Aimee Grace Trinidad

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1103

April 17, 2018

Grades, Gangs, and Motivation

Today is Tuesday, the 17th of April in 2018. Outside, it is quite sunny with a nice, cold

breeze; the weather is perfect for hiking. Would I rather go hiking than write this paper? Oh,

definitely. Would I rather do something fun outside with friends? Absolutely! So, why not?

Well, that is because today I finally sat down to write my first draft, which is four days overdue.

Funny, it does not quite disturb me anymore how late I have been submitting assignments (or if I

even do) for this class, ​University Writing​. Such behavior does not have anything to do with

indifference towards my topic (in fact, I am interested in it), and it most certainly does not have

anything to do with the instructor. It is also not because I am academically apathetic; ironically

enough, I am usually the opposite. So, why am I saying this? What is reason behind my

academic slacking? To be honest, it is pretty simple; I temporarily lost motivation.

Day by day people make decisions in order to function; it is a simple fact of life. And

those decisions, from minute to monumental, are sparked by some form of motivation (or lack

thereof). It is often easy to become aware that a person has no motivation to pursue a certain

action. However, understanding the mechanisms of human motivation may be trickier at an

initial glance. This paper was written to explore the heart of human motivation and provide

insight to possible problems and solutions. Furthermore, the research to be shared is not intended

to generalize the human population, but rather to consider systemic social, biological, and
cognitive dispositions shared by humans. It is concentrated specifically on their relationships to

learning and higher education.

I. Abraham Maslow, The Pyramid, and How it Makes Sense

Being one of the most influential psychologists in the twentieth century, Abraham Maslow

crafted the world-renowned ​Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ​(Figure 1). Initially pursuing

behavioral psychology, Maslow instead chose to contribute to the research of humanistic

psychology. The hierarchy of needs stems from Maslow’s belief that, ​“the fundamental desires

of human beings are similar despite the multitude of conscious desires” (Zalenski & Raspa,

2006). The figure below illustrates Maslow’s hierarchy that looks like a pyramid.

Figure 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Many people can argue that the pyramid is visually appealing and makes absolute intuitive sense.

Acc​ording to Dr. Pamela Rutledge, the director of the Media Psychology Research Center,

“​Maslow’s hierarchy of needs captivates us because it brings a sense of order to the chaos of

human behavior. Psychologists, educators, parents, and marketers have been trying to figure out
what influences behavior for a long time.” Looking at ​Figure 1​, the first level of needs are the

needs for survival since humans literally cannot live without breathing, food, water, etc.; the

second level being safety, health, and morality. The levels go on until it peaks at

Self-actualization, ​which Maslow describes as spontaneity, creativity, and even higher education.

The majority of society understands that according to Maslow, in order for students to strive for

higher needs, the lower-level needs must be first met. Although the pyramid makes sense, it is

safe to concur that there are people who disagree and perhaps completely oppose Maslow’s

hierarchy. These people might argue that life and motivation cannot be as simple and predictable

with the use of a pyramid.

II. Human Motivation

The Spectrum

Ahh, Motivation​. Typically, when people hear the word motivation, they think of things such as

the motivation to workout, go to school, or commit a crime. They do not always think about

being hungry or attendance as motivations to go eat or to go to class (well, maybe, yeah). By

definition, motivation is the force that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviours.

It is what causes humans to take any action at all let alone what causes a person to pursue a

degree. Many researchers developed different theories to try explain motivation despite its

complex nature.

Although there is a broad spectrum concerning the types of motivation, this paper will focus on

the two opposing extremes: the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Using the supporting data from

the​ Journal of Student Engagement ​written by Michaela Neto​, ​Intrinsic motivation​ is comprised

of self-determined behaviours that give a sense of competence to the individual, whereas

extrinsic motivation ​entails the expectation of positive or negative reinforcement (Can, 2015;

Koludrović & Ercegovac, 2015; Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2002). In other words, intrinsic

motivation can be when a person does an activity for their personal satisfaction and therefore

achieving instant gratitude. Hobbies are good examples of activities driven by intrinsic

motivation as they reflect what a person enjoys doing. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is

doing something perhaps to attain a reward or to avoid negative consequences. According to a

survey that I conducted with a sample of twenty students, 45% of respondents said that their

main motivation for pursuing a degree was for money. This is an example of extrinsic motivation

and is more evident in environments such as schools and workpla​ces (Kunc, 1992)​. Only 20% of

respondents said that they enjoy their major as a whole.

The Sense of Belonging

Looking back at Figure 1, we can see that the third level contains the sense of belonging. The

pyramid has been interpreted by majority in which the idea is that humans cannot

proceed/accomplish the next level until you have fulfilled the one prior. Because of that idea,

belonging​ as a third tier activity is pivotal in the conversation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs;

many researchers have developed theories and arguments based on different scopes of reality.

However, most seem to converge on the idea that human motivation and behavior is driven by

the natural need to build relationships and feel a sense of belonging. This quote from th​e ​same

academic journal​ summarizes key points from other sources:

Human beings are social creatures driven by their innate desire to foster relationships and

feel a sense of belonging, an evolutionary characteristic to ensure longevity (Greene &

Burke, 2007; Huss & Magos, 2014; McNeill, 2015; Petty, 2014)
This is one thing that researchers agree on, however, it is also where most of them branch off

from each other -- meaning slightly different interpretations. For instance, some believe, “in

order for students to strive for higher needs … they must first meet the lower needs” (Melnic &

Botez, 2014). There are those who believe that, “Maslow's model needs rewiring so it matches

our brains. Belongingness is the driving force of human behavior, not a third tier activity”

(source). And some people believe that all levels are just interdependent with one another.

