Deprivation, Incentives and Mental Illness: An Application of Motivator-Hygiene Theory of Motivational Patterns and Economic Variables Among the Black, Working Poor.

The article presents an application of motivator-hygiene theory among the black, working poor. Briefly stated, the motivator-hygiene theory demonstrates that man has two separate and independent need systems that do not interact. The hygiene continuum deals with man's need to avoid pain from his environment and is met by increasing extrinsic job factors such as salary, status, company policy and administration, good interpersonal relationships, etc. It is the hygiene factors that keep man from states of dissatisfaction. Thus, explicit to motivator-hygiene theory is the hypothesis that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are separate and independent conditions of job attitudes. The opposite of satisfaction is not dissatisfaction, rather, it is simply no satisfaction. The population sampled for this study consisted of a group of the black working poor in Norfolk, Virginia. This particular sample was chosen for several reasons. Since the study specifically attempts to ascertain attitudes about the work situation, it was only proper that interviews be held with some of those who were working. Poor and black workers were selected so as to ascertain whether or not this replication would further verify the motivator-hygiene theory, which had not yet been tested on such poor or black populations.