AgileBrain Research

Well-being as Need Fulfillment: Implications for Theory, Methods, and Practice

Tags: Employee Wellbeing , Human Motivation , Peer Reviewed Research , Scientific Research

Publication: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science

Author: JD Pincus

Human resource professionals, point solution providers, and the mental health care industry often promote holistic well-being, but the concept lacks a unified theoretical foundation. This paper argues for a more refined approach by anchoring well-being in established psychological theories of human motivation. By examining various definitions of well-being, the authors suggest these can be distilled into a comprehensive model of twelve core human motivations. Adopting a motivational taxonomy can provide clearer theoretical frameworks, more structured methodologies, and practical benefits for defining and enhancing well-being.

Well-being as Need Fulfillment: Implications for Theory, Methods, and Practice

J. David Pincus

J.D. Pincus, Ph.D. is Chief Innovation Officer at Leading Indicator Systems (d/b/a AgileBrain), focusing on emerging methods for measuring emotion and motivation. He developed the unified pyramid model of human motivation and the AgileBrain measurement technique. He recently published the motivational model in the peer-reviewed journal Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, and the application of the pyramid model to the problem of Employee Engagement and Employee Well-being. His seminal article on the concept of motivation in applied psychology, published in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, has been cited in 187 subsequent papers. He is a Fellow of the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a Washington DC-based think tank. He was named Researcher of the Year by PMRG and named to the Power List by Senior Market Advisor magazine. His book, AgileBrain: Mastering the 12 Emotional Needs that Drive Us, is slated for publication in 2024.