III. Complete Opposition

The two main extremes in this conversation regarding the pyramid is whether or not it is

accurate. Nick Naumof, an applied behavioural science thought leader and researcher, argues

that the pyramid is completely wrong. ​His argument, like many others, revolves around the

understanding that the sense of belonging is a primary human need. It is best represented by

Naumof’s statement:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs fails at being a comprehensive framework of human needs

and motivations because it ignores the mechanisms behind covering the basic needs.

Simply put, status, creativity, spontaneity etc. (seen by Maslow as superior needs) are

ways of creating effective social networks that will support an individual to accomplish

her basic needs.

Of course, there are many others like Naumof who completely detest the pyramid, and they have

a good point. Humans almost always cannot access food, shelter, or any other need without

social interaction (which is a fact). This stirs up the first and second levels of the pyramid.

Though they are not necessarily wrong, they are also not completely right. While life seems like

it is messier and people are different from each other, there are certainly patterns in human
behaviour to take into consideration. This is especially important to remember when it comes to

learning and higher education. There is a fairly good reason why Maslow’s Hierarchy is famous

and even applied. Naumof disregards Maslow’s meticulous study and path leading to the

conclusion and development of the pyramid itself. While Maslow puts physiological needs at the

very bottom, he also acknowledges the importance and necessity for social and affectionate

relations. From Maslow’s (1970) own words:

If both the physiological and the safety needs are fairly well gratified, there will emerge

the love and affection and belongingness needs … Now the person will feel keenly, as

never before, the absence of friends, or a sweetheart, or a wife, or children. He will

hunger for affectionate relations … for a place in his group or family, and he will strive

with great intensity to achieve this goal … Any good society must satisfy this need, one

way or another, if it is to survive and be healthy. (p. 43)

Most of the people who have created arguments regarding this topic have never experienced

starvation. And while social interaction is almost always needed to satisfy hunger, that does

mean that the person themselves crave the gratification of the interaction per se. They would

only be thinking of food, since they would be dying. By satisfying physiological and safety

needs, it does not always mean that you never get hungry. However, starving yourself because of

depression is a whole other story.

IV. Learning and Education

Understanding the motivation needed for quality of learning and education is no different from

what has been discussed above. In Maslow’s pyramid, it is inferred that higher education is part

of the self-actualization level, which can be achieved last. Going back to the spectrum of
motivation, it has been observed that intrinsic motivation is more effective than extrinsic

motivation (Neto, 2015) in terms of academic success. This means that there must be a longing

for self-actualisation to achieve quality learning. However, it also written in the journal that

intrinsic and extrinsic factors are most effective when accompanied by a collective goal, as

opposed to being individually focused (Browning, 2014). While having a personal enjoyment of

something is more effective, it is the most effective when there are extrinsic factors like money,

but in this case a deeper factor which is belonging. Lack of these things would mean downfall for

students. Many students drop-out of school and become academically disinterested because of

lack of motivation. According to ​Education Week, ​around 69% of high-school dropouts report

reasons for lack of motivation.

Since belonging is major force of motivation, it is no different in academic environments. Again,

Maslow stressed that only when we are anchored in community do we develop self-esteem, the

need to assure ourselves of our own worth as individuals. However, in our society, especially in

the field of education, it has been assumed that a child's sense of self-worth can be developed

from a sense of personal achievement that is independent of the child's sense of belonging

(Kunc, 1992). It is almost as if belonging is not an unconditional human need but rather

something to be earned and achieved by the best. The system assumes that most people are

regular or mediocre​ and there are only some who are able to achieve self-actualisation. The lack

of sense of belonging can be a ​major ​cause of academic failure. Belonging has almost become an

earned privilege and schools perpetuate this idea. If you look closely at Maslow’s studies, it

rather true that gangs are healthier environments for human beings to thrive since they provide

an almost unconditional sense of belonging (Kunc, 1992). Many educators assume that students
who join gangs are results of moral deficiency. Granted, the actions in gangs are dangerous,

however, they provide a sense of belonging that the education system needs to address.

V. Conclusions

By now, we understand the role motivation plays in the success of academic, social, or personal

context. We also understand that these needs and their motivation are mediated by the

environment and individual. This paper was written at its best to scratch the surface and

hopefully provide understanding of the mechanisms of human motivation. It is impossible,

however, to completely grasp the topic relating to motivation and learning as it is stretched so

much farther than the scope of this thesis. While the Hierarchy of needs remains controversial to

this day, there is some helpful truth found in Maslow’s writings.

In the education system, these needs must be addressed. What is needed is a collective effort

among all of us to search for ways to foster a sense of belonging in our schools, not only for

students, but for the staff as well. And perhaps in the younger generations, Educators should

adopt less controlling teaching styles to devoid unnecessary pressures and also have freedom in

undertaking tasks.

Personally, I believe that the sense of belonging is an integral part not only for ensuring the

success in school, but also the success and well-being in life. I believe that everyone is different

in terms of self-actualisation context and perhaps everyone has different thresholds of how much

they need of each level. It is true, in my opinion, that we must first satisfy the physiological and

safety needs (not in a completely extravagant way, perhaps not even in a healthy way). The latter

is probably why we do not give deep thought to those needs but rather have our minds occupied

with something else. For some, it might be the need for the sense of belonging. This makes sense
especially for individuals who have low-self esteem. For some, if they have already fulfilled

those needs, they think bigger in terms of self-actualizing. And maybe, for some, motivation

does not exist at all and still live life as successful as possible; an anomaly.