The Influence of Need on Motivation to Learn

Need is owned by every living thing, and certainly by human. Need are power and effort that come from the inside of human to reach particular state or object. Need forces human to do some activities to fulfill the need itself. Maslow (1968, 1970, 1987), viewed as father of humanistic described human needs into hierarchy which is well-known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need. He divides it into deficiency needs and growth needs. Deficiency needs relates to basic needs that support the importance of human live. Growth needs describes humans need of intelligent and satisfaction.

According to Maslow, growth needs will never be fulfilled before human meet their deficiency needs. Deficiency needs include Survival, Safety, Belonging, and Self-esteem.

Survival needs stand as the basic needs that human need to fulfill before they can fulfill the other needs above it. Survival needs take account of the need of shelter, warmth, food and water. Those needs are described crucial for guaranteeing that survival. People will put effort to fulfill this need first before they continue to meet other needs. I do prefer to eat when I am hungry rather than to study, since study is also human needs. I think this need is also being a consideration of school policy maker since there is time for students to break and have a meal time before they continue to study. It is because, as I experienced at school, student are rarely motivated to learn when they are hungry. In other words, teacher and school policy maker should surely put concern on it since it can increase students’ motivation to learn.

Safety needs emerge when the survival needs are met. It describes the need of freedom from physical and emotional threat. When people have a place to stay, food and water, they will demand the feeling of safeties from any threat. This also has to be a concern for school and teachers because when this need is not met, students will not come or have motivation to learn. For example, I experienced it myself when I was in senior high school. There was a friend who always treated me like she did not like me. I felt an emotional threat from her. Then I prefer not to go to school. I did not have motivation to come nor learn. I think what teacher can do regarding this issue is by knowing the relationship exist among the students.

Belonging needs relates to the human need of love and acceptance from family and peers. This is emotional needs. After people meet their needs of survival and safety which are physical needs, they will continue to seek love and acceptance of their selves from family and peers. I think this need also influences the motivation of students to learn. When I already have a place to stay, food, water and feeling of safety, I feel energized to study. Yet, when family, teachers and peers do not accept me I feel I do not want to be there anymore. For example, when there is no one wants to have a lunch with you or do homework together, it decreases not only motivation to learn but perhaps also the motivation to make friends. What teacher can do regarding this issue is by teaching students to feel affection for each other.

Self-esteem needs still relates to emotional needs. This describes human needs of recognition and approval. Human is social-creature which is demanded to do interaction each other in order to be able to fulfill their need for the sake of their live. Yet, within interaction happens among them sometimes the majority of society rejects somebody to be in their community. The feeling of recognition and approval in the community is described as the highest human need by Maslow before they come to meet growth need. I think I experienced this many times, such as in a discussion of organization or in the classroom, not only me but I am sure almost every student wants to be listened, recognized and approved. This certainly influences students’ motivation. As I experienced, once I was not listened or my opinion was ignored, I felt like no more willingness to be included in the community. Teacher can handle this issue by letting students know about the importance of respect each other.

After people meet all their deficiency needs, according to Maslow, they will continue to seek growth needs. Growth needs, as mentioned before, relates to human needs of intelligence to attain our full potential as human and to be all that people are able to be. This need explains why there are musician, artist, athlete, scientist etc. When people are interested in particular object for instance energy, they are trying to find the knowledge about it. Then, when they develop their understanding about energy, they will not stop searching. It increases their motivation to look more for the knowledge and everything relates to it. I do experience it now when I feel I have meet all of my deficiency need. I am interested in computer programming and I find it remarkable. Although it is hard, since it is not my major of study, I feel challenged to be master on it and create something astonishing.

Other need that is not mentioned in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is the Need of Self-Determination. This need includes:

The Need for Competence

It explains human willingness to be seen as smart person. People put efforts to be as competence as they expected. Reflecting on my experience, the more we feel the need for competence, the highest motivation is. Teacher can influence this with attributional statements about performance, praise ad criticism, emotional reaction and offers help.

The Need for Relatedness

Relatedness refers to the feeling of being connected to others, love and respect in one’s environment. This need might be related to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need for the need of Self-esteem which demands for recognition and approval from others.

The Need to Preserve Self-Worth

Self-Worth refers to “an emotional reaction to an evaluation of the self” (Schunk et al., 2008). This need describes people tendency to protect their self, sense of self-worth and self-acceptance. I experienced this as a student of senior high school that I put effort to make myself seen as “smart” student by, for instance, doing “self-handicapping”. I told my friends that I did not learn for the exam when I get low score. I intended it to protect myself seen as unable-student.


Motivation relates to emotional and psychological issue. It energizes people to put effort in achieving their goals which is actually influenced by need. Human has their natural need which Maslow describes it into Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need. It arrives at a conclusion that need emerges motivation for people to do action in fulfilling the needs and attaining their goals.