Social Work Frameworks: Motivational Theory
Social workers help individuals and groups to function better in their environment. If you read our last blog post on systems theory, you'll know the various workplaces and industries to which social workers bring their expertise. There are lots of different ways to go about helping people, which is why social workers learn many strategies to do so.
Underpinning these strategies are ways of thinking are "social work theories" taught in formal educational settings to aspiring social workers. One of our favourite social work theories among the at Ark Support Coordination team is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, aka "motivational theory."
This structured approach allows professionals to provide targeted, effective support, fostering a path toward self-sufficiency and empowerment for individuals in difficult situations. For the general public, Maslow's model offers a lens through which to reflect on personal well-being and how we move towards our goals. So who is Maslow, and what is motivational theory?
Social work theories: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
What drives a person's behaviour? Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is one of many theories attempting to answer this question. Ranked as the tenth most cited psychologist of the 20th century, Abraham Harold Maslow was an American psychologist known for creating one of the best motivational theories in the world.
'Needs-based theories of motivation are founded on the belief that an individual's behaviour is driven by actions that satisfy their needs and wants.'
Maslow first introduced his hierarchy of needs thesis in 1943 in the paper "A Theory of Human Motivation". His idea starts with the simple understanding that people always tend to want something, and what they want depends on what they already have. Maslow suggests that there are five different levels of human needs and that these human needs are arranged in a hierarchical order, see our graphic below.
The theory goes that once each need level is fulfilled, the desire to achieve the next level motivates us to achieve better circumstances for ourselves, as does the motivation to "progress in life".
The Hierarchy
The hierarchy begins with basic survival needs, "physiological", at the bottom before progressing to creative and "self-actualisation" needs at the top. Maslow argued that individuals can only satisfy the higher needs on the pyramid by meeting their base-level survival needs. According to the theory, the higher up the pyramid, the more complex the ability to satisfy those needs becomes due to, as Maslow said, the 'interpersonal and environmental barriers that inevitably frustrate us'. The hierarchy of needs goes as follows:
Physiological needs are biological requirements for human survival.
Safety needs people to experience order, predictability, and control in life.
Love and belongingness needs refer to a human emotional need for interpersonal relationships.
Self-esteem needs self-worth, accomplishment and respect from recognition, which gives them a sense of contribution or value.
Self-actualisation needs, the highest level in Maslow's hierarchy, the desire to accomplish everything that one can and 'to become everything one is capable of becoming.'
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, or “Motivational Theory”
Maslow pointed out the expression of self-actualisation needs is different for every individual. He also believed few people could achieve true self-actualisation by reaching their “full potential”. Still, he did believe that all of us experience "transitory moments", known as "peak experiences" of self-actualisation.
Maslow refined his theory over several decades, eventually stating that achieving needs doesn't follow a strict linear progression and that a need does not have to be 100% satisfied before the next need emerges. Individuals can fill various needs simultaneously or shift between levels depending on what is important to them. For example, some people may feel the need for self-esteem is more important than the need for love. For others, the need for creative fulfilment may surpass the fulfilment of the most basic physiological needs.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs highlights that individuals are motivated to achieve their needs, and once certain needs are met, it makes others more attainable. We like Maslow's hierarchy of needs because it promotes self-agency. When someone fulfils their own needs, that sense of accomplishment and the efforts it took to get there can motivate them to continue to meet their needs further up the pyramid.
When someone believes in their ability to complete a task well (whatever that looks like to that individual), they can be motivated to make changes in their lives.
What does applying the hierarchy of needs look like in social work?
Motivational Theory and Social Work
By applying Maslow's hierarchy, social workers can create more effective, client-centred strategies that acknowledge the desire to provide for ourselves and how this is impacted by the needs we have met. A significant part of our work in the NDIS sector is identifying and assessing participant needs, understanding their goals and why these goals are important to them.
In less urgent settings, social workers use the theory to create a step-by-step approach to planning a comprehensive care strategy to address multiple need levels at once. This holistic approach acknowledges that neglecting some needs will not help achieve others.
Individuals often present with many unmet needs at once. It's then up to social workers, support coordinators, carers, or people in similar client-facing roles to help identify immediate vs. long-term needs. Identifying what needs can wait, such as social participation versus immediate needs or a crisis situation, like access to safe housing or leaving an unsafe environment, such as a domestic violence relationship or an area impacted by a natural disaster.
Motivational theory can help us prioritise interventions.
Through person-centred practice, prioritising interventions based on a needs assessment and adopting a systems theory lens, NDIS social workers can recognise a client's unique life experiences and how they relate to their environment, taking this into account while modifying an approach to fulfilling their needs.
In organisational and group settings, social workers may recognise unmet needs in a community and apply a hierarchy of needs structure in implementing resource allocation or advocate for policies and resources based on human needs.
'For some cultures, community and family relationships may be prioritised over individual achievement. Social Workers must adapt their application of Maslow's hierarchy to align with the cultural values of their clients.'
Motivational theory is an invaluable framework for understanding human motivation, especially in the field of social work. For social workers, it serves as a guide for assessing and prioritising clients' needs, ensuring that basic physiological and safety needs are met before higher-level needs can be addressed. Ultimately, Maslow's theory not only enriches the work of social workers but also empowers individuals to approach their personal development in a more holistic, balanced way.
It reminds us that growth and motivation is built upon a foundation of our most essential human needs.