Two terms used throughout the need discussions are defined below:

Need Conflicts: Within a particular dimension some needs conflict with each other because they evoke incompatible behavior if they are expressed synchronically (simultaneously). For example, the aggression and nurturance needs evoke incompatible behavior in all three dimensions. Needs that conflict in a particular dimension are located in opposite areas of that dimension (see Target Model) indicating that they are not normally activated synchronically in that dimension.

Mal Adaptive Need Fusion: Needs that normally produce conflicting behavior when synchronically evoked in a particular dimension are sometimes combined or fused despite resulting conflicts. Mal adaptive fusion creates frustrations and problems. For example, in the combative dimension, when the aggression and succorance needs are synchronically activated, the fused behavioral expression may take the form of whining and complaining that does not effectively express either the aggression need or the succorance need.

The Succorance Need
(The need to receive help, support, and assistance)

Succorance, aggression, and achievement are the three needs that motivate us to obtain the things we want or desire. The aggression need motivates us to use force or power to take what we want. The achievement need motivates us to work to produce and create the things we want. The succorance need motivates us to seek help to obtain the things we want.

We seek help when we want something we cannot obtain through our own power or ability or when we want someone to do something for us that we cannot do for ourselves. Succorance is the primary way infants and young children have for fulfilling their needs since they lack the power or skill to satisfy their needs via the aggression or achievement needs. Children concentrate their efforts to obtain help on one or two care-giving people, usually the parent(s). Thus, the succorance need becomes associated at an early age with personal relationships. As children mature they use aggression and achievement needs in addition to their succorance need to obtain the things they want. The addition of these needs to their motivation repertoire helps them become more self-reliant. Adults must still obtain many of their desires through the succorance need since no one has absolute power or is entirely self-sufficient. Mature people, however, distribute their dependencies much more widely than do children and they look for specialists rather than parent figures when they seek help from others. For example, an adult will go to a physician for medical help, a lawyer for legal help, a plumber for plumbing problems etc., but an adult wouldn't seek help from a lawyer for a plumbing problem. Thus, the succorance need changes in expression from infancy to maturity in two ways: 1) it is partially replaced by self-reliance and, 2) there is a shift from general dependency on one or two nurturing caregivers to temporary dependency on specialists. The only way dependency is normally focused on a single person in adulthood is in the personal dimension when we seek affection and love from an individual. However, in adult love relationships, we are not seeking personal services but mutual personal regard and affection.

The Function of the Succorance Need

The succorance need, in combination with the nurturance need, has the general function of providing a long developmental and learning period. This, in turn promotes greater adaptability, specialization, and social development. The human infant can remain largely dependent on others for years while it is growing, learning, and developing. Animals that lack highly developed succorance needs have more limited behavioral repertoires and are not as social as those with highly developed dependency needs. Because humans can depend on each other, the human social system can be structured to provide assistance for those who, as a result of specialization, must spend only a small part of their time directly providing for their own basic needs. Thus, the succorance need makes possible a more advanced and complex social system and is one of the motivational foundations of civilization.

Problems Related to the Succorance Need

We develop trust or distrust from experiences that have involved seeking succorance or help from others. We ask for help from others when and if we believe we can trust people to respond to our appeals. The child whose calls for help are consistently ignored or punished becomes distrustful and feels rejected and worthless. The child whose every wish is indulged and sometimes even anticipated becomes overly dependent (spoiled). Such extreme behaviors are usually corrected in later life but the early beliefs and expectations may persist into adulthood and have a negative effect on adjustment.

Insecurity based on over-dependency is a common problem related to the succorance need. Unrealistic beliefs that one cannot cope with the ordinary stresses of life or that there is no help available when it is needed cause insecurity. At another extreme, the totally distrustful person who is suspicious and defensive about receiving any help from anyone has an unnecessary burden of stress and anxiety to bear that is both physically and emotionally debilitating.

Adults who develop the succorance need as their primary way of getting things tend to create self-perpetuating problems. The more they unnecessarily depend on others, the less opportunity they have to learn how to take care of themselves. This increases dependency and decreases independence. There are some who are quite independent while working in their highly specialized technical field but who have never learned to take care of basic personal needs involving fixing or obtaining food and clothing and keeping their personal effects in order. Such people may be capable of virtuoso technical performances but may suffer constant anxiety and insecurity because of their failure to learn basic self-care.

Dependency problems can develop if a person has contradictory beliefs such as: "I can't trust anyone to help me" and "I expect everyone to provide unconditional care for me." Such unrealistic conflicting absolute beliefs are usually held at an unconscious (feeling) level so that they are difficult to confront and change until they are raised to a consciousness level.

People may develop learned helplessness in a highly stressful situation where all their efforts to resolve a problem fails. In such a situation, the person may generalize their helplessness in that situation to all situations. If there is no way to resolve or improve a bad situation, resignation and acceptance are better than useless efforts that only increase frustration. Learned helplessness may intensify if we generalize feelings of helplessness and resignation to other situations where coping efforts could be effective. A child may develop learned helplessness from overprotective parents who do not allow the child reasonable opportunities to use its own initiative to cope with problems and to learn from its own mistakes.

