Which concept holds that people seek to maximize pleasure and minimize pain?

• A. Rational choice theory
• B. Hedonism
• C. Phrenology
• D. Atavism

Answer: (B)

Hedonism centers on the idea that pleasure is the highest good and pain should be avoided. In psychological hedonism, people are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain; in ethical hedonism, actions are right if they produce the most net pleasure. This makes it the best fit for the notion that people seek to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. The other concepts don’t focus on motivation in that way: rational choice theory describes decision-making as weighing costs and benefits to maximize overall utility, which can include factors beyond pleasure; phrenology and atavism address character inference and evolutionary throwbacks, not the drive to pursue pleasure or avoid pain.