An Overview Of Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs

Abraham Harold Maslow (1908-1970), an American Psychologist gave birth to a new field of research in humanistic psychology. He was mentored by Alfred Adler. He was born into a Jewish family who later settled in New York, America. He was the first amongst the seven children. He began his college at Cornell University. While coming back to City College of New York, he found his interest for Psychology and moved to Wisconsin University. During his tenure of chairperson at Department of Psychology at Brandeis, he met Kurt Goldstein who developed the idea of self-actualization. This is where his idea of humanistic psychology began. Maslow’s major contribution is the ‘Hierarchy of Needs’. A hierarchy of five innate needs was proposed by Maslow. These needs would activate and direct human behaviour. The five Instinctoid needs are: Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Belongingness and Love Needs, Esteem Needs and Self-Actualization Needs. These needs are said to be instinctoid as they have a hereditary component. They are present by birth, only its way of satisfaction varies from individual to individual. The arrangement of the needs are from strongest to weakest wherein the lower needs are required to be fulfilled before the higher needs.

Physiological Needs Physiological needs are the most obvious and basic needs for survival. These include oxygen, food, drink, sleep, sex and sensory stimulation. These physiological needs must be gratified at some minimal level to gratify the higher needs. For instance, due to food deprivation, the Peruvian airliner crashed in the woods (1970) and the survivors including the priests resorted to eating the victims of the crash. Therefore, Physiological Needs are important to be gratified before the higher needs. Safety Needs Once an individual has gratified the Physiological needs successfully, it comes one step up to gratify its Security Needs. As Maslow suggested that these needs are observed in children as they are dependent on adults. For instance when these infants/children are startled after hearing a thud would respond fearfully. He suggests that children/ infants are comfortable in family settings and its absence may make them feel insecure and anxious. Maslow also focuses on these safety needs such as financial security, insurance, unemployment, old age, etc. Individuals strive for security at times of war, floods, tsunami, earthquake, and other calamities. Belongingness and Love Needs Once the Physiological and Safety Needs are gratified, the Love and Belongingness needs stand third. At this level, the individual may strive for affectionate relationships with the family or others. Absence of friends may generate a feeling of loneliness, rejection, and friendlessness. Students studying away from home may fall prey for it. Freudian notion of love and affection derived from sex was rejected by Maslow. He believed that Love is a healthy relationship between two individuals who trust and respect each other. Self Esteem Needs The next level is Self Esteem Needs that Maslow divides into two: Self-Respect and Self-Esteem. Self respect includes confidence, achievement, freedom and independence. And Self Esteem includes acceptance, status, appreciation and recognition. The individual must know its worth and feel it’s worth. Maslow emphasizes on earned respect rather than fame. Self-Actualization Needs Self-actualization is considered to be extraordinarily rare. It is said to be the last stage of the need hierarchy. This need lies on the topmost stage of the need hierarchy.

According to Maslow, a self-actualized individual is one who is aware of his potential and has a desire for self-fulfillment. His focus is on finding meaning in life and has accepted himself the way he is. However, the need for self-actualization is fulfilled only when the basic needs have been fulfilled. The conditions to achieve Self Actualisation are that an individual must not be distracted by lower-order needs, the individual must be aware of its strengths and weaknesses, and must not be affected by societal constraints. Individuals fail to reach the final level as they may get distracted/ stuck at the lower level needs.