Maslow's hierarchy of needs

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An interpretation of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, represented as a pyramid with the more basic needs at the bottom !" Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his !#$% paper &A 'heory of (uman Motivation&) *" Maslow subse+uently e,tended the idea to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity) (is theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans) Maslow used the terms -hysiological, .afety, /elongingness and 0ove, 1steem, .elf2Actuali3ation and .elf2'ranscendence needs to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through) Maslow studied what he called e,emplary people such as Albert 1instein, Jane Addams, 1leanor 4oosevelt, and Frederick 5ouglass rather than mentally ill or neurotic people, writing that &the study of crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology and a cripple philosophy)& %" Maslow studied the healthiest !6 of the college student population) $" Maslow's theory was fully e,pressed in his !#7$ book Motivation and Personality. 7" While the hierarchy remains a very popular framework in sociology research and secondary and higher psychology instruction, it has largely been supplanted by attachment theory in graduate and clinical psychology and psychiatry) 8" 9"

Contents
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! (ierarchy

o o o o o

!)! -hysiological needs !)* .afety needs !)% 0ove and belonging !)$ 1steem !)7 .elf2actuali3ation

* 4esearch % :riticism $ :hanges to the hierarchy by circumstance 7 .ee also 8 Further reading 9 4eferences ; 1,ternal links

Hierarchy
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid with the largest, most fundamental levels of needs at the bottom and the need for self2actuali3ation at the top) !" ;" While the pyramid has become the de facto way to represent the hierarchy, Maslow himself never used a pyramid to describe these levels in any of his writings on the sub<ect) 'he most fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid contain what Maslow called &deficiency needs& or &d2needs&: esteem, friendship and love, security, and physical needs) =f these &deficiency needs& are not met > with the e,ception of the most fundamental ?physiological@ need > there may not be a physical indication, but the individual will feel an,ious and tense) 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) Maslow also coined the term Metamotivation to describe the motivation of people who go beyond the scope of the basic needs and strive for constant betterment) #" 'he human mind and brain are comple, and have parallel processes running at the same time, thus many different motivations from various levels of Maslow's hierarchy can occur at the same time) Maslow spoke clearly about these levels and their satisfaction in terms such as &relative,& &general,& and &primarily)& =nstead of stating that the individual focuses on a certain need at any given time, Maslow stated that a certain need &dominates& the human organism) !A" 'hus Maslow acknowledged the likelihood that the different levels of motivation could occur at any time in the human mind, but he focused on identifying the basic types of motivation and the order in which they should be met)

Physiological needs

-hysiological needs are the physical re+uirements for human survival) =f these re+uirements are not met, the human body cannot function properly, and will ultimately fail) -hysiological needs are thought to be the most importantB they should be met first) Air, water, and food are metabolic re+uirements for survival in all animals, including humans) :lothing and shelter provide necessary protection from the elements) While maintaining an ade+uate birth rate shapes the intensity of the human se,ual instinct, se,ual competition may also shape said instinct) *" 'he neutrality of this article is disputed) 4elevant discussion may be found on the talk page) -lease do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved) (February
2013)

Safety needs
With their physical needs relatively satisfied, the individual's safety needs take precedence and dominate behavior) =n the absence of physical safety > due to war, natural disaster, family violence, childhood abuse, etc) > people may ?re2@e,perience post2traumatic stress disorder or transgenerational trauma) =n the absence of economic safety > due to economic crisis and lack of work opportunities > these safety needs manifest themselves in ways such as a preference for <ob security, grievance procedures for protecting the individual from unilateral authority, savings accounts, insurance policies, reasonable disability accommodations, etc) 'his level is more likely to be found in children because they generally have a greater need to feel safe) .afety and .ecurity needs include:

-ersonal security Financial security (ealth and well2being .afety net against accidentsCillness and their adverse impacts

Love and belonging

After physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, the third level of human needs is interpersonal and involves feelings of belongingness) 'his need is especially strong in childhood and can override the need for safety as witnessed in children who cling to abusive parents) 5eficiencies within this level of Maslow's hierarchy > due to hospitalism, neglect, shunning, ostracism, etc) > can impact the individual's ability to form and maintain emotionally significant relationships in general, such as:

