Abraham Maslow was a humanistic psychologist who proposed a five-tiered
hierarchy to explain the motivations behind behavior. Maslow's contribution
was two-fold: 1) arranging human needs into a hierarchy, and 2) separating
out self-actualization needs and placing them at the pinnacle. According
to Maslow, in general, lower (or more basic) needs must be satisified to
at least a reasonable level before the higher level needs can even manifest
themselves.
You may have studied this in another class. In this class, we want to
see how we can use the concept to help us be more effective persuaders.
The needs include:
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Pysiological Needs These are the most
basic needs: survival needs such as food, water, air, shelter. It also
includes the need for a reasonably comfortable environment. For example,
people find it difficult to keep their minds on things when they are too
hot or cold, or somewhere exposed to a truly noxious odor. Although in
our culture for the most part (with definite exceptions) we take the satisfaction
of these needs for granted, keep in mind that we are talking about psychological
motivation. Many people who have not gone hungry in years may still be
haunted by experiences from childhood in the depression or during World
War II, and so be motivated by the fear of losing in this area. You may
also be able to make use of this area by arousing an awareness of a lack
of which the audience was unaware prior to your speech.
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Advertisements may arouse the needs for comfort and appeal to this area.
Concerns about nutrition may also be aimed here. A diet food ad may show
a piece of chocolate cake with the slogan, "You can have your cake and
diet too!" In other words, lose weight comfortably. A cereal ad might say,
"Get 100 percent of your daily vitamin requirement!"
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Speech topic that have appealed to this need include: "CPR Training Saves
Lives," "The Nutritional Value of Whole Grain Breads," and "Will You Always
Have Enough Pure Water to Drink?"
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Safety/security needs.
This is basically dealing with the need to be free from threats or predators,
and the need to have life run smoothly (a very unsatisfied need in our
society). Includes appeals to safety and control as well as to tradition.
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Advertisements aim here with such appeals as "Will Social Security be around
when you retire? Use our IRA to make sure you're not left hanging." Another
one for dead-bolt locks: "Can your door be opened with a credit card? Johnson's
safety locks are jimmy-proof." One that ran locally for a burglar alarm
company showed a scruffy looking guy who had just used a crow-bar to open
a door, with the headline "How much would you pay to keep him out?"
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Speeches: "Some Practical Advice for Coping With Tornadoes"; "Protecting
Yourself from Rape"; "The Role of Superstitions in Our Lives." The latter
topic helps illustrate how humans are motivated by needs rather than sheer
reason. I don't consider myself superstitious. However, the speaker mentioned
the fact that for it to be lucky to pick up a penny, the penny has to be
heads up. Even though I'm not superstitious, I find myself picking up the
heads-up pennies and leaving the tails-up ones on the basis of "why take
chances? It's just a penny." As one of my professors used to say, "People
are not logical, they are psycho-logical."
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Belongingness and love needs.
Includes the need for satisfying relationships with other people, the needs
for acceptance, the need to be part of a group. Political campaigns often
appeal here (the bandwagon appeal). Includes the need for friendship, nurturance,
and sexual gratification.
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Ads include: "Join the Pepsi Generation"; "I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper,
she's a Pepper, we're a Pepper, everybody on God's green earth is a Pepper,
wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?" In fact, Dr. Pepper manages to get
both bandwagon and the appeal to being independent (which we'll talk about
in a minute) with the phrase "I'm part of an original crowd." The logical
contradiction inherent in "original crowd" matters not; remember, "People
are not logical, they are psycho-logical."
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Speech ideas include: "Winning Friends and Influencing People"; "How to
be Popular on Campus"; "A Look at Computer Dating Services"; "Get Involved:
Volunteer Through Campus Organizations."
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Esteem needs. The
need for esteem basically is the need for others to look up to you. It
includes the need to be respected by others and recognized by others (praise,
status symbols, etc.). Basically, the need to be treated as a valuable
and important person. Independence and success are values here as well
as in self-actualization. Note the discussion there for the difference
in these, depending on whether they are based in esteem needs or in self-actualization
needs.
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Ads: "You've really arrived when you drive a Rolls Royce"; "Use the credit
card that gives you clout." Any ad that has snob appeal. Any ad that has
as its premise making others notice you, wish they had what you have, or
wish they were you.
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Speech ideas: "The Value of Femininity"; "Success Through Ingenuity"; "My
Ancestors Didn't Come Over on the Mayflower, But I'm a Pretty Important
Person in My Own Right." (Idea of the latter was to be proud of where you
come from, regardless of where it was; others looking up to you.)
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Self-actualization
needs. The need to develop and grow as a person, to find one's identify,
to fully realize one's potential. Also includes the need to achieve satisfaction
by a personal standard of excellence (as opposed to whether someone else
thinks so or not). Success and independence comes in here. Basically, under
esteem needs we would talk about whether other people believe you are successful
and independent; here, we would talk about whether you feel successful
and independent.
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Ads: "Be all that you can be. Find your future in the Army." (Apologies
to those who find this comical. The appeal is the point here. As a former
student told me, "They said they'd train me for a career. I'm at Pellissippi
because I couldn't find work as a flame-thrower operator.") Strangely enough,
a lot of beer ads appeal here. "Grab all the gusto you can. You only go
around once in life." (In other words, satisfy yourself.) Red Dog beer
commercials: "You are your own dog."
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Speech ideas: "Expand Your Horizons"; "Get the Most Out of Life by Realizing
Your Dreams."
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