268 Part III Humanistic/Existential Theories
the unconscious motivation underlying the behavior, we would recognize that the
needs are not reversed.Unmotivated Behavior
Maslow believed that even though all behaviors have a cause, some behaviors are
not motivated. In other words, not all determinants are motives. Some behavior is
not caused by needs but by other factors such as conditioned reflexes, maturation,
or drugs. Motivation is limited to the striving for the satisfaction of some need.
Much of what Maslow (1970) called “expressive behavior” is unmotivated.Expressive and Coping Behavior
Maslow (1970) distinguished between expressive behavior (which is often unmoti-
vated) and coping behavior (which is always motivated and aimed at satisfying a need).
Expressive behavior is often an end in itself and serves no other purpose than
to be. It is frequently unconscious and usually takes place naturally and with little
effort. It has no goals or aim but is merely the person’s mode of expression.
Expressive behavior includes such actions as slouching, looking stupid, being
relaxed, showing anger, and expressing joy. Expressive behavior can continue even
in the absence of reinforcement or reward. For example, a frown, a blush, or a
twinkle of the eye is not ordinarily specifically reinforced.
Expressive behaviors also include one’s gait, gestures, voice, and smile
(even when alone). A person, for example, may express a methodical, compulsive
personality simply because she is what she is and not because of any need to do
so. Other examples of expression include art, play, enjoyment, appreciation, won-
der, awe, and excitement. Expressive behavior is usually unlearned, spontaneous,
and determined by forces within the person rather than by the environment.
On the other hand, coping behavior is ordinarily conscious, effortful, learned,
and determined by the external environment. It involves the individual’s attempts
to cope with the environment; to secure food and shelter; to make friends; and to
receive acceptance, appreciation, and prestige from others. Coping behavior serves
some aim or goal (although not always conscious or known to the person), and it
is always motivated by some deficit need (Maslow, 1970).Deprivation of Needs
Lack of satisfaction of any of the basic needs leads to some kind of pathology. Depri-
vation of physiological needs results in malnutrition, fatigue, loss of energy, obsession
with sex, and so on. Threats to one’s safety lead to fear, insecurity, and dread. When
love needs go unfulfilled, a person becomes defensive, overly aggressive, or socially
timid. Lack of esteem results in the illnesses of self-doubt, self-depreciation, and lack
of confidence. Deprivation of self-actualization needs also leads to pathology, or more
accurately, metapathology. Maslow (1967) defined metapathology as the absence of
values, the lack of fulfillment, and the loss of meaning in life.Instinctoid Nature of Needs
Maslow (1970) hypothesizes that some human needs are innately determined even
though they can be modified by learning. He called these needs instinctoid needs.