Abraham Maslow

Running Head : MASLOW

Abraham Maslow

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Abraham Maslow and His Theory

Introduction

Motivation , then , is generally understood as the "why " of behavior (Maslow , 1954 , 1970 McClelland , 1985 Petri , 1991 Campbell and Pritchard , 1983 Cofer and Appley , 1964 . The importance of understanding the determinants of behavior are obvious for the social and behavioral sciences , whose scientific goals are the explanation and prediction of behavior . Motivation research has made some significant contributions toward this goal (Petri , 1990 Campbell and Pritchard 1983 McClelland , 1985 , but differing

theoretical approaches interests , and levels of analysis have not yet merged into a consensus conceptually or operationally , yielding a comprehensive , definitive theory of human motivation

In this direction , one theorist , Abraham Maslow , has offered a possible solution . He proposed a humanistic , eclectic , multi-component holistic-dynamic approach to motivation that integrated and synthesized his own and past ideas with the "partial truths " he found in the theories of Freud , Adler , Jung , Levy , Fromm , Homey , and Goldstein (Maslow , 1954 , 1970 . In contrast to the positions of Freud , McDougal and the majority of experimental psychologists at the time , Maslow grounded his theory with the Rousseau-like premise that human nature is inherently good . In addition , he emphasized the importance , derived from the Gestaltists , of treating the individual as a whole , integral unit He presented a hierarchy of prepotent "basic needs " that must be fulfilled if the individual is to become "fully human " and suggested that these "unfolding " needs guide individual striving or behavior Below is a closer look at the theory

Overview of Maslow 's Theory

Maslow (1954 , 1970 , 1976 ) proposed an eclectic , multicomponent motivation theory that built upon some of the classical psychologies such as functionalism , depth psychology (psychoanalysis , Gestalt psychology , Goldstein 's organismic psychology , and , to some extent drive theory . The overarching philosophy of his theory , that human nature is inherently good and that man strives toward an ultimate purpose , guided by intrinsic , universal (ergo "good ) values , can be traced to the thinking of Rousseau and to the Greek philosophers (i .e Socrates , Plato , Aristotle (Wahba and Bridwell , 1983

Maslow 's theory contrasts with the Freudian position (and that of most experimentalists of that era ) that man is "driven " by "bad animal instincts that must be controlled or suppressed . Instead , Maslow suggests that man is "pulled " by an inherent set of unfolding "instinctoid " needs to an ultimate value - self-actualization , the fulfillment of his potentiality . Maslow also postulates that optimum understanding of the human species cannot be achieved by studying the "average " or the "sick " individual : in to understand "full humanness " one must look at the best specimens - the paragons of the species . By definition , they will be able to demonstrate what is "good for all of us : they are inherently better choosers (Wahba and Bridwell 1983

Maslow 's theory is also discordant with the positivistic , value-free reductive-analytic science endorsed by the scientific community of the mid-twentieth century . Whereas this method had served the natural sciences well , Maslow found it wanting in its ability to serve the...