CHOICE &

MASLOWS
HIERARCHY OF
NEEDS
Jada Vasconcelos
Professor Mary Ashley
December 8, 2015

Significant Choice- Thomas

Nilsen
The

choice communication professionals must make when making

the choice on the best information available that holds the power
to influence the attitudes, beliefs, and actions of others.

The

ethics of Significant Choice outline the importance of

disseminating vital information in a way that is complete and
accurate to the public in order for them to make important
decisions

Significant Choice- Article 1

MertiCares Public Communication for

the Phen-Fen case
Focuses

on the difficult ethical decision making that goes into

communicating information to all stakeholders to allow all patients
to make reasoned decisions.

External

pressures could potentially deprive the public of

extremely valuable information, and in some cases, information
that could save lives

Significant Choice- Article 2

Social Constructionists Ethics

College

governing councils.

The

importance of social constructionists confronting the role of

ethics in the process of communication.

Analyzed how when a person constructs reality, he or she makes

judgements about the reality, and they hold an ethical
responsibility to communicate their judgements while ensuring the
theory of Significant Choice is applied to their communications.

Discusses

how social constructionists run the risk of being morally

vapid, but can avoid this by applying Significant Choice to their
communication developments.

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Theory

of human development that offered an optimistic

alternative to Freud and Skinners ideologies on human freedom
and dignity.

There

are four types of needs that must be satisfied before a

person can act unselfishly.

At

the bottom, the drives are physiological. After the physiological

drives are fulfilled, next comes the need for safety, love, then selfactualization.

 The

Overview of the theory and how it

applies to education

first article goes in depth on each of the four needs described by Maslow and how they apply to
human beings and their behaviors. The article was extremely insightful in offering explanations on
human choices, behaviors and decisions based on how they relate to all four different levels to Maslows
theory.

The

second article reviewed to gain a better understanding of Maslows Hierarchy of Needs was written
for Simply Psychology today.

This

article applied the theory to communication to students in classrooms and management for schools.

The

article discussed how by adopting a holistic approach to education and learning through Maslows
theory, teachers are able to connect with students on a deeper level than approaches that reduce
students behavior to responses in their environment.

The

article explains that before a students cognitive needs can be met, they must fulfill their basic
physiological needs.

This

article also suggests that through the application of Maslows theory, students should be shown
that they are valued and respected in the classroom and the teacher should create a supportive
environment.

The

article addresses that students who have low self-esteem will not progress academically. According
to this theory, students will reach an optimum rate when their self-esteem is strengthened.

How the Theories are Useful for Current

Communication Professionals
Apply

Significant Choice to any information you are disseminating

to ensure ethical integrity

Apply

Significant Choice to the information you may receive when

researching information for communication

Apply

Maslows Hierarchy to ones audience to better understand

where they need to be satisfied first in order to best receive the
message being given

Apply

Maslows Hierarchy to ones communication to ensure it is

adopting a holistic approach as described in the 2nd article on
proper education