Motivation Theory by Maslow

The motivation theory by Maslow is a need theory of motivation. Here we have discussed the five basic needs as described by Abraham Maslow.

Motivation is the process of stimulating individuals in order to make them begin, sustain and complete goal-oriented tasks. Both internal factors and external factors have been found to play a role in motivating individuals. These are called intrinsic and extrinsic motivation respectively.

What are needs?

Needs are psychological or physical inefficiencies that compel individuals to take action. For instance, if you have been fasting for a day, the need for food will direct most of your behavior the next day. This is because you are hungry and want to satisfy a basic need: need for nourishment or need for food.

Similarly, if you are living in a neighborhood where robberies and theft are common, you may be motivated by a need for safety. Consequently, you may start looking for a new place to live.

The motivation theory by Maslow is a need theory. He argued that human behavior is guided by the need to fulfill basic and growth needs. We will discuss these needs in the sections below.

Motivation Theory by Maslow

Abraham Maslow proposed that human motivation arises due to the urge to satisfy 5 needs. They are as follows:

1. Physiological needs
2. Safety needs
3. Social needs
4. Esteem needs
5. Actualization needs

The first 3 needs are collectively called deficiency needs whereas the later 2 needs are called growth needs.

Deficiency Needs

Deficiency needs are very similar to the hygiene needs of Herzberg. The three deficiency needs are as follows.

Physiological needs

These refer to the basic needs of all human beings. For instance, food, water, adequate sleep and sex. The satisfaction of these needs are essential for the sustenance of life. If these needs are not met satisfactorily, the human body cannot survive. Hence, they keep motivating humans to act.

In addition, these needs are recurring in nature. For instance, if we eat once in the morning, we are likely to be motivated by the need for food again in the day. The satisfaction of these needs once or twice is not enough.

Safety

The need to feel safe and secure in our environment is also very essential for human survival. We cannot live in constant threat and fear. This is majorly because human beings are not comfortable with uncertainty. Not knowing whether we are safe or not causes discomfort. In order to overcome such discomfort, the satisfaction of this need becomes crucial.

Social needs

Human beings are social animals. Hence, we have the need to belong to social groups. The feeling of not being accepted into a preferred group causes great emotional pain. In addition, being a part of social groups also helps satisfy physiological and safety needs.

This is one of the primary reasons why humans prefer to live in families and communities. We have evolved as social beings. For instance, humans lived in clusters and groups even when we were hunters and gatherers. Slowly these settlements increased their boundaries and became villages towns and cities.

Tajfel and his team also emphasized that human beings need to be a part of social groups for living a happy life. Therefore, the need to be included in social groups is a major drive for human behavior.

Growth Needs

The two growth needs are as follows:

Esteem needs

The esteem needs may be sub-divided into two categories. Firstly, humans need to have a good self-esteem. In other words, human beings must respect and values himself or herself. In the absence of self-esteem, humans lose value and worth for their own life.

Secondly, humans need to be respect and recognition by significant others. We love it when others appreciate us. Students feel happy when their teacher praises them for obtaining good marks; employees feel happy when their boss appreciates them. Even retired and old people feel good when they feel valued by others around them. Hence, we act in ways by which we will be valued and respected by ourselves as well as by others.

Self-actualization

This refers to a state in which we achieve our true inner potential. Great sages and philosophers like, Lord Buddha had achieved self-actualization. However, ordinary human beings seldom achieve this stage.

Our collective failure to achieve self-actualization arises from the fact that we rapidly shift our goals. For instance, when we were young, we would think that we would be very satisfied when we would get jobs. However, when we do get a good job, we change our definition of good life and want other things, like a car or a house. Hence our inability to achieve actualization is because of the dynamic nature of our ambitions.

It is not wrong to aim for bigger things in life. However, in order to reach actualization, we probably need a more philosophical and spiritual bent of mind where our happiness lies within our self and not outside.

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