Abraham Maslow’s Holistic-Dynamic Theory

Maslow's Holistic Dynamic Theory

assumes that people are continually motivated by one or more needs, and that under the proper circumstances, they can reach a level of psychological health called self actualization

Hierarchy of Needs

assumes that lower level needs must be satisfied or at least relatively satisfied before higher level needs become motivators.

Conative needs

the five needs composing the hierarchy, meaning that they have a striving or motivational character

Physiological Needs

the only needs that can be completely satisfied or even overly satisfied

Safety Needs

cannot be overly satiated; people can never be completely protected from meteorites, fires, floods, or the dangerous acts of others

love and belongingness needs

including the desire for friendship, the wish for a mate and children, and the need to belong

esteem needs

result from the satisfaction of love needs and which include self confidence and the recognition that we have a positive reputation

Reputation

perception of the prestige, recognition, or fame a person has achieved in the eyes of others

Self esteem

person's own feelings of worth and confidence; "desire for strength, for achievement, for, for mastery and competence, for confidence in the face of the world, and independence and freedom"

Self Actualization Needs

people maintain their feelings of self esteem even when scorned, rejected, and dismissed by other people

Aesthetic Needs

include a desire for beauty and order, and some people have much stronger aesthetic needs than do others

Cognitive needs

include the desire to know, to understand, and to be curious

Neurotic needs

include a desire to dominate, to inflict pain, or to subject oneself to the will of another person

Unmotivated Behavior

not all determinants are motives such as conditioned reflexes, maturation, or drugs

Expressive behavior

often an end in itself and serves no other purpose than to be (slouching, looking stupid, being relaxed, showing anger, and expressing joy)

Coping behavior

ordinarily conscious, effortful, learned, and determined by the external environment. It involves the individual's attempts to cope with the environment; it is always motivated by some deficit need

Deprivation of Needs

Lack of satisfaction of any of the basic needs leads to some kind of pathology

Instinctoid Nature of Needs

some human needs are innately determined even though they can be modified by learning

Self Actualization

Maslow believed that a very small percentage of people reach an ultimate level of psychological health

Metamotivation

characterized by expressive rather than coping behavior and is associated with the B values.

Metapathology

the absence of values, the lack of fulfillment, and the loss of meaning in life.

Values of Self Actualizers

Maslow held that self actualizing people are meta motivated by such B values as truth, goodness, beauty, justice, and simplicity.

more efficient perception of reality

they often have an almost uncanny ability to detect phoniness in others, and they are not fooled by sham

spontaneity, simplicity, and naturalness

they have no need to appear complex or sophisticated

problem centered

they view age old problems from a solid philosophical position

the need for privacy

a detachment that allows them to be alone without being lonely

autonomy

hey have grown beyond dependency on other people for their self esteem;

continued freshness of appreciation

the ability to view everyday things with a fresh vision and appreciation

frequent reports of peak experiences

those mystical experiences that give a person a sense of transcendence and feelings of awe, wonder, ecstasy, reverence, and humility

Gemeinschaftsgefühl

social interest or a deep feeling of oneness with all humanity

a philosophical sense of humor

humor that is spontaneous, unplanned, and intrinsic to the situation

creativeness

they possess a keen perception of truth, beauty, and reality

resistance to enculturation

they have the ability to set personal standards and to resist the mold set by the dominant culture

D love

deficiency love

B love

love for being or essence of another person

Jonah complex

fear of being or doing one's best; characterized by attempts to run away from one's destiny

abnormal development

any failure to reach self