David McClelland

David McClelland (May 20, 1917 – March 27, 1998) was an American psychologist, noted for his work on motivation Need Theory. He published a number of works between the 1950s and the 1990s and developed new scoring systems for the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and its descendants. McClelland is credited with developing the Achievement Motivation Theory, commonly referred to as "need for achievement" or n-achievement theory.

Early Life and Education

David McClelland was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938 at Wesleyan University before earning his MA in 1939 and his PhD in experimental psychology in 1941 from Yale University.

Career

McClelland taught at the Connecticut College and Wesleyan University before accepting, in 1956, a position at Harvard University, where he worked for 30 years. He served as chair of the Department of Psychology and Social Relations from 1962 to 1967.

Need Theory

McClelland's most noted work is his Need Theory, which proposes that an individual's specific needs are acquired over time and are shaped by one's life experiences. He identified three motivators that he believed we all have: a need for achievement (n-ach), a need for affiliation (n-aff), and a need for power (n-pow). Each individual will have a different set of these motivators, depending on their culture and life experiences.

Legacy

McClelland's work on motivation theory has had a significant impact on the field of psychology and has been used in various fields such as business management and motivational studies. His theories are still widely used and studied in contemporary psychology.

See Also

• Motivation
• Thematic Apperception Test
• Need Theory
• Achievement Motivation Theory

References

• McClelland, D. C. (1987). Human motivation. CUP Archive.
• McClelland, D. C. (1953). The achievement motive. East Norwalk, CT: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
• McClelland, D. C. (1961). The achieving society. East Norwalk, CT: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

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