Another common problem involving the succorance need is disguised aggressiveness. The succorance need provides a passive way of meeting our needs. If we try to combine the aggression and succorance needs, however, we get a mix that may be temporarily successful but which usually has negative long-term consequences. As indicated in the introduction, complaining, whining, demanding, and temper tantrums are a few of the behavioral expressions of combining the succorance and aggression needs. The ultimate form of such mal adaptive fusion is the "love me or I'll kick you" ploy. Mal adaptive fusion of the succorance and aggression needs are devious, manipulative attempts to make people give us something we should obtain by achievement, or by aggression, or by succorance, but not by combining any of these distinct and strongly differentiated needs.

Loneliness is a common problem related to the succorance need. When we feel lonely, we want others to give us attention and companionship. These are things that cannot be directly obtained by either the achievement or aggression needs. Normal loneliness is best resolved by playing and affiliating with others. Immature loneliness occurs when we do not enjoy social situations but want only nurturance and caring attention from others. Some immature lonely people do not know what will make them happy or satisfied. Their desires for attention, sympathy, care, concern, and gifts from others create a "bottomless pit" of dependency.

Dimension Locations of the Succorance Need

Referring back to the acquisition modes (achievement, aggression, succorance) it is noteworthy that aggression is in the active area of the combative dimension, achievement is in the active area of the competitive dimension, and succorance is in the active area of the personal-social dimension. We use force and power to take what we want via the aggression need, We work and compete to acquire what we want via the achievement need, and we seek help and support to meet our needs via the succorance need.

The succorance need is normally located in the non combative area of the combative dimension. This location indicates that the succorance need is opposed to, conflicts with, and inhibits combative action. In the non combative area, the succorance need combines with personal, rational, and inhibitive needs to help inhibit combative impulses. If we are in need of help, we are not in a position to get what we need by combativeness.

The succorance need is normally located in the personal-social area of the personal-social dimension. In this location, the succorance need provides a necessary element of trust and dependency in personal-social relationships. It is important to note that the nurturance need (the need to give help) is also located in the personal area so that we expect a "give-and take" or mutually supportive relationship with our friends and loved ones. We cannot develop good close personal relationships without mutual caring, trust, and support.

The succorance need is normally located in the noncompetitive area of the competitive dimension. This location indicates that the succorance need is opposed to competitive action. We compete by trying to attain goals by our own efforts rather than by having someone do things for us. In the competitive dimension we seek help or succorance when we are unable to accomplish something independently. In case we need help to develop competence, we operate in the noncompetitive area while we are receiving help and then we return to the competitive area when we have gained enough competence to practice or perform on our own. Note: The location of the succorance need in the noncompetitive area is not inconsistent with cooperation and collaboration in certain types of competition. Teammates help each other attain a common goal but each member of the team has his or her own role and share of responsibility for attaining that goal. Participants who cannot "carry their load" are usually replaced in serious competitive activities.

Succorance Dislocated in the Combative Area of the Combative Dimension

If the succorance need is dislocated in the combative area it creates conflicts with the needs in that area. Seeking help is incompatible with trying to assert power and force. When the succorance need directly conflicts with combative needs, it weakens the effectiveness of the person's attempts to be strong and assertive. As previously noted, the succorance need may mal adaptively fuse with some of the combative needs to cause the person to act in demanding, whining, and complaining ways.

Succorance Located Too Near the Periphery of the Non combative Area of the Combative Dimension

If the succorance need is located too near the non combative periphery relative to other needs, it carries extremely strong powers to inhibit combative needs. The succorance need may not be activated very frequently in this extreme location but if it is activated it makes it very difficult to be assertive and forceful. In this location, the succorance need is not available as a supportive need for other non combative needs to help the person effectively inhibit combative impulses.

Succorance Dislocated in the Impersonal Area of the Personal-Social Dimension

Dislocated in the impersonal area, the succorance need may cause the person to be too dependent to be able to rationally and objectively resolve personal conflicts. Also, an important element of trust in personal-social relationships is lost.

Succorance Located Too Near the Periphery of the Personal Area of the Personal Dimension

If the succorance need is located too near the periphery of the personal-social area relative to other needs, dependency needs dominate efforts to establish good personal-social relationships. Over dependency on friends and loved ones makes it difficult to maintain desirable equality in personal and social relationships.

Succorance Dislocated in the Competitive Area of the Competitive Dimension

If the succorance need is dislocated in the competitive area it creates too much dependency on others in work and learning activities. Help may be needed in a learning situation but learning requires us to actively put into practice any help we receive so that it becomes our knowledge and ability rather than something we have to depend on others each time we use it.

Succorance Located Too Near the Periphery of the Noncompetitive Area of the Competitive
Dimension

If the succorance need is located too near the periphery of the competitive area relative to other needs, it can have an extreme inhibiting effect on competitive participation when it is activated. When activated it can cause excessive caution when it is necessary to decide whether or not to accept competitive challenges.