Is it helpful to analyze human motivation at the level of an animal?

You can analyze some things a animal level but it cannot always be directly transferable to humans because animals are not humans (in a mannar of speaking).

Good question! I think that’s very true actually, all our emotions and complicated behaviors seem to come from basic animal instincts but have been amplified due to our intelligence and self awareness. Psychologists should really study animal behavior (maybe of a gorilla or chimpanzee family group) and try to compare their basic behavior to our own. I bet the results would be surprising.
Chimpanzees for example participate in a kind of tribal warfare with other groups of chimps. They have been known to attack each other using sticks or rocks as weapons, sometimes cornering one of each other and beating them to death with them(a rare occurance but it still happens sometimes)
Whales and Elephants can emit sounds at such a high frequency that human ears cannot hear it. They emit these noises to communicate; is that not a basic form of language? Our ancestor’s first languages were probably a series of different hoots and screeches to convey basic urges or thoughts.
Notice that when you listen to someone talk 90% of what they say is in their tone of voice and body language not what they are actually saying. They’re are hundreds of other species that communicate using noises or body language, the only difference is that these animals communicate much simpler things ex: mating, anger, hunger, agression ect…you think birds sing to sound pretty?