Needs Theories Overview
Needs-based motivation theories are based on the understanding that motivation stems from an individual's desire to fulfill or achieve a need. Human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and certain lower needs must be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. In general terms, motivation can be defined as the desire to achieve a goal, combined with the energy, determination and opportunity to achieve it. This Wiki explores Abraham H. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory, Clayton P. Alderfer's Existence Related Growth (ERG) Theory, and the expansion of David McClelland's Need Theory by Henry A. Murray.
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow was born April 1, 1908, the first of seven born to his poorly educated
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Examples of this need include shelter or housing, physical ability to defend one’s self, the need to have limits or law (or a conscience), and a regular routine that an individual is comfortable with. Once one’s physiological needs have been met, s/he will move on to the safety needs.
Higher-Order Needs:
3. Social Needs include friendship and companionship. One must know that he/she is not alone in the world and be able to communicate feelings and needs with other individuals.
4. Esteem Needs - An individual eventually needs to feel that he/she has a social status. This goes beyond just having social relationships; the individual must feel that in work or at home he/she is making a contribution. This also includes recognition of achievement from others.
5. Self-actualization Needs - This is the final and highest level of needs. Meeting this need is characterized by continuously focusing on personal growth, problem solving, life appreciation, and peak experiences for oneself. (Huitt, 2004)
Maslow’s concept of self-actualization (SA) represents “everything that one is capable of becoming.” (Value Based Management.net, 2009) And he felt that the capacity for this concept was innate to all human beings. It was not learned through conditioning or earned through rewards. (Hall, 2007) When observing SA, it is important to note that the category does not complete Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Many researchers thought that
According to Abraham Maslow, the needs of man begin with the primal – food, water, air, shelter, and move upwards, up and all the way to the elusive quality of self-actualization. To self-actualize is to become all or most of that which one imagines, or perhaps desires, himself to be. It is to realize the ego ideal which rests within, that abstract and fabled construct of an ideal you.
Abraham Maslow was an American philosopher who was born in the early 1990 's in Brooklyn, New York. He was one of the leading theorists that promoted humanistic psychology during his era. Maslow sought to understand what motivates and inspires individuals. He theorized that individuals possess and hold a group of motivation and incentive systems not related to plunder or insensible desires. Maslow declared that people are motivated and provoked to attain certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on. The earliest version of Maslow 's hierarchy of needs includes five motivational needs, often viewed as hierarchical levels inside a pyramid. The five stage representation can be separated into basic needs and growth needs. The deficiency or basic needs are said to motivate and stimulate individuals when they are unmet and not fully attained. Also, the desire to fulfill and accomplish such wants and needs will become stronger the longer the duration they are denied. Once these needs have been relatively satisfied, an individual may be capable of reaching the highest level of the pyramid called self-actualization. Maslow though that self actualization is a state that exists when an individual is acting in harmony with his or her full capabilities. In Cormac McCarthy 's novel, The Road, we will examine the character 's physical journey towards self-actualization on Maslow
With these few thoughts in mind Abraham Maslow made up a hierarchy of needs. (Boeree, Page 2) The hierarchy of needs has five levels: the bottom one is Physiological Needs, the next one up is Safety needs, the next one is Belonging needs, the next one is Esteem Needs and finally the last one is Self-actualization needs. As Maslow thought he “saw human beings needs arranged like a ladder”, the most basic needs at the bottom and at the top the need to fulfill yourself. (pbs.org, Page 1) Below is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
* The need for self actualisation is the pinnacle of human needs according to Maslow. To reach the point where these needs are met, one needs not only to have met the previous four, but needs to have mastered them as
Needs for Esteem-When the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can become dominant. These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a person gets from others. Humans have a need for a stable, firmly based, high level of self-respect, and respect from others. When these needs are satisfied, the person feels self-confident and valuable as a person in the world. When these needs are frustrated, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless.
Abraham Harold Maslow was a psychologist, best known for developing a theory called self-actualization. His theory supports satisfying human needs and he identified self-actualization as the highest human need. Maslow believed that self-actualization could not be achieved until the other basic needs where satisfied. I hated high school, and I couldn’t figure out why, or at least make logical sense out of it. After taking a glance at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it all made sense! A simple chart explained why I did not excel. If I would of known this ten years ago my life might be totally different., but we live and we learn. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and with this theory I’m able to help others from making the same mistakes. Hopefully, it can help you too!
