The correct option is Malthusian Theory.
Explanation
The distinction between "preventive checks" and "physical (positive) checks" is the central theme of the Malthusian Theory of Population, proposed by Thomas Robert Malthus in his 1798 work, An Essay on the Principle of Population.
Malthus postulated that population tends to grow at a geometric rate (1, 2, 4, 8...), while food production grows only at an arithmetic rate (1, 2, 3, 4...). To maintain a balance between population and resources, he identified two types of checks:
- Preventive Checks: These are voluntary measures taken by individuals to control population growth, such as late marriage, celibacy, and moral restraint. Malthus advocated for these as the preferred method to avoid misery.
- Positive (Physical) Checks: These are natural or catastrophic events that shorten human life, such as famine, disease, war, and natural calamities. These operate when preventive checks fail to curb population growth.
The other theories listed do not use this specific terminology:
- Demographic Transition Theory: Describes the transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a country develops industrially.
- Migration Push-Pull Theory: Explains migration based on factors that push people away from an area or pull them towards a new one.
Key Takeaway: The Malthusian Theory asserts that population growth inevitably outstrips resource supply, necessitating either voluntary "preventive checks" or catastrophic "positive checks" to restore equilibrium.