ABSTRACT
One of the most well-known, pervasive, and frequently cited theories of values is Maslow's hierarchy, which is taught in a wide variety of college courses in the social and behavioral sciences. According to Maslow, values are essentially equivalent to needs, and they are hierarchical in nature. His perspective postulates that values become salient in a sequential order that progresses from primitive to advance (i.e., self-actualization). These levels are based on deficits in that people tend to value what they lack at the next highest level. Alternatively, in social adaptation theory values represent a type of social cognition that functions to facilitate adaptation to one's environment. Maslow's hierarchy also conflicts with current information processing theory, particularly in its implications for attention. According to Maslow's theory the most basic unsatisfied need dominates attention until it is at least partially fulfilled. Social adaptation theory allows a more flexible view of attention and poses no such problems for currently accepted approaches of information processing.
