They made no references to their past occupations and engaged in no bickering or arguing. Couple Number 2 contributed less variety to the conversation, and talked almost exclusively about their recent medical problems. There was a dynamic of mutual irritation apparent between them that seemed to be related to the fact that the wife was responsible for monitoring all of the husband's medical tests and appointments and medications and that the husband was obstinate about complying with certain instructions from his physician. They never mentioned any interests and the husband made several references to having been a police officer for 28 years. When his wife responded to the other couple that maybe she and her husband would join their cruise someday, the husband dismissed it with an irritated wave of his hand and said "I need to be locked up on a ship like that like I need a hole in the head." Application of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory

From the observer's perspective, Couple Number 1 presented the appearance of individuals who had successfully reached Maslow's Self-Actualization stage of personal psychological development (Ekerdt, 1986). They seemed to appreciate their...

Couple Number 2 presented the appearance of individuals who had not reached Maslow's Self-Actualization stage and lived in the past and in a disconnected way to their current lives (Ekerdt, 1986). The content of their conversation was mainly about medical problems and more specifically, about the husband's medical problems and the wife's involvement in caring for him at home. The Husband seemed to have lost his identity and the self-esteem that he once derived from his profession (Ekerdt, 1986). They seemed dysfunctionally enmeshed in their mutual dissatisfaction and preoccupation with life's problems. Meanwhile, Couple Number 1 seemed to have successfully created fulfilling lives in retirement by establishing and maintaining positive social relationships with others and by finding productive ways to contribute to others through a part-time job and a social club, respectively (Ekerdt, 1986).
Reference

Ekerdt, D.J. "The Busy Ethic: Moral Continuity between…