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David Mcclelland's Theory Of Motivation Analysis

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Since the early 1940’s, motivational theorists have tirelessly speculated and studied the basis for human motivation. While observing a recent hour-long class, I noticed that many famous motivational theories were both consciously and sub-consciously actualized by the students. First (and most notably), I found parallels between the upper-tiers of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the overall class dynamic. Also, during an activity involving a fill-in-the-blank worksheet, David McClelland’s theory on motivational needs became ever-relevant. Motivation is a much deeper subject than most care to think, making it an interesting and multifaceted focus. The eldest of seven siblings, Abraham Maslow was born April 1, 1908 into a working class Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. Maslow, like many of his peers with a similar immigrant background, spent most of his adolescence at the receiving end of a continuous onslaught of anti-semitism and ethnic prejudice. Maslow quoted that the intense oppression he endured during his formative years was the driving factor behind his quest for the acquisition of knowledge and a …show more content…

Vernon specifically). A well-learned individual, McClelland held psychology degrees from Yale, Wesleyan, and the University of Missouri. It was during his time as a tenured professor at Harvard that he achieved some of his most notable work. When McClelland’s contributions to psychology are discussed, the N-Ach, N-Pow, and N-Affil concepts will likely be the key articles mentioned. Essentially, N-Ach refers to motivation on the basis of achievement; N-Pow refers to motivation driven by the perception of power and N-Affil is affiliation based, meaning, the need for friendly relationships. Though McClelland acknowledged that motivation is not limited to these three cexamples, he held that the drive for most people can be tied to an ‘ N- ’

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