The Theory Of Human Motivation

So what is The Theory Of Human Motivation? & How does it influence a person’s actions ?

Abraham Harold Maslow was a psychologist who carefully studied human behavior & developed The Theory Of Human Motivation. He illustrates these core ideas with The Hierarchy Of Needs. A framework that explains how individuals prioritize their needs in order to fulfill their potential & achieve Self-Actualization.

According to Maslow, We always focus on fulfilling Our basic needs first. These needs are non-negotiable & are universally true for all of Us Human Beings. After fulfilling these needs, a person can focus on a more individualistic & emotionally complex set of needs.

Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs is commonly depicted as a pyramid, with the most basic needs at the bottom as it’s foundation & the most advanced needs at the top creating its pinnacle.

Conceptualized by Maslow in 1943, His theory posits that We have different levels of needs, & We have to work to fulfill the lower level needs before moving on to any higher level needs. These 5 categories of needs are in a specific hierarchical order.

5 Levels Of The Hierarchy Of Needs

Physiological

For Human Beings, the most basic needs deal with the maintenance & functioning of the body. Maslow uses the term Physiological Needs to describe these basic needs since they are vital for survival. Without food to eat, water to drink, a shelter to live in & proper rest, a person will struggle to function properly in society. Maslow believed these needs are the most instinctive needs as everything else becomes secondary until these needs are met.

For instance, a person recently impacted by lay-offs will immediately seek alternative employment to earn money & fulfill their basic needs of food, water & shelter. Some in certain extreme circumstances can be driven to extreme acts to secure these basic needs that can include crime & or violence. Only after securing these most basic needs of survival can a person move on to the next level of needs.

Safety

Once there’s enough food & water in the belly with a comfortable shelter to rest in, Human Beings start to prioritize urgent bodily security & safety from attack. This is what Maslow describes as Safety Needs. For instance, refugees flee war, violence, conflict or persecution & cross international borders to seek urgent physical safety. Similarly, if a natural disaster strikes a region, people immediately leave their houses seeking physical protection & security.

There’s no way a person can focus on pursuing their high-level needs if they feel unsafe in their immediate surroundings. For example, a person living in a dangerous neighbourhood will prioritize physically removing themselves from that environment above anything else. They will relocate to an area that has a relatively low crime rate. Once the person is sure of their physical safety, they can move on to fulfilling their emotional needs.

Social: Love & Belonging

According to Maslow, humans also need to feel a sense of belonging & acceptance among social groups. This is what Maslow describes as Social Needs. For example, a person experiencing loneliness feels the need for companionship, so they decide to find a partner, get married & start a family. All the depression, anxiety & loneliness have now been replaced by happiness, companionship, love & a fulfilling relationship.

Apart from their immediate familial relations, humans also feel the urge to create meaningful relationships & friendships in their community. Therefore, a person can decide to join a local book club or a cycling club to meet people with similar interests to further experience this feeling of belongingness with other members of society.

Esteem

After fulfilling Physiological, Safety, & Social needs, humans become keen on gaining Esteem, Self-Confidence & Respect From Peers. For example, let’s think of a rich person who likes to show off his wealth to his peers by purchasing luxury items. In contrast, there’s an artist who paints solely to master his craft & become confident in his abilities. Whether the source of admiration is others or one’s own self, these scenarios create a positive self-image & help people define their Self-Worth. This is what Maslow describes as esteem needs & further divides it into two versions:

• Lower Version: The need to be respected by others includes status, fame, prestige, recognition, & attention.
• Higher Version: The need for self-respect includes self-confidence, independence, freedom, mastery, strength, & competence.

When Esteem Needs aren’t met, humans experience feelings of inferiority. For example, two friends, A & B, are applying for the same college. Both of them worked equally hard to make their applications stand out. However, A’s application gets rejected, & B’s application gets accepted. A will start to feel inferior to his friend B, which will also affect his self-esteem & self-confidence.

Higher needs, starting from self-esteem, are ego-driven needs. Once the needs at the bottom three levels are fulfilled, ego-driven needs play a more significant role in motivating a human being’s actions.

Self-Actualization

Once a human being’s Physiological, Safety, Social, & Esteem needs are fulfilled, they shift their focus towards reaching their full potential. For example, a successful investment banker may start a tech company solely because he’s passionate about it. Although there’s little to no money in this new venture at the beginning, he still enjoys his work immensely & cannot think of anything else to do in life. Maslow describes this as the last stage of The Hierarchy Of Needs, in a now legendary term called Self-Actualization.

Maslow also points out that the drive for Self-Actualization is based on a person’s personal motives & individualistic goals. That’s why the nature of this need is extremely subjective. For example, an individual may desire to succeed as a world-famous athlete, while someone else may find fulfilment in becoming a good parent.

