The question of the needs of man and other biological organisms has always been of interest to psychologists. In order to identify how the individual nature of needs is manifested, it is first necessary to define this concept. In general terms, need is a state of need experienced by an organism. This may be the need for special external or internal conditions, the desire to belong to a group, cognitive activity, etc. Such an interpretation is also true in relation to animals. Different researchers give their definitions of what human needs are, but the main concept is the above.
The main features of the needs of a person or animal
In any case, the need for something is that state of the body in which it experiences discomfort and seeks to eliminate it by any means. The main features of the needs are: selectivity of attention in the perception of the outside world; the presence of an emotional component; building them into a specific hierarchy.
Focus of attention
The selectivity of attention in the perception of reality is determined by the need that dominates at a 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 acquiring a new, more expensive car will see only fashionable foreign cars around. Therefore, such selectivity will also be one of the indicators indicating how the individual nature of human needs is manifested .
Emotion is a companion of needs
The emotional component is an attribute that accompanies any need. Indeed, in the presence of a certain dissatisfaction, a person, and indeed any living organism, will experience negative feelings. And when filling the need, they are always replaced by positive emotions. Therefore, speaking of how the individual nature of human needs is manifested , one can also mention the strength of the emotional response. Different people in different situations will demonstrate this or that degree: one person, waiting for baggage at the airport for a long time, will be restrained and calm. Another may begin to behave like a small child.
Hierarchy of needs
Different scientists were involved in the construction of the hierarchy of needs, but one of the most famous concepts is, of course, the Maslow Pyramid. In addition to trying to organize the needs of a person in a certain sequence, he also sought to answer the question of what determines the needs. It turned out that in the presence of unmet needs of a lower order, the needs following them cannot be satisfied to the proper degree. For example, the same hungry man is unlikely to be interested in paintings by Van Gogh. And those who are in life-threatening conditions are unlikely to think very much about their 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, Clayton Alderfer’s theory of needs, who believed that unmet needs of a lower order could be met through higher blocks. However, this point is rather controversial, and its concept, in comparison with Maslow’s theory, has weakly taken root in the system of modern psychological knowledge.
The main feature that determines the individual nature of needs
Thus, speaking of how the individual character of needs is manifested, it is necessary to note the direct connection of this character with the human mind. Needs determine the direction, focus attention in a specific direction. On the other hand, man himself, as a highly developed creature, is able to determine his needs and concentrate precisely on those things that determined his personal choice. The one whose career system prevails 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 focus his attention on filling this need.