Interaction of Relatedness Need Satisfaction and Strengths of Economic Desires at Different Levels of Education and Social Affiliation

Abstract

It was investigated to what extent dissatisfaction with interpersonal relationships is associated with increased economic desires among the members of samples representing population segments of different educational achievements and social affiliations. M.B.A. students expressed high desires for more items which satisfy existence needs under conditions of both high and low satisfaction with relatedness needs, a minimum of economic desires being observed at intermediate levels of satisfaction with relatedness needs. The same trend was observed when from among respondents of an industrially. employed sample data from those with completed university education were analyzed separately. For the total sample of industrially employed respondents, the expected association between decreasing relatedness satisfaction and increasing desires for items of material value was confirmed. Participative membership in human-relations-oriented organizations eliminated the association between the two variables.