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Motivational maturity and helping behavior

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Abstract

This study was undertaken to examine the independent influences of conative development (the Maslow needs hierarchy) upon behavioral aspects of prosocial orientations. It provides a behavioral demonstration of conative effects in a helping paradigm, among college-age men. A comparison of the conative data across the ages of 15–22 provided a cross-sectional view of conative development itself. Conative maturity was found to be predictive of greater helping among college-age men. Situational demands were demonstrated which tended to mask, but not override, these predispositional influences on helping. The cross-sectional data on conative development point to probable movement to early esteem concerns among high school men who have reached the conative level of love and belonging. On the other hand, the stability across the years of 15–22 of proportion of safety concerns suggests fixation of such concerns in those exhibiting them in high school. Results are discussed in terms of conative growth for development of prosocial orientations.

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Ordering of author's names was determined by random procedure and is not indicative of disproportionate contribution to the overall research.

Received his Ph. D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, specializing in developmental psychology. Current interests are child, clinical, and the development of prosocial behavior.

Received his Ph.D. specializing in human development from the University of Chicago, Faculty of Educational Psychology. Current interests are the investigation of cognitive developmental approach to moral education, statistics, and prosocial behavior.

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Haymes, M., Green, L. Motivational maturity and helping behavior. J Youth Adolescence 6, 375–395 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02139240

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