Motivation Review of Related Theories
15 hand, if these needs are met, the next need of the hierarchy emerges as dominant
forces in controlling and directing behavior. b.
Safety Needs The safety needs represent a need for safety or security in our
environment. Like the physiological needs, safety needs are primarily triggered in emergency situations. Higher needs become uni
mportant when one’s life is endangered, and our behavior reflects our attempts to remain secure. Safety needs
dominate our behavior primarily in times of emergency. It is most evident in young children, as shown when an infant cries if dropped suddenly, startled by a
loud sound, or a stranger enters the room. c.
Love or Belongingness Needs When the safety needs have been adequately met, they become
unimportant in the direction of behavior, and the love or belongingness needs emerge. These needs involve a hunger for affectionate relationships with others, a
need to feel part of a group, or a feeling that one “belongs”. The love needs are
not equivalent to sexual needs which are physiological, though sexual intimacy can serve to satisfy one’s need to belong. The love needs require both the
receiving and giving of love-love from another and someone to love. d.
Self-Esteem Needs If the love needs have been adequately met, they too slip into the
background in relation to guiding behavior, and the self-esteem needs become dominant. These are needs for positive, high evaluation of oneself. This
evaluation can be broken down into two subcategories of a need for self-esteem
16 and a need for esteem from others. The need for self-esteem motivates the
individual to strive for achievement, strength, confidence, independence, and freedom. While the related need of self-esteem from others involves a desire for
reputation, status, recognition, appreciation by others of one’s abilities, and a feeling of importance.
e. Self-Actualization
The needs for self-actualization are considered as the final of needs. The behavior of the self-actualized person is motivated by a new set of needs, which
Maslow termed the being needs such as truth, honesty, beauty, and goodness, and they provide meaning to the life of the self-actualized individual.
Human has several motives behind his or her behaviors. It is difficult to reduce or erase some behaviors in the certain situation. Thus, the hierarchy of
needs is applied to analyze human ’s needs that influence human’s behaviors.