by Lynne Shandley
One of the great problems in psychology is the number of theories that abound concerning human nature. Many of these theories have never been tested but are generally accepted as being true.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943) is one of the most instantly recognisable theories of motivation.
Abraham Maslow was interested in human motivation. What drives us to do what we do? The classic list of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is generally shown as a pyramid (after all, visuals are much more compelling than bullet point lists or lengthy texts).
In the hierarchy, basic physiological needs drive a person's behaviour. If the person has their basic needs for food, water, sex and air satisfied, then their behaviour will be driven by the need for safety. Once they have a secure place to live with , they then want to be a part of a group and belong and find love. Once they have all the lower needs fulfilled and also secured the esteem of themselves, their companions and others, they can then self-actualise - they can work on matters beyond their basic needs, they can work on the things that interest them most and fulfill them best. Once a lower need is satisfied, it effectively disappears. If a need lower in the hierarchy re-arises, it will monopolize consciousness until it is satisfied.
Maslow's hierarchy is a theory. Maslow himself said the hierarchy is a theory of motivation. “The present theory then must be considered to be a suggested program or framework for future research and must stand or fall... upon researches to be done, researches suggested perhaps by the questions raised in this paper. “(p372). The very title of the paper indicates it is a theory, not a fact.
As side points, Maslow did not present his hierarchy as a pyramid. He also added a desire to know and understand in the original paper and added one further need - aesthetic - in his list in the fourth chapter of his 1970 book.
A wide range of websites and companies with interests in motivational psychology cite the hierarchy as if it is fact (a quick http://www.google.com.au/search?aq=0&oq=maslow's+heirar&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=maslow's+hierarchy+of+needs Google search illustrates this). It is not fact. It is a theory that is argued over to this day.
The pyramid form of the hierarchy implies that all needs at one level must be satisfied before the next level of needs can be satisfied. Even Maslow said that the different needs would have different percentages of fulfillment - maybe most of the physiological needs would be satisfied, with decreasing percentages of fulfillment of the needs further up the hierarchy. Also some people have their needs in a different order (p386).
There are a number of other motivational theories (summarised on this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation Wikipedia page). Of note is Prof Steven Reiss's theory of “16 basic desires”. Reiss has been undertaking research in the area since 1995 (Reiss, 2004) and is seeking to validate his theory with numbers. His research to date has been consistent with his theory.
Reiss's 16 Basic Desires are:
How well do Reiss’s basic desires fit in your life? What about Maslow’s Hierarchy?
References and more reading:
(1) Maslow, AH. 1943. A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review 50:370-396. Accessed via http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm last accessed 12 December 2010.
(2)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation , last accessed 11 January 2011
(3) Reiss, Steven (2004), "Multifaceted nature of intrinsic motivation: The theory of 16 basic desires", Review of General Psychology 8 (3): 179-193, available at http://nisonger.osu.edu/papers/Multifaceted%20nature%20of%20intrinsic%20motivation.pdf last accessed 11 January 2011.