In psychoanalytic theory, libido refers to what?

• A. Sexual and instinctive drives
• B. Hunger
• C. Social drives
• D. Aggressive energy

Answer: (A)

Libido is the psychic energy that drives life instincts, especially sexual energy, but it functions as a general life-energy that motivates a wide range of instinctual desires and behaviors. In psychoanalytic theory, this energy fuels not only sexual motivation but the overall push toward satisfaction, relationships, and creative expression, often being channeled into different outlets through mechanisms like sublimation. That’s why it’s described as sexual and instinctive drives: it encompasses the core drive behind many kinds of desire and action, not just hunger or social behavior. Hunger is a biological need for nourishment, and aggressive energy relates to other drives, not the life-energy called libido.