The Maslow motivation theory

The history of science knows many attempts to substantiate certain motives of human activity, it seems that this question should be considered in the context of "eternal" questions, and put on a par with such as "who am I", "for what I", "what I can "and so on. Among modern concepts aimed at answering the question of the motives of human activity, one can cite the theory of Alderfer's growth, the doctrine of acquired needs, the developer of which is McClelland, the concept of two factors of Herzberg and several others.

In the mid-fifties of the last century, a significant resonance in the scientific world was caused by Maslow's theory of motivation, which the scientist developed, initially focusing on the need for the formation of modern management systems of socio-economic behavior in a postindustrial society.

As the starting points of his doctrine, A. Maslow proceeded from the adoption of such provisions, which then became prerequisites for the formulation of the basic ideas of the theory of motivation.

So, Maslow argued that the needs of man - an objective fact, while at different stages of his existence, he can experience that one of them, then others. Moreover, some of them can be inherent throughout life, and others - sporadically. On this basis, the scientist draws a conclusion about the existence of some hierarchy in the needs of the person, and, consequently, about the motives that they form. According to theory Motivation Maslow, in the course of life, the needs that are not met, prompt to activities aimed at their satisfaction.

Further, if some of them are already satisfied, then they, in turn, form the motives for "taking" a higher level. Based on such a ranking, the classification of A. Maslow took the form of a pyramid, in the basis of which he put the needs, satisfaction of which, is a priority task. These are physiological: in food, rest, sleep and other factors of the elementary physical life-support of the individual. According to Maslow's theory of motivation , the needs that are already satisfied do not induce a person to be active, and, besides, their structure is dynamic - one is replaced by ones that are already satisfied, others come-unsatisfied ones.

The pyramid of needs for A. Maslow, contains five levels (or steps).

At the first stage are those that provide a person an elementary survival in the natural environment as a biological being. It is the need for a clean atmosphere, water, shelter, food, rest and so on.

The second stage is occupied by the needs, on the basis of which motives are formed to ensure their own security, and here the motivation for Maslow provides not only physical aspects, but also social ones - these are the motives that motivate good work, to have higher earnings, to live more comfortably, to receive Medical care, etc.

The most ordinary social needs of a person-in recognition, in communication, in maintaining partnership and friendly relations, in organizing and maintaining collective forms of life are located in the middle of the Maslow pyramid.

In the fourth stage, Maslow's theory of motivation provides for the location of needs that mediate and determine motives of a high social level-inducing activities that ensure social recognition, the attainment of power status, and claims for public recognition of human merits before society.

The fifth stage is occupied with needs initiating motives of personal social significance. Here people are motivated to achieve high creative indicators and their recognition by society.

Since the Maslow theory of motivation assumes that the links in the pyramid are dynamic, that is, the achievement of one need, forms a new, and then a motive, to its satisfaction, it is important to imagine and be able to answer the question what happens when a person reaches the fifth, The last, the vertex step?

A. Maslow answers this question in such a way that the achievement of such a level does not at all mean that it is disappearing or some weakening of the needs for the formation of motives for activity.