Maslow http://web.utk.edu/~gwynne/maslow.HTM
"Physiological Needs
Physiological needs are the very basic needs such as air, water, food,
sleep, sex, etc. When these are not satisfied we may feel sickness,
irritation, pain, discomfort, etc. These feelings motivate us to
alleviate them as soon as possible to establish homeostasis. Once they
are alleviated, we may think about other things.
Safety Needs
Safety needs have to do with establishing stability and consistency in
a chaotic world. These needs are mostly psychological in nature. We
need the security of a home and family. However, if a family is
dysfunction, i.e., an abusive husband, the wife cannot move to the
next level because she is constantly concerned for her safety. Love
and belongingness have to wait until she is no longer cringing in
fear. Many in our society cry out for law and order because they do
not feel safe enough to go for a walk in their neighborhood. Many
people, particularly those in the inner cities, unfortunately, are
stuck at this level. In addition, safety needs sometimes motivate
people to be religious. Religions comfort us with the promise of a
safe secure place after we die and leave the insecurity of this world.
Love Needs
Love and belongingness are next on the ladder. Humans have a desire to
belong to groups: clubs, work groups, religious groups, family, gangs,
etc. We need to feel loved (non-sexual) by others, to be accepted by
others. Performers appreciate applause. We need to be needed. Beer
commercials, in addition to playing on sex, also often show how beer
makes for camaraderie. When was the last time you saw a beer
commercial with someone drinking beer alone?
Esteem Needs
There are two types of esteem needs. First is self-esteem which
results from competence or mastery of a task. Second, there's the
attention and recognition that comes from others. This is similar to
the belongingness level, however, wanting admiration has to do with
the need for power. People who have all of their lower needs
satisfied, often drive very expensive cars because doing so raises
their level of esteem. "Hey, look what I can afford-peon!"
Self-Actualization
The need for self-actualization is "the desire to become more and more
what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming."
People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek
knowledge, peace, esthetic experiences, self-fulfillment, oneness with
God, etc. It is usually middle-class to upper-class students who take
up environmental causes, join the Peace Corps, go off to a monastery,
etc."
Adam's Equity Theory http://opax.swin.edu.au/~388226/howto/it2/mproc.htm
"Adam's argues that people are motivated by "inequity". That means
that a person looks at others who are doing the same or similar jobs
to them and compare how much effort that they put into the job and how
much they are rewarded for their work.
For example a person who was working very hard in a job may see a
colleague who does not put in much effort at all has the same rewards
of salary, prestige, promotion etc. This would probably be a negative
motivator, discouraging that person from working so hard. There are,
on the other hand, positive motivators where a person feels that they
receive more than others in the same job and so feel that they are
being rewarded for their efforts." |
