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Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation, later extended. He formulated a hierarchy of human needs, and his theory contends that as the basic needs are met humans desire higher needs.
Pyramid of needs
 Diagram of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Deficit needs
The deficit needs (also termed D-needs by Maslow) are:
Physiological needs
The body aims to achieve homeostasis, an equilibrium of different factors (water content of the blood, salt content, sugar content, protein content, fat content, calcium content, oxygen content, constant hydrogen-ion level/acid-base level, constant blood temperature). This is obtained with food, drinks, sleep, shelter, fresh air, a proper temperature, etc. If all of a human's needs are unmet then the physiological need takes the highest priority. Given hunger for love and food, a human is more likely to find a solution for the latter first. As a result all of the other desires and capacities are pushed on to the back burner.
Safety needs
When the physiological needs are met then the human turns towards safety needs. Safety attains the highest priority over all other desires. A functioning society tends to provide this to its members. Recent examples of failure include Somalia and Afghanistan. Sometimes the desire for safety outweighs the desire to easily satisfy physiological needs; for example, during Kosovo War many residents of Kosovo chose to inhabit a secure area instead of an insecure area, even though the latter had more definite access to food. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks fear of insecurity has been a powerful factor in popular opinion, and therefore government policy.
However, in the case of acute danger, safety comes before physiological needs.
Love needs (belonging needs)
If safety and expressed sexually, sexuality can at points be considered solely for its physiological basis. However this is not typically how it is expressed. Love and belongingness are next on the ladder. Humans have a desire to belong to groups: clubs, work groups, religious groups, family, gangs, etc. We need to feel loved (sexual/nonsexual) by others, to be accepted by others. Performers appreciate applause. We need to be needed. Beer commercials, in addition to playing on sex, also often show how beer makes for camaraderie.
Esteem needs
This refers to the valuation given to oneself by other people.
Being needs
Self-actualization
Self-actualization (a term originated by Kurt Goldstein) is the instinctoid need of a human to make the most of their unique abilities. Maslow described it as:
- A musician must make music, the artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualisation. (Motivation and Personality, 1954)
Maslow writes of self-actualizing people that:
- They embrace the facts and realities of the world (including themselves) rather than denying or avoiding them.
- They are spontaneous with ideas and actions.
- They are creative.
- They are interested in solving problems; often the problems of others. Solving these problems is often a key focus of life.
- They feel a closeness to (at least some) other people and appreciate life in general.
- They have a self-created system of morality.
- They judge others objectively rather than with prejudice.
While other needs can be met fully, self-actualization is seen as "growing", i.e. as a continuing driving force.
However, it is seen that not everyone ultimately seeks self-actualization, as a strict reading of Maslow's hierarchy of needs seems to imply:
These individuals would not be noted in the history books, however, if they hadn't used their native writing, therapeutic or altruistic gifts in a way different from most. They were aggridants.
Critique
While Maslow's theory was seen as an improvement of previous theories of personality and motivation, concepts such as self-actualization are somewhat vague. This makes it problematic to operationalize and test Maslow's theory. There is no proof that every person has the ability to become self-actualized. Further, in an extensive review of research using Maslow's theory, Wabha and Bridwell (1976) found little evidence for the ordering of needs that Maslow selected or whether in fact a strict hierarchy exists at all. Some people feel that the theory and its concepts have been overused. For instance, a reference to the theory occurs in many undegraduate organizational behavior textbooks without any acknowledgement of the flaws in the theory. The word self-actualization is therefore sometimes perceived as psycho-babble.
References
- Maslow, Abraham H, Motivation and Personality, 2nd. ed., New York, Harper & Row, 1970
- A. H. Maslow. A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370-396. (1943)
- A. H. Maslow. Eupsychian Management. (1965). Note that the Andy Kay featured in this book is the Andy Kay of Kaypro.
- M. A. Wahba & L. G. Bridwell. Maslow reconsidered: A review of research on the need hierarchy theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 15, 212-240. (1976).
See also
External links
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