Mottern (2008) writes that Dr. William Glasser's internal control approach labeled as 'Choice Theory' postulates that the following five fundamental needs drive all of human behavior -- a physiological need to survive and 4 psychological needs (belongingness or love or acceptance; authority or acknowledgement or accomplishment; independence, or individuality or choice; and learning or excitement or enjoyment. To sum up, choice theory basically suggests that one's behavior is one's own choice.People develop all through the course of their lifespan. In this context, the term 'development' may be defined as: one's capacity of making progressively better choices with regard to fulfilling one's fundamental needs. A choice will then be "good" if it brings one nearer to satisfying fundamental needs in a harmless manner (both to ourselves and others). A less effectual or "bad" choice would be one that fails to bring one nearer to satisfying fundamental needs, or one that poses harm to oneself or others. We make choices right from babyhood through all of life's physiological developmental phases -- childhood, teenage, young adulthood, middle adulthood and old age. Everyone progresses from dependency on other people to have their needs met to consciously deciding and acting to fulfill their fundamental needs themselves. This progress is called development;...
One won't traverse multiple developmental phases but will progressively improve and make more efficient choices to fulfill one's needs. Such progression is marked by decreased motivation to satisfy needs. Although every fundamental need drives man to attain satisfaction, one point to bear in mind is that need fulfillment is itself continuously changing. Needs fulfillment changes relational environment and relationship changes (Mottern, 2008).
With age and change of life roles, people begin satisfying their fundamental needs in different ways. Fundamental needs of children are chiefly fulfilled by dependency on parents. Teens meet their fundamental needs by means of peer relationships, while young adults do so through intimate/spousal relationships and interactions with people they encounter in educational and workplace settings. Middle-aged people fulfill fundamental needs through workplace relations and elderly individuals do so through their relationships with close friends and spouses. While fundamental needs remain the same, a person's life roles undergo change, depending on the choices made for satisfying them (Mottern, 2008).
Incorporating Components of the Choice Theory
According to Schaller (2016), social workers foster social growth and change as well as empower people, thereby improving…
