AbstractThe needs of young retarded adults were analysed from responses made to a series of photographs. Content analysis was carried out and the frequency of occurrence of certain ideas was recorded for each subject. Findings are interpreted in the light of Maslow's theory of theHierarchy of Needs. It is concluded that young retarded adults are motivated by the needs for “Safety and Belonging” — the lower order needs in Maslow'sHierarchy. The higher order needs for “Esteem and Self Actualisation”, were not found to occur in the