreaming and their potential prognostic and diagnostic value”.

Journal

Communications Psychology

DOI

10.1038/s44271-025-00191-z

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The individual determinants of morning dream recall

Article Publication Date

18-Feb-2025

Researchers show how to efficiently convert captured carbon dioxide into green energy

Oregon State University

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Methanol, important for the manufacture of many everyday goods and for its green energy potential, may soon be produced faster and more efficiently thanks to a collaboration that included two Oregon State University researchers.

Zhenxing Feng and Alvin Chang of the OSU College of Engineering helped characterize a novel electrocatalyst developed by collaborators at Yale University and helped explain the improved efficiency for deriving methanol from carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that’s largely responsible for global climate change.

Findings of the study, funded by the National Science Foundation and the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, were published today in Nature Nanotechnology.

The researchers’ dual-site catalyst is the result of combining two different catalytic sites at adjacent locations, separated by about 2 nanometers, on carbon nanotubes and represents a significant improvement over previous single-site catalysts.

The new design increases the methanol production rate and results in a higher Faradaic efficiency of 50%, meaning less of the electricity used to catalyze the reaction is wasted. The previous single-site version operated at less than 30%.

“Methanol is a flexible chemical feedstock that is used for hundreds of common products including plastics, chemicals and solvents,” said Chang, a doctoral student at OSU. “It’s also a promising green fuel that can be produced from harmful carbon emissions using renewable electrical energy via a process called electrochemical CO2 reduction, simultaneously helping with environmental challenges and energy demands.”

Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is a comparatively clean-burning compound that can be used in fuel cells, as an alternative to gasoline in internal combustion engines, and as fuel for ships and electricity generation.

In addition to carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere primarily through the burning of fossil fuels, methanol can be produced from sources such as agricultural and municipal waste – meaning it has potential for helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and supporting a transition to more eco-friendly energy sources, the researchers note.

A catalyst is anything that speeds the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed by the reaction, and an electrocatalyst is a material that hastens an electrochemical reaction by lowering its activation energy.

Cobalt phthalocyanine molecules supported on carbon nanotubes are one of the very few molecules that can catalyze the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into methanol, said Feng, an associate professor at OSU. A drawback of the previous generation of this catalyst, which contains cobalt tetraaminophthalocyanine molecules as the only active sites, is its relatively low selectivity for methanol.

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction happens in two parts, Chang said. Carbon dioxide is first converted to carbon monoxide, which is then converted to methanol.

“The single-site catalyst is limited by a tradeoff,” he said. “At the optimal potential for catalyzing the carbon monoxide to methanol step, it is not efficient in turning carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide.”

The research team introduced nickel tetramethoxyphtyalocyanine into the system and found it can help catalyze the carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide step, resulting in improved methanol production.

“The hybrid catalyst was found to exhibit unprecedented high catalytic efficiencies, nearly 1.5 times higher than observed before,” Feng said. “Advanced vibrational and X-ray spectroscopy revealed that the improvement is because of a carbon monoxide transfer from a nickel site to a cobalt site on the same carbon nanotube.”

Hailiang Wang of Yale University led the study, which also included researchers from The Ohio State University and the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China.

Journal

Nature Nanotechnology

DOI

10.1038/s41565-025-01866-8

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Molecular-scale CO spillover on a dual-site electrocatalyst enhances methanol production from CO2 reduction

Article Publication Date

18-Feb-2025

Burning plastic for cooking and heating an emerging crisis, study finds

Researchers investigating the energy consumption of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have found many are burning plastics for heating and cooking, as they are unable to afford gas or electricity.

Curtin University

A new Curtin University-led paper published in Nature Cities has called for action to reduce the burning of plastics for heating and cooking, a common yet hazardous practice emerging in millions of households in developing nations due to a lack of traditional energy sources.

Researchers investigated the energy consumption of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, finding many were unable to afford clean fuels such as gas or electricity.

The team also found urban sprawl had made traditional fuels such as wood and charcoal difficult to find, while a lack of waste management meant plastic waste was in abundance.

Lead researcher Dr Bishal Bharadwaj, from the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition (CIET) said there were many risks involved.

“Burning plastic releases harmful chemicals such as dioxins, furans and heavy metals into the air, which can have a range of health and welfare impacts such as lung diseases,” Dr Bharadwaj said.

“These risks are particularly pronounced among women and children, as they spend more time at home.

“But the pollution doesn’t just stay in households who burn it: it spreads across neighbourhoods and cities, affecting everyone.”

Dr Bharadwaj said the issue may affect millions of people who bear the burden of acute inequality in cities and could potentially have a bigger impact as plastic use increases and cities grow.

“In a survey, 13 per cent of Nigerian households reported using garbage as a cooking fuel, while soil and food samples in Indonesia have revealed dangerous toxin levels linked to burning plastic,” Dr Bharadwaj said.

“By 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in urban areas and many cities already struggle to provide basic services such as waste collection.