Friendship =ntimacy Family

According to Maslow, humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among their social groups, regardless if these groups are large or small) For e,ample, some large social groups may include clubs, co2workers, religious groups, professional organi3ations, sports

teams, and gangs) .ome e,amples of small social connections include family members, intimate partners, mentors, colleagues, and confidants) (umans need to love and be loved > both se,ually and non2se,ually > by others) *" Many people become susceptible to loneliness, social an,iety, and clinical depression in the absence of this love or belonging element) 'his need for belonging may overcome the physiological and security needs, depending on the strength of the peer pressure)

Esteem
All humans have a need to feel respectedB this includes the need to have self2esteem and self2 respect) 1steem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others) -eople often engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition) 'hese activities give the person a sense of contribution or value) 0ow self2esteem or an inferiority comple, may result from imbalances during this level in the hierarchy) -eople with low self2esteem often need respect from othersB they may feel the need to seek fame or glory) (owever, fame or glory will not help the person to build their self2esteem until they accept who they are internally) -sychological imbalances such as depression can hinder the person from obtaining a higher level of self2esteem or self2respect) Most people have a need for stable self2respect and self2esteem) Maslow noted two versions of esteem needs: a &lower& version and a &higher& version) 'he &lower& version of esteem is the need for respect from others) 'his may include a need for status, recognition, fame, prestige, and attention) 'he &higher& version manifests itself as the need for self2respect) For e,ample, the person may have a need for strength, competence, mastery, self2confidence, independence, and freedom) 'his &higher& version takes precedence over the &lower& version because it relies on an inner competence established through e,perience) 5eprivation of these needs may lead to an inferiority comple,, weakness, and helplessness) Maslow states that while he originally thought the needs of humans had strict guidelines, the &hierarchies are interrelated rather than sharply separated&) 7" 'his means that esteem and the subse+uent levels are not strictly separatedB instead, the levels are closely related)

Self-actuali ation
Main article: Self actuali!ation &What a man can be, he must be)& !!" 'his +uotation forms the basis of the perceived need for self2actuali3ation) 'his level of need refers to what a person's full potential is and the reali3ation of that potential) Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be) !*" =ndividuals may perceive or focus on this need very specifically) For e,ample, one individual may have the strong desire to become an ideal parent) =n another, the desire may be e,pressed athletically) For others, it may be e,pressed in paintings, pictures, or inventions) !%" As previously mentioned, Maslow believed that to understand this level of need, the person must not only achieve the previous needs, but master them)

!esearch

4ecent research appears to validate the e,istence of universal human needs, although the hierarchy proposed by Maslow is called into +uestion) !$" !7" Dther research indicates that Maslow's e,planations of the hierarchy of human motivation reflect a binary pattern of growth as seen in math) 'he individual's awareness of first, second, and third person perspectives, and of each one's input needs and output needs, moves through a general pattern that is basically the same as Maslow's) !8" Following World War ==, the unmet needs of homeless and orphaned children presented difficulties that were often addressed with the help of attachment theory, which was initially based on Maslow and others' developmental psychology work by John /owlby) !9" Driginally dealing primarily with maternal deprivation and concordant losses of essential and primal needs, attachment theory has since been e,tended to provide e,planations of nearly all the human needs in Maslow's hierarchy, from sustenance and mating to group membership and <ustice) 9" While Maslow's hierarchy remains a very popular framework in sociology research and secondary and postsecondary psychology instruction, it has largely been supplanted by attachment theory in graduate and clinical psychology and psychiatry) 8"

