According to Roe's theory, how do needs relate to career choice?

According to Roe's theory, career choices are significantly influenced by the needs individuals have. Roe emphasizes that the needs people experience, including those satisfied after a long delay, can both consciously and unconsciously motivate their career decisions. This is crucial because it suggests that even if individuals may not be aware of certain needs in the moment, these unresolved or unfulfilled needs can still shape the direction of their career paths.

Roe classified needs into different categories, such as physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. When needs are delayed in being fulfilled, they can persist at an unconscious level and subsequently manifest in a person's career choices. This means that individuals may gravitate toward specific careers not just for immediate satisfaction but also as a way to address deeper, possibly unresolved needs that influence their behavior and decision-making over time.

This perspective contrasts with the notion that only immediate needs or physical needs are strong motivators, which oversimplifies the complexities of human motivation and career choice. Thus, the understanding that needs can be unconscious motivators highlights the depth and nuances in Roe's career development theory.