“This will be a growing problem, given global plastic consumption is expected to triple by 2060 and inequality will deepen with rapid, unmanaged urbanisation in developing countries.”

CIET Director Professor Peta Ashworth said further research was needed to determine the extent of the issue and develop realistic solutions.

“Many governments are not addressing the issue effectively because it’s usually concentrated in areas such as slums, which are often neglected,” Professor Ashworth said.

“A ban on plastic burning might not help if people have no other option to keep warm and cook their food.

“Possible ways to address the problem include subsidies for cleaner fuels to make them affordable for poorer families, better waste management to prevent plastic from piling up in slum areas, education campaigns to inform communities about the dangers of burning plastic and alternative low-cost, innovative cooking solutions tailored to lower-income areas.”

‘The Use of Plastic as a Household Fuel among the Urban Poor in the Global South’ was published in Nature Cities.

Journal

Nature Cities

DOI

10.1038/s44284-025-00201-5

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

'The use of plastic as a household fuel among the urban poor in the Global South

Article Publication Date

18-Feb-2025

PATRIARCHY IS ABUSE

Use of child sexual abuse material is often associated with other forms of violence – researchers gathered unique data from users of child sexual abuse material on the dark web

University of Eastern Finland

Individuals charged with sexual offenses against adults are also at high risk of committing crimes against children. Up to 40% of these individuals reported interest in sexual violence against children aged 0–3 years, and 80% have been charged with other types of violent crimes. Alarmingly, many continue to seek child sexual abuse material and attempt to contact children despite having been previously charged.

These are findings from a recently published, unique international study where researchers gathered data from sexual offenders operating on the dark web. The goal was to gain deeper insight into the methods, patterns and trends of online sexual violence against children. The study was conducted as part of the Knowledge to Protect (2KNOW) project led by Protect Children, in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland and the Council of the Baltic Sea States.

Support for criminal investigations

The researchers analysed 2,384 anonymous responses gathered from users of the dark web. Most respondents were young men aged 18–34 who sought child sexual abuse material involving girls.

The respondents were non-incarcerated individuals actively seeking child sexual abuse material via search engines available on the dark web. The study compared individuals who had been charged with a sexual offence vs. those who had not been charged, finding significant differences in their behaviours and motivations.

“Those who had been charged with a sexual offence had, significantly more often than those who had not been charged, a background in other violent crimes as well, and they were more often in contact with children, or sought to lure children into contact with them. These individuals also expressed the keenest interested in child sexual abuse material involving very young children,” says University Lecturer and Forensic Psychologist Hanna Lahtinen of the University of Eastern Finland.

The dark web is an increasingly prominent platform for distributing child sexual abuse material. According to the latest estimates, more than 300 million children fall victim to online sexual violence every year. Most users of this material go unnoticed by law enforcement, and little is known about users of child sexual abuse material who have not been convicted.

“We were particularly surprised by the fact that many respondents reported continuing their criminal activity despite being charged. Previous studies have estimated recidivism to be low.”

The new findings emerging from the study, including those related to offenders’ motivations, are useful for planning interventions and preventive measures, as well as for criminal investigations.

Multiple underlying factors – researchers also identify prevention methods

The findings showed that a common factor underlying these crimes is an individual’s sexual interest in children. However, other factors also play a role, such as issues with emotional regulation, high sex drive and a thrill-seeking nature. Factors that lower the threshold for committing these crimes include adverse childhood experiences, substance abuse and desensitisation to adult pornography.

“This type of criminal behaviour is also facilitated by the rapid development of technology, the anonymity provided by the internet and easy access to content depicting sexual violence,” Lahtinen notes.

Individuals seeking material depicting sexual violence against children identified effective crime prevention methods, including intervention programmes and warning messages that increase the fear of getting caught and facing serious legal consequences.

An effective model of peer support for parents of children who have fallen victim to sexual violence

Funded by the European Commission, another objective of the two-year 2KNOW project was to develop and offer a model of peer support for parents and guardians whose child has fallen victim to sexual violence.

The model was prepared based on information and experiences gathered from Protect Children’s You Are Enough™ peer support groups. Previously, many parents have been left completely alone to deal with a burdensome situation, unable to share their stressful experiences with anyone.

“Many have tried to support both their child and other family members without receiving any support themselves. Parents found peer support, especially that received in online groups, valuable. As a result, they were also better able to support their child,” says Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, Executive Director of Protect Children.

Drawing on the positive experiences gained, these support groups will be offered to parents both in Finland and internationally. Furthermore, Protect Children’s guides for parents will be translated into different languages. The goal of the peer support model, led by professionals, and the guides, is not only to support parents but also to provide information and guidance, and to support the child’s recovery process while also promoting digital safety skills.

More than 18,000 respondents already

The survey related to the study is still open on the dark web, having attracted over 18,400 responses so far. The survey is available in a total of 15 different languages.

Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen notes that determined efforts to protect children continue and are strengthened by research.

