Maslow and Allport were both behavioral psychologists. They both dedicated time to studying and analyzing human behavior and understanding. Both looked at the behavior and responses of human beings in learning and growth. The two scholars possessed both similarities and differences in the way they thought about the various behavioral issues of human beings. This paper, therefore, seeks to compare the similarities and contrast the differences between the two scholars.
The two scholars believed in the role of the preformed instincts in the deciding of human behavior. Allport viewed human beings as being born with pre-potent avoidance responses that are bound to inform their reactions to a threat to their safety and comfort. In so doing Allport grants importance to hereditary instincts. He further states that, to evoke these reactions an extremely crude stimulation is necessary (Wozniak 1997). On a similar note, Maslow believes in the existence of a part of human nature that seeks to satisfy the biological or survival motives (Maslow, 1968) These are the instincts that are the most basic in the survival behavior of people.
This is however as far as the similarity goes on this front, Allport puts it that the growth of a human being leads to changes in the instinctive action and it is replaced with the more developed reasoning that takes over. Behavior, therefore, shapes complex reasoning processes through which social processes come into play in place of the hitherto simple reflex responses. The scholar reasons that the actions that human beings take are therefore deliberate and clearly thought out by a person. the thinking process is informed by the social forces that the person is subject to.
Maslow on the other hand believed in the theory of hierarchical needs. He, therefore, believed that human beings make both instinctive and informed efforts at meeting basic needs. The meeting of the basic needs first is the only way that the other needs can be met. Maslow believes in the existence of two motives that motivate one throughout human existence. He gives these two motives as deficiency motives and growth motives. The deficiency motives ought to be met first and they can pave the way for the meeting of the growth motives. Hence food comes before education. This is therefore a stark contrast to the theory of Allport that the course of action is always a product of a deliberate thought process.
Both Maslow and Allport have the reasoning that the development of human beings is gradual and develops in the sense that there is a gradual change from instinctive behavior to the more reasoned way of thinking. This is especially the case in the Allport model where the human being develops and ceases to react to the stimuli that earlier elicited strong reactions from the person. The Maslow theory on the other hand requires some basic needs have to be met first before the person can reach the next level of development.
The progress of a human being according to Maslow is pegged on the availability of the factors that enable the satisfaction of the deficiency needs. Allport on the other hand however pegs the progress on age and developmental factors (Beoree 1997).
The two scholars had two different viewpoints of traits. Allport gave these traits as ideographic traits that are unique to a person and can only be evaluated in regard to that person as an identity and nomothetic which are communal or shared traits in different persons, (Pervin & John, 2001). Maslow on the other hand viewed these traits as either deficiency and growth needs. These are the major forces determining the behavioral orientation in response to any particular situation.
The two scholars are in agreement on the issue of the mature personality or the actualized self. This is presented in Maslow’s theory as the self-actualization stage of development. The self-actualized person is variable, open, and tends to have a broad view of issues. This is a person who is reality-centered and possesses the ability to differentiate between the good and the bad. These self-actualized people are democratic and have forged good relationships with their friends as well.
The Allport equivalent of an actualized person is the mature person. He, therefore, gives the traits as self-extension, emotional security, compassion, as well acceptance of self, and loving relationship. Such people are able to tolerate their inadequacies in life as well as face difficult tasks objectively. The same people have good knowledge of the qualities they possess that are disagreeable and those that are disagreeable. (Robert B, 2003)
Though both thinkers argued the progress that human beings make towards the development and eventual discovery of a better self, the manner the transition occurs is a point of the major difference between the scientists. This is especially the case in the view that Allport views the transition as a product of time and exposures while Maslow views it as a result of the continual struggle to satisfy the preceding needs first. Maslow sees the transition as still giving room for a person to retain the instincts for the fulfillment of basic defensive needs, while Allport views the mature personality as capable of evading the instinctive pressures.
References
Beoree, G. (1997). Erik Erikson: The Personality Theories. Web.
Maslow, A. (1968).Towards a Beings Psychology. New York: Van Nostrand.
Pervin, L. A., &John, O. P. (2001). The Theory and Research on Personality. (8th ed. ed.). New York: J. Wiley & Sons.
Robert, B. (2003). Theories of Philosophy: An Introduction. New York: Lawrence Erbaum.
Wozniak, R. (1997). Floyd, H. Allport & Social Psychology. Web.