Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a psychological theory proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in Psychological Review. It is a theory in psychology that ranks human needs in the form of a pyramid with five levels. The lower levels are made up of basic needs, while the upper levels comprise psychological and self-fulfillment needs. Maslow's theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual will strongly desire (or focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher-level needs.

Levels of the Hierarchy

The hierarchy is traditionally divided into five levels. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

Physiological Needs

These are the physical requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body cannot function properly and will ultimately fail. Physiological needs include:

• Air
• Water
• Food
• Shelter
• Sleep
• Clothing
• Reproduction

Safety Needs

Once an individual's physiological needs are satisfied, the need for safety will become emergent. Safety and security needs are about keeping oneself safe from harm. These needs include:

• Personal security
• Financial security
• Health and well-being
• Safety net against accidents/illness and their adverse impacts

Love and Belonging

After physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, the third level of human needs is social and involves feelings of belongingness. The need for interpersonal relationships motivates behavior. Examples include:

• Friendship
• Intimacy
• Family

Esteem

All humans have a need to feel respected; this includes the need to have self-esteem and self-respect. Esteem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others. There are two types of esteem needs:

• First is self-esteem which results from competence or mastery of a task.
• Second is the attention and recognition that comes from others.

Self-Actualization

The highest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is self-actualization. Maslow described this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be. Individuals may perceive or focus on this need very specifically. For example, one individual may have a strong desire to become an ideal parent. In another, the desire may be expressed athletically, artistically, or in many other ways.

Criticism and Applications

While Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been widely adopted in both psychology and business, it has also faced criticism. Some critics argue that the hierarchy is too rigid and does not account for cultural differences or the possibility that individuals may prioritize needs differently based on personal or situational factors. Despite these criticisms, the hierarchy remains a popular framework for understanding human motivation and has been applied in various fields, including education, healthcare, and management.

See Also

• Motivation
• Self-actualization
• Abraham Maslow