VARIOUS SOCIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES RELATING TO MOTIVATION ARE POTENTIALLY USEFUL TOOLS FOR PREDICTING AND INFLUENCING ADULT EDUCATION PARTICIPATION. MASLOW'S NEED HIERARCHY IS BASED ON FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS (SURVIVAL, SAFETY, AND BELONGING), WHICH ARE NORMALLY FOLLOWED BY EGO NEEDS (RECOGNITION OR STATUS, ACHIEVEMENT, AND SELF-REALIZATION). THE WARNER AND GANS SOCIAL CATEGORIES ARE LOWER-LOWER CLASS (MAIN TARGETS OF ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAMS), WORKING CLASS (COHESIVE AND PRAGMATIC, WITH HIGH UNION MEMBERSHIP), LOWER-MIDDLE CLASS (THE MOST ACTIVE JOINERS AND VALUE SETTERS IN OUR SOCIETY), AND UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS (LARGELY EXECUTIVE AND PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE), EACH WITH DISTINCT VALUE SYSTEMS, ASSOCIATIONAL STRUCTURES, AND RELATIONSHIPS TO TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE FINALLY, LEWIN'S FORCE-FIELD ANALYSIS, HERE USED AS THE OVERALL FRAMEWORK FOR DISCUSSION, TREATS MOTIVES FOR PARTICIPATION OR NONPARTICIPATION AS PRODUCTS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FORCES, BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SITUATIONAL, WHICH SHAPE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DESIRES. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOCIAL CLASS AND PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIP SUGGEST THAT SOME FORMS OF PARTICIPATION CAN BE INCREASED BY REACHING PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONS. THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES FOOTNOTES AND FORCE-FIELD DIAGRAMS. THIS DOCUMENT IS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LIBERAL EDUCATION FOR ADULTS, 138 MOUNTFORT STREET, BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS 02146, FOR $0.75. (AUTHOR/LY)