Critically analyse how useful seminal and contemporary individual differences theories can be when making sense of a life event that you have personally experienced.
This essay will explore and evaluate the utility of seminal and contemporary individual differences theories in explaining life events. In particular, the theories will be applied to my experience of spending 3 years as a ChildLine counsellor for the NSPCC. This was an experience in which I grew as an individual and motivation was crucial as at times it was psychologically challenging. Thus I feel the appropriate theories to discuss in consideration to my personal experience are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943) and Weiner’s Attribution of Motivation and Emotion (
Maslow’s Hierarchy …show more content…
The simplistic nature of the theory can be linked to the lack of evidence the theory was based on, despite challenges on scientific basis (Heylighen 1992) some empirical evidence has been found with a study into hierarchical structure underlying human goals showing support for the theory (Chulef, Read and Walsh …show more content…
Yet to criticise Maslow for this is ignorant as this was not his intention he clearly implied through his writings that motivation is dynamic writing "We have spoken so far as if this hierarchy were a fixed order but actually it is not nearly as rigid as we may have implied." Thus we must praise his contribution as a whole, the Hierarchy of Needs theory can be easily applied in different settings and still is years after it was first proposed, in addition to this the idea that human needs are continuously changing and developing where as one is met others are desired is an accurate depiction of human
This essay will explore and evaluate the utility of seminal and contemporary individual differences theories in explaining life events. In particular, the theories will be applied to my experience of spending 3 years as a ChildLine counsellor for the NSPCC. This was an experience in which I grew as an individual and motivation was crucial as at times it was psychologically challenging. Thus I feel the appropriate theories to discuss in consideration to my personal experience are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943) and Weiner’s Attribution of Motivation and Emotion (
Maslow’s Hierarchy …show more content…
The simplistic nature of the theory can be linked to the lack of evidence the theory was based on, despite challenges on scientific basis (Heylighen 1992) some empirical evidence has been found with a study into hierarchical structure underlying human goals showing support for the theory (Chulef, Read and Walsh …show more content…
Yet to criticise Maslow for this is ignorant as this was not his intention he clearly implied through his writings that motivation is dynamic writing "We have spoken so far as if this hierarchy were a fixed order but actually it is not nearly as rigid as we may have implied." Thus we must praise his contribution as a whole, the Hierarchy of Needs theory can be easily applied in different settings and still is years after it was first proposed, in addition to this the idea that human needs are continuously changing and developing where as one is met others are desired is an accurate depiction of human