Humanism Handout Part 2



Humanism Handout Part 2

Human Motivation and Hierarchy of needs

Maslow (1970) stated that human motivation is based on people seeking fulfilment and change through personal growth. Maslow characterised the human condition as one of ‘wanting’ – meaning we are always seeking or desiring something. He characterised a higherarchy of 5 needs. These were separated into deficiency needs and growth needs.

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Physiological needs are strong, basic needs deriving from biology that relate directly to the survival of the individual. Safety needs include needs for security, protection and stability, and more importantly freedom from fear. Belongingness and love needs reflect the assumption that we are social animals and need to be with people and loved by some. Self-esteem needs are to do with self respect and regard from other people. Self-actualisation needs are to do with realising full potential. The first four needs are deficiency needs, and it is only when these are satisfied that you can move to self actualisation.

Evaluative Comment

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs contrasts with the psychoanalytic approach which characterises people as avoiding conflict and wanting absence of tension. Maslow’s theory also contrasts with the behaviourist approach which ignores drives or needs and explains behaviour as a result of external and not internal forces.

A person may move up the hierarchy if all is going well with his or her life, such as a good job, many friends, a nice home, and a rewarding intimate relationship. However, events can come along in life that pushes a person back down the hierarchy. For example, losing your job may threaten the very basic physiological needs and safety needs.

Evaluative Comment

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs oversimplifies human needs and behaviour. The four deficiency needs do not have to be fully satisfied before moving to self-actualisation needs. If this is the case just what level of satisfaction of a need is required before moving up to the next need? Also human behaviour may be partially satisfying a number of needs at the same time. Only in conditions of extreme poverty and deprivation is a person motivated solely by physiological needs.

Self Actualisation

The growth need of self-actualisation (Maslow 1962) refers to the need for personal growth that is present throughout a person’s life. In a sense, for Maslow, a person is always ‘becoming’ and never remains static in these terms. In self-actualisation a person comes to find a meaning to life that is important to them. The growth needs include, for example, those striving for goodness, helping others, seeking truth and justice, and striving to create beauty and order. Notice that these needs are not solely to do with personal satisfaction with a positive contribution to the development of the society in which we live, and support and help for others.

Maslow (1962) believed that some people actually fear self-actualisation since it brings about duties and responsibilities for the individual. The idea that some people fear doing their best, Maslow called the Jonah Complex. For males this shows itself in a wish to avoid responsibility or a belief that success does not bring social recognition (Hoffman, 1974). For females the Jonah complex is said to show itself as a reluctance to use intellectual abilities and fear of being successful in a career.

Evaluative Comment

Maslow’s theory of motivation, hierarchy of needs, and concept of self-actualisation has been highly influential in Psychology. Maslow’s ideas have been applied to the field of organisational psychology in an attempt to understand what motivates people to work (apart from money) and what gives satisfaction at work. The concept of self-actualisation has enjoyed widespread acceptance and more rigorous scientific research has been conducted. Self-actualisation has also been applied to atypical or abnormal behaviour to help understand people’s fears and anxieties.

Maslow’s theories have also been accused of being culture specific, representing white, middle-class North American values. Maslow has also been criticised for paying too much attention to healthy people and not enough to those who have psychological disorders.

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