Chapter 16 Persuasive Speaking 473Understanding Your Audience’s Needs
If you feel that your child isn’t getting sufficient or proper instruction in mathemat-
ics, you probably aren’t going to be too interested in hearing a speech on the impor-
tance of raising money for new school football uniforms. That’s because that topic
doesn’t address your personal needs, or deficits that create tension. Abraham Maslow
(1954), a foundational scholar for how we understand needs, argued that an individ-
ual’s motivations, priorities, and behavior are influenced primarily by that person’s
needs. He identified needs in a hierarchical structure of five categories (see Figure
16.1), from low (immature) to high (mature), known as the hierarchy of needs.^1
The theory proposes that the most basic needs must be met before an indi-
vidual can become concerned with needs farther up in the hierarchy.
- Physiological/survival needs: These are basic survival needs, such as air, water,
food, shelter, sleep, clothing, and so on. Even in the short term, if you listen to
a speech while you are very hungry, your mind is likely not on the message but
rather on getting food. - Safety needs: These are needs for security, orderliness, protective rules, and avoid-
ance of risk. They include not only actual physical safety but safety from emo-
tional injury as well. When people in a community are concerned with violence
and crime, for example, they are less likely to listen to persuasive appeals to
increase local arts funding. - Belongingness/social needs: These needs are centered around interactions with
others and include the desire to be accepted and liked by other people and the
need for love, affection, and affiliation. These needs are normally met by family
ties, friendships, and membership in work and social groups. - Esteem/ego-status needs: These needs involve validation—being accepted by some
group and being recognized for achievement, mastery, competence, and so on.
They can be satisfied by special recognition, promotions, power, and achievement.
(^1) Although Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has been revised (see Kenrick, Griskevicius,
Neuberg, & Schaller, 2010), we have elected to offer the original model as advanced by
Maslow given its utility and application to public speaking.
Maslow’s famous hierarchy
of needs matters in orga-
nizations as well. As you
learn in Chapter 11, the hu-
man resources approach
to management helps man-
agers to better understand
the higher-level needs of
their employees, such as
self-esteem and personal
development, which helps
employees to feel more
self-actualized in their
communication (Chapter 2)
and motivated to achieve
on the job.
Maslow’s famoushierarc
CONNECT
1
Physiological/Survival Needs
2
Safety Needs
3
Belongingness/Social Needs
4
Esteem/Ego-Status Needs
5
Self-Actualizing
Needs
FIGURE 16.1
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY
OF NEEDS