The Expanded Hierarchy Of Needs

Maslow built upon his original hierarchy in the later years & introduced three additional needs at the top of the pyramid, making it a total of 8. These needs are described as follows:

• Cognitive: This refers to the human need to understand & make sense of their surroundings while being able to come up with novel solutions to problems. For example, a person could develop their critical thinking skills & learn a new language.
• Aesthetic: This refers to the need to search for & appreciate beauty, balance and form. It could involve exploring the world of art, music & culture.
• Transcendence: This refers to the need to go beyond one’s own self, whether by religious, mystical, spiritual, aesthetic, ethical or ideological pursuits. For example, a person could become involved in humanitarian or environmental causes. This is the highest level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs & involves self-actualisation, self-transcendence & a sense of purpose.

Ascension Through The Pyramid

As one moves up through the hierarchy, the needs change, & the motivation to fulfil these needs also changes. Therefore, Maslow’s separated his Hierarchy Of Needs into 2 sections:

Deficiency Needs

Maslow recognizes Physiological, Security, Social, & Esteem needs under Deficiency Needs. The motivation to fulfil these needs arises due to deprivation, in other words… Not Having. Once these needs are met, motivation decreases. Also, The longer the duration that one’s Deficiency Needs go unmet, the stronger the motivation to fulfil them becomes. For instance, a person’s hunger will only grow stronger the longer they wait to eat something.

Growth Needs

Maslow categorized Originally Self-Actualization as the only Growth Need. Growth Needs stem from the desire to develop & grow as a person. Unlike Deficiency Needs, when an individual pursues their Growth Needs, the desire to fulfil them becomes even stronger. For instance, a person learning to play an instrument may get frustrated initially. Still, as they get progressively better, the desire to master the instrument becomes increasingly intense, & once the person fully masters the instrument, the satisfaction also feels increasingly profound.

Here Are Some Applications Of Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs

Maslow’s Theory Of Human Motivation & It’s Hierarchy Of Needs finds its way into many aspects of daily life, Business, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Psychiatry, & even Manipulation.

Here are a few examples

• In Marketing: Maslow’s need hierarchy helps marketers craft an ideal buyers persona & decide what triggers an individual to purchase a product. A product targeted specifically at people at the esteem level of Maslow’s hierarchy is more likely to be marketed as an item that will bring recognition & respect. For example, Apple’s products are often seen as something to be proud of & can aid in a person developing self-confidence instead of as something to fulfil a basic need.
• In Human Resource Management: Human resource managers use Maslow’s needs hierarchy to understand what motivates employees & how to keep them satisfied. For example, a manager may realise that an employee is motivated by feelings of accomplishment & recognition rather than monetary rewards. They can ensure greater job satisfaction & productivity by adjusting their management style to accommodate the employee’s needs.
• In Education: In the classroom, Maslow’s need hierarchy can be used to encourage positive behaviour. For example, if a student is displaying negative behaviour, it could be due to their unmet lower-level needs, such as safety & security. By addressing these needs first & then focusing on higher-level needs like self-actualisation, teachers can help foster an environment of learning, exploration & growth.
• In Governance: The government can use Maslow’s need hierarchy as a guide when making decisions on policies. For example, when tackling poverty & income inequality, it is important to first address the lower-level needs of food, shelter & clothing before focusing on higher-level needs such as self-actualisation.
• In Manipulation & Coercion: One could potentially use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to manipulate others by exploiting their unmet needs. For example, an individual could use their knowledge of another person’s unfulfilled physiological needs, such as hunger or thirst, to manipulate them into doing something they wouldn’t normally do. Alternatively, they could use knowledge of a person’s need for safety & security to manipulate them into feeling vulnerable & dependent. However, it is important to note that such actions are not ethical & go against the fundamental principles of respect & empathy & in some cases are illegal. Such manipulative behavior can have negative consequences & may harm the individual being manipulated as well as the manipulator in the long run. Therefore, it is essential to approach Maslow’s theory with caution & use it in a responsible & respectful manner.

Finally…

It’s important to understand that The Hierarchy Of Needs is not a one-size-fits-all model. Everyone’s needs & priorities are different, & they can change throughout Your life.

So, the first step is to identify which needs are most important for you at the moment. For example, if you are experiencing financial difficulties, your immediate concern may be to find a stable source of income or to reduce your expenses. Alternatively, if you’re dealing with a health issue, your focus may be on taking care of your physical needs, such as following a treatment plan, getting enough rest, or practicing self-care.

Once you’ve identified your current needs, you can take steps to meet them. This might involve making changes to your lifestyle, seeking out support from family and friends, or seeking professional help.

As you progress through The Hierarchy, you can start to focus on higher-level needs, such as building strong relationships or pursuing personal growth. For example, you might make an effort to connect with like-minded people or join a social group to meet new friends. Or you might take up a new hobby or enroll in a course to develop new skills & enhance your personal growth.

It’s worth noting that Maslow’s theory has been criticized for oversimplifying Human Motivation & for being too focused on individualistic, Western values. However, many people still find the theory useful as a framework for understanding their own needs & priorities, & as a starting point for self-improvement. Ultimately, the key is to use the theory as a guide, & to adapt it to your own unique circumstances & values.