Maslow’s motivation theory

One of the theories from my undergraduate education is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This is a theory of motivation, which asserts that “five categories of human needs dictate an individual’s behavior” (Hale et al., 2019). From this statement, concept A is represented by the “five categories of human needs” while concept B is represented by “an individual’s behavior.” The proposition between the two concepts is that the behavior of a person is controlled by the five categories of human needs identified in the theory. These needs are represented in a hierarchical format with the basic needs at the bottom and the intangible needs at the top. One can only address the high-level needs once he/she adequately fulfills the basic needs. These five categories of human needs in the ascending order are “physiological needs, safety needs, love, and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs” (Hale et al., 2019). The first four needs are deficiency needs, which means that one will have unpleasant or harmful results if he/she fails to meet them. The fifth need is a growing need, which means that one is not harmed if he/she fails to achieve it but attaining it can make him/her happier.

The terms used might differ from the general use of the terms. For instance, safety needs generally imply protection from things like theft and violence. In the context of Maslow’s theory, this term additionally refers to aspects like financial security, health security, emotional stability, and the general wellbeing of a person. The terms might also be confused or misinterpreted. For example, since the needs are described in ascending order, there is a common misconception that each need must be completely fulfilled before one moves to the next. This is untrue because one may fulfill each of them to a particular degree (Passey, 2020). Another misconception is that since this theory is popular and used academically, it must have been supported by empirical research. The truth is that the theory was established based on Maslow’s personal observations.

References

Hale, A. J., Ricotta, D. N., Freed, J., Smith, C. C., & Huang, G. C. (2019). Adapting Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a framework for resident wellness. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 31(1), 109-118.

Passey, D. (2020). Theories, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, models and constructs: Limiting research outcomes through misconceptions and misunderstandings. Studies in Technology Enhanced Learning, 1(1), 1-20.