[An empirical study of the factor structure of needs]

First steps are made to describe the dimensional order of such wishes, needs and motives which might be of clinical importance. A currently developed inventory was administered to a sample of 241 patients suffering from neurotic and/or psychosomatic complaints. Different scoring procedures were tried, starting with 25 scales. Finally 19 scales were used and factor analysis was applied to the data obtained. Varimax rotation of the first two factors explaining 41% of total variance revealed only the most basic aspects of some of these 19 scales, while varimax rotation of the first eight factors explains 77% of total variance. This solution identified four factors defined by more than one scale and four specific factors defined by one scale each. These two factors solutions are presented and compared and some theoretical considerations are added. A modified version of this "clinical motive inventory" with 21 scales is now ready for further investigation.