According to Zalenski & Raspa (2006), the first level of needs is physiologic such as the need for food, air, and water. The second level encompasses safety needs, which including security, stability, protection; freedom from fear, anxiety, and chaos. The third level of need is belonging and love. The fourth level is the need for esteem, which is affected by the environment and related to societal recognition. The fifth level is the need for self-actualization, which is about the unique potential in
Abraham Maslow stated that humans are driven by biologically established needs, which he identifies as deficiency needs (basic) and growth needs (meta) (The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, 2017). As most theories, the theory of self-actualization theory is based on stages to pass from one to another. The Maslow 's theory is often displayed as a pyramid where the lowest level that has to be fulfilled before any other upper level are the basic needs and the complex needs are at the top of the pyramid. In addition, Maslow contends that these self-actualizing individuals are highly creative and demonstrate a capacity to resolve dichotomies inherent in ultimate contraries, such as life versus death and freedom versus determinism, as examples (Olson, 2013).
Self-actualization refers to the desire to achieve one’s greatest potential or as Maslow writes “what a man can be, he must be” (Maslow). Abraham Maslow, a researcher and a pioneer in the field of psychology, strongly believed that people can control their own behavior and have the abilities to reach their full potential. Maslow is perhaps best known for his “Hierarchy of Needs” that culminates in self-actualization. This hierarchy begins with so-called “basic needs” - psychological, safety, social, and esteem - and concludes with the “growth need”. Among other characteristics, Maslow describes self-actualized people as highly creative, independent, genuine individuals who are resistant to enculturation and accept themselves for who
Physiological needs, such as food and shelter, are followed by needs related to safety. Next, there are needs of love and belonging. Fourth, humans have needs of esteem, such as the need for being respected. The final need in the hierarchy is the need for self-actualization (fulfilling one's potential). The hierarchy suggests that basic needs must be met prior to less basic needs; for example, a starving person will seek food before self-actualization.”(Maslow,
Abraham Maslow was one of seven children born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn New York on April 1st 1908. He grew up in rather negative environment, both of his parents were negligent and nurturing. His father and mother were degrading and verbally abusive to him and his siblings. They would call him names causing Maslow to feel insecure about his appearance. Maslow was inspired by the work of Erik Fromm who was also a humanistic psychologist. He eventually went to New Yorks City College where he attempted to take legal courses but later discover that wasn’t his main interest. He then went to Wisconsin University where he majored in Psychology. There, he studies experimental-behaviorism. In 1931, he received his
The needs hierarchy is applicable to anyone and everyone. For me, I like to apply it to my job and why it motivates me. As described above, to achieve self-actualization you must complete the lower tiers before you can achieve the most complex need. I have worked at HomeGoods for about three years and it is my first job. I have stuck around for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Right now, we are in the ugly. I am working an average of 35 hours a week because we are understaffed. Why am I doing this to myself? Why have I stayed this long? Maslow’s theory of motivation helped me understand why. The first need is physiological and it is thoroughly completed. I have clean working environment with snacks and regulated breaks. These needs are completed so now I can achieve the second tier. My safety needs are met: a safe working environment, a very secure job, yearly raises, and
Esteem needs: According to Maslow, after satisfying social needs, employees often want to seek fulfillment of esteem needs. Self-esteem is comprised of self-confidence and self-respect whereas having esteem for other individuals is the respect one has for them. (Davidson 2005 p.307) When the performance of an employee is consistently rated high, that employee is often recognized for their superior performance. Once a manager rewards or promotes and employee, they often gain respect from their peers. This leads to employee being proud of themselves and intern gaining self-respect and self-confidence. “Employees often think that hard word leads to promotion opportunities. Having workers think that they can be promoted as a reward for hard work can be a motivator.” (Taylor, 2006 p. 8)
Following that is love and belongingness needs meaning the desire for friendships, intimacy, affection, and love. Then, esteem needs come into play which causes longingness for achievement, independence, dominance, self-respect, and respect from others. At the very top of the pyramid is self-actualization which is also known as self-empowerment. It’s the need for realization of personal potential, self-fulfillment, and seeking personal growth.