“We have ensured that the project’s findings are being implemented in practice. Our newest research project will continue to focus on offenders, delving deeper into the role of technology in online sexual crimes against children.”

Journal

Child Abuse & Neglect

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107299

Article Title

Investigating the disparities among child sexual abuse material users: Anonymous self-reports from both charged and uncharged individuals

Article Publication Date

18-Feb-2025

Tiny grooves re-shape future of solar cell manufacturing

Flexible solar cells that do not contain any rare earth metal are paving the way for the development of low cost, highly efficient solar energy according to new research by the University of Sheffield.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Sheffield

Research reveals new type of back-contact solar cell design, using a perovskite material and tiny grooves embossed into plastic film, will enable scalable, low-cost manufacturing
The elimination of expensive and scarce materials, such as indium, means the technology is both sustainable and affordable
The lightweight, flexible solar films can be used on surfaces that could not normally stand the weight of solar panels creating broader accessibility to solar power, particularly in developing countries
This could make a real difference in the global drive to replace fossil fuels with sustainable solar energy

The research, which is in partnership with UK company Power Roll Ltd and published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, highlights the development of a new type of solar cell using a perovskite semiconductor. Unlike traditional solar cells, these cells are made by embossing tiny grooves into a plastic film and then filling them with the perovskite material.

This innovative approach presents a new way to produce lightweight, flexible solar films that can be used on surfaces such as rooftops and other unconventional surfaces that could not normally stand the weight of solar panels. Together with their anticipated low cost, this could significantly enhance the roll out of solar, particularly in developing countries.This could make a real difference in the drive to replace fossil fuels with sustainable solar energy.

The new microgroove structure creates a new type of solar cell that has a back-contact format. Regular devices use a sandwich structure composed of a number of layers deposited in a specific order. The back-contact cells have all the electrical contacts on the back of the device making it easier and cheaper to manufacture, with the potential for high efficiency.

To check the structure and composition of the solar cells a Hard X-ray nanoprobe microscope at Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, was used to take very detailed images of the solar cells. These also helped to spot hidden problems like empty spaces, flaws and the boundaries between tiny crystals within the semiconductor material. This was the first time this type of analysis had been used on this kind of solar cell.

The new technology also avoids the use of rare and expensive materials such as indium, making it cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable.

Professor David Lidzey, from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sheffield and co-author of the paper said: “A key advantage of these flexible films is that the panel can be stuck onto any surface. In the UK, you currently have to think twice about adding thick solar panels onto relatively fragile roofs of warehouses that are not really designed to be load-bearing. With this lightweight solar technology, you could essentially stick it anywhere. This could be a gamechanger for solar energy in low and middle income countries.

“Solar energy is a strategic priority for our research and one of our key competences is developing innovative techniques for fabricating and depositing solution-processable solar cells.

“We've partnered with Power Roll for over 10 years, combining our expertise in materials science and advanced imaging techniques with their focus on manufacturing and this collaboration has been very successful, resulting in this exciting new product.”

The University of Sheffield is globally recognised as a leader in sustainability and advanced manufacturing. The University’s dedication to tackling global energy challenges and commitment to renewable energy make it the ideal partner for Power Roll whose disruptive technology aims to shape global clean energy solutions via a secure and deployable product. In recent years, the two have worked together on multiple occasions to develop the technology needed to cultivate a brighter future for the UK.

Dr Nathan Hill, Research Scientist at Power Roll and lead author of the paper, said: “This partnership demonstrates the potential of combining cutting-edge research with industrial innovation to deliver transformative solutions in renewable energy. We are advancing technology that could play a significant role in achieving global net-zero targets, and by combining our collective research and academic capabilities we are able to further prove out the science sitting behind Power Roll’s technology.

“It’s exciting to see our relationship with the University of Sheffield continue to strengthen. Previously, we have worked with the University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy to further develop our solar designs, which not only reduced manufacturing costs but also enhanced solar efficiency.”

With perovskite solar generation still an emerging field, ongoing research and academic focus is greatly accelerating the advance of product development and scientific understanding. The next phase of the work on this project will be to further develop the use of X-ray microscopy in characterising these materials. New experiments are scheduled this summer, at the Diamond Light Source, to help understand key aspects of device operation, particularly device stability.

Dr Jessica Walker, I14 beamline scientist at Diamond Light Source Ltd. said: “The techniques and resolution offered by I14 are ideally suited to help answer scientific questions that remain around perovskite based solar cell materials. It is exciting to see how our capabilities have contributed to both academic and industrial research, and culminated in such a promising development for the field of energy materials, as well as a direct and tangible application with high potential for impact.”

Journal

ACS Applied Energy Materials

DOI

10.1021/acsaem.4c02734

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Back-contact Perovskite Solar Cell Modules Fabricated via Roll-to-Roll Slot-die Coating: Scale-up Towards Manufacture

Article Publication Date

18-Feb-2025