Need for Affiliation

Definition

Human beings differ from each other in how much they like to associate with other people. Some people avoid being alone, put a high priority on their friendships, and try hard to please other people. Others are just the opposite: They are content to be alone, they don't put much effort into their relationships with other people, and they aren't very concerned about making other people happy. Henry Murray coined the term need for affiliation to differentiate people who are generally friendly, outgoing, cooperative, and eager to join groups from those who are unfriendly, reserved, and aloof. Most people could probably be described as having a moderate need for affiliation, but some people have an extremely low need and others have an extremely high need.

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