According to humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow, our actions are motivated in order achieve certain needs. Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" and his subsequent book Motivation and Personality. This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs. This hierarchy is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the most basic needs, while the more complex needs are located at the top of the pyramid.
Subjective well-being can also be measured by showing a person a group of pictures of faces and asking them to describe their own level of satisfaction with their life with one of the faces. If I were given the opportunity to be hooked up to a machine that would keep me in a constant state of happiness, I would decline. I do not live the most satisfactory life in my own opinion, however I like having the ability to take the bad with the good. When we experience bad life circumstances, it makes the good experiences that much better. Bad experiences and feelings make the good feelings worth living for.
To help the estimated seventy percent of the population who aren’t battling mental illness, but also may not be living their life as happily as possible, researchers must determine what happiness is. The question of what happiness is, is quite possibly the most written about philosophical question of all time. Through review of literature it was determined that the three components of happiness are pleasure, engagement and meaning. Pleasure can be found through positive emotion and is often what people are referring to when they
We are more likely to form a relationship with those people who are associated with pleasant event e.g. we are more likely to like someone when we are in a happy mood opposed to unhappy. Support for this theory comes from Griffitt and Guay, they found that higher ratings were given when the experimenter had positively evaluated the participants, thus showing the importance of positive stimuli in relationship formation. Although, the reward / need satisfaction theory doesn’t take into account cultural and gender differences in the formation of romantic relationships. Lott suggests that in many cultures are more focused on the needs of others rather than receiving reinforcement.
According to Spoors et al, Lane found that increased economic power did not lead to increased happiness. Once we have enough to meet their basic needs, happiness tends to lie in the quality of our relationships. In addition to having a strong family network, belonging to some kind of community or social group will also contribute to our happiness. We tend to gain self-esteem and a sense of belonging from being part of a group with whom there is a shared identity and common values. Most groups provide social support and depending on the type of group for example religious groups, will also encourage optimistic
To prove that humans are not simply blindly reacting to situations, but trying to accomplish something greater Maslow studied mentally healthy individuals instead of people with serious psychological issues. In studying people who he considered exemplary, Maslow noticed these people who had
But a review of outcome studies led him to find that psychotherapy does positively affect self-esteem and that improved self-esteem “may be counseling’s most important outcome” (147). Clients come to therapy wanting help with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, sexual problems, relationship difficulties, and a host of other symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms improve; sometimes they persist despite years of intensive work. But most clients do get a sense of greater personal worth from therapy. While specific symptoms may or may not change, clients at least begin to see themselves as more OK, more deserving, more capable.
Because they place a high value on emotional satisfaction, older adults often spend more time with familiar individuals with whom they have had rewarding relationships[1]. This selective narrowing of social interaction maximizes positive emotional experiences and minimizes emotional risks as individuals become older. According to this theory, older adults systematically hone their social networks so that available social partners satisfy their emotional needs. [1] The theory also focuses on the types of goals that individuals are motivated to achieve. Knowledge-related goals aim at knowledge acquisition, career planning, the development of new social relationships and other endeavors that will pay off in the future.
Where would Andrew Carnegie’s “Lecture to Young Men” fit with the above views? a. The philosophies of the Ideology of Success and Social Darwinism dominated American thinking. The Ideology of Success encompassed the belief that adhering to the Puritan work ethic of hard work and moderation and self-restraint would lead to success. i.
Five personality characteristics have been attributed to later life satisfaction. Extroversion which include people that are outgoing, positive and active, usefulness and competence which provides a higher level of involvement with others and renders purpose and structure to use of time (Ranzijn, Keeves, Luscz, &Feather, 1998). Optimism is another where a belief that ones’ decision will lead to positive outcome and last is a sense of control such as engaging in leisure activities or determining when to retire. (MCConatha, Jackson & Bergman,1998) For those who already possess these goals, career counseling for this population should be a more enjoyable experience. Unfortunately some Boomers have issues such as neuroticism, have physical health impairments