How is the individual character of needs manifested? Properties of needs and their connection with consciousness

The question of the needs of man and other biological organisms has always interested psychologists. In order to reveal how the individual character of needs manifests itself, it is first necessary to define this concept. In general, the need is a state of need that the body experiences. This may be the need for special external or internal conditions, the desire for belonging to a group, cognitive activity, etc. This interpretation is also true of animals. Different researchers give their definitions to what human needs are, but the basic concept is the above.

The main features of human or animal needs

In any case, the need for something is the state of the organism in which it experiences discomfort and tries to eliminate it by any means. The main features of the needs are: selectivity of attention when perceiving the outside world; The presence of an emotional component; Building them in a certain hierarchy.

Focus of attention

Selectivity of attention in the perception of reality is determined by the dominant need at the given time. For example, in a hungry person, all attention will be focused on those objects of the external world that are associated with food. A person who is obsessed with buying a new, more expensive car will only see fashionable foreign cars around. Therefore, such selectivity will also be one of the indicators that show how the individual character of human needs manifests itself .

Emotion - satellite needs

Emotional component is an attribute that accompanies any need. After all, if there is a certain dissatisfaction, a person, and any living organism, will experience negative experiences. And when you meet the need, they are always replaced by positive emotions. Therefore, speaking about how the individual character of human needs manifests , one can also mention the power of the emotional response. Different people in different situations will demonstrate this or that degree: one person, waiting for luggage at the airport for a long time, will be restrained and calm. The other can begin to behave like a small child.

Hierarchy of needs

The construction of the hierarchy of needs was carried out by different scientists, but one of the most famous concepts is certainly the Maslow pyramid. In addition to trying to organize a person's needs in a certain sequence, he also sought to answer the question of what determines needs. It turned out that in the presence of unsatisfied needs of a lower order, the following needs for them can not be satisfied to the proper degree. For example, the same hungry person is unlikely to be interested in the paintings of Van Gogh. And the one who is in a life-threatening condition, is unlikely to very much think about his status in the workplace or in the team.

It should be noted that there are views that contradict the theory of Abraham Maslow. For example, the theory of the needs of Clayton Alderfer, who believed that unsatisfied needs of a lower order can be replenished through higher blocks. However, this point is rather controversial, and its concept, in comparison with Maslow's theory, has got used to little in the system of modern psychological knowledge.

The main feature determining the individual character of needs

Thus, speaking of how the individual character of needs manifests itself, it is necessary to note the direct connection of this character with the consciousness of man. Needs determine the direction, focus attention in a particular direction. On the other hand, the person himself as a highly developed being is able to determine his needs and concentrate precisely on those things with which his personal choice was determined. The one whose career values prevail will have a need for it. His mind will focus on actions to achieve the increase. Anyone who wants to move to another country will direct the focus of his attention to meeting this need.