Aronoff (1957) (A2 Only)
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 5.1.15
Aronoff (1967) — Job Demands & Hierarchy of Needs
Aronoff (1967) investigated how the hierarchy of needs relates to different job demands.
Research method
- A natural experiment.
- Aronoff compared cane cutters and fishermen in the West Indies.
- Cane cutters were paid a small amount but were paid if they were off work, so had high job security but low pay.
- Fishermen worked alone, so had low job security, but were generally well paid.
Results & conclusion
- Results
- The fishermen were generally at higher levels on the hierarchy of needs than the cane cutters.
- Conclusion
- Only those men that had satisfied the lower levels of the hierarchy (e.g. physiological needs) could become fishermen.
- For example, you needed to be able to afford to set yourself up as a fisherman e.g. equipment, boat etc.
- This supports Maslow’s theory that the lower levels must be satisfied before you can move up the pyramid.
Evaluation
- Strengths
- Supports hierarchy of needs theory.
- Ecological validity.
- Limitations
- Can only be applied to one culture – cannot be generalised to wider population.