In ego psychology, unconscious motives for seeking help are described as including keeping unconscious desires from consciousness. This best demonstrates which concept?

• A. Conscious motivation
• B. Unconscious motivation
• C. External motivation
• D. Behavioral motivation

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is unconscious motivation. In ego psychology, people often act from wishes or impulses they don’t realize they have, and defense mechanisms help keep those desires out of conscious awareness. When someone seeks help, that action can be driven by hidden needs—like a desire for reassurance, dependency, or relief from anxiety—without the person fully recognizing that these urges are guiding the choice. So the behavior reflects unconscious motivation because the motivating forces aren’t consciously acknowledged. In contrast, conscious motivation would involve motives the person can name, external motivation would be driven by outside rewards or pressures, and behavioral motivation would focus on observable actions without addressing hidden aims.