Criticism
=n their e,tensive review of research based on Maslow's theory, Wahba and /ridwell found little evidence for the ranking of needs that Maslow described or for the e,istence of a definite hierarchy at all) !;" 'he order in which the hierarchy is arranged ?with self2actuali3ation described as the highest need@ has been critici3ed as being ethnocentric by Eeert (ofstede) !#" Maslow's hierarchy of needs fails to illustrate and e,pand upon the difference between the social and intellectual needs of those raised in individualistic societies and those raised in collectivist societies) 'he needs and drives of those in individualistic societies tend to be more self2centered than those in collectivist societies, focusing on improvement of the self, with self2actuali3ation being the ape, of self2improvement) =n collectivist societies, the needs of acceptance and community will outweigh the needs for freedom and individuality) *A" 'he term &.elf2actuali3ation& may not universally convey Maslow's observationsB this motivation refers to focusing on becoming the best person that one can possibly strive for in the service of both the self and others) !A" Maslow's term of self2actuali3ation might not properly portray the full e,tent of this levelB +uite often, when a person is at the level of self2actuali3ation, much of what they accomplish in general may benefit others or, &the greater self&) 'he position and value of se, on the pyramid has also been a source of criticism regarding Maslow's hierarchy) Maslow's hierarchy places se, in the physiological needs category along with food and breathingB it lists se, solely from an individualistic perspective) For e,ample, se, is placed with other physiological needs which must be satisfied before a person considers &higher& levels of motivation) .ome critics feel this placement of se, neglects the emotional, familial, and evolutionary implications of se, within the community, although others point out that this is true of all of the basic needs) *!" **"

Changes to the hierarchy by circumstance

'he higher2order ?self2esteem and self2actuali3ation@ and lower2order ?physiological, safety, and love@ needs classification of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is not universal and may vary

across cultures due to individual differences and availability of resources in the region or geopolitical entityCcountry) =n one study, e,ploratory factor analysis ?1FA@ of a thirteen item scale showed there were two particularly important levels of needs in the F. during the peacetime of !##% to !##$: survival ?physiological and safety@ and psychological ?love, self2esteem, and self2 actuali3ation@) =n !##!, a retrospective peacetime measure was established and collected during the -ersian Eulf War and F. citi3ens were asked to recall the importance of needs from the previous year) Dnce again, only two levels of needs were identifiedB therefore, people have the ability and competence to recall and estimate the importance of needs) For citi3ens in the Middle 1ast ?1gypt and .audi Arabia@, three levels of needs regarding importance and satisfaction surfaced during the !##A retrospective peacetime) 'hese three levels were completely different from those of the F. citi3ens) :hanges regarding the importance and satisfaction of needs from the retrospective peacetime to the wartime due to stress varied significantly across cultures ?the F. vs) the Middle 1ast@) For the F. citi3ens, there was only one level of needs since all needs were considered e+ually important) With regards to satisfaction of needs during the war, in the F. there were three levels: physiological needs, safety needs, and psychological needs ?social, self2esteem, and self2actuali3ation@) 5uring the war, the satisfaction of physiological needs and safety needs were separated into two independent needs while during peacetime, they were combined as one) For the people of the Middle 1ast, the satisfaction of needs changed from three levels to two during wartime) *%" *$" *7" A !#;! study looked at how Maslow's hierarchy might vary across age groups) *8" A survey asked participants of varying ages to rate a set number of statements from most important to least important) 'he researchers found that children had higher physical need scores than the other groups, the love need emerged from childhood to young adulthood, the esteem need was highest among the adolescent group, young adults had the highest self2actuali3ation level, and while old age had the highest level of security, it was needed across all levels comparably) 'he authors argued that this suggested Maslow's hierarchy may be limited as a theory for developmental se+uence since the se+uence of the love need and the self2esteem need should be reversed according to age)

See also

14E theory, which further e,pands and e,plains Maslow's theory Fundamental human needs, Manfred Ma,2Geef's model John :urtis Eowan Metamotivation Murray's psychogenic needs Juan Antonio -Hre3 0Ipe3, spontaneous and rational motivation 1nergy hierarchy 1ngel's law, an economic model for how well basic needs are met

"urther reading

(eylighen, Francis ?!##*@) &A cognitive2systemic reconstruction of maslow's theory of self2actuali3ation&) "ehavioral Science #$ ?!@: %#>7;) doi:!A)!AA*Cbs)%;%A%9A!A7) http:CCcleamc!!)vub)ac)beC-apersCMaslow)pdf)

!eferences
!) *) J a b Maslow's (ierarchy of Geeds J a b c Maslow, A)() ?!#$%@) A theory of human motivation) Psycholo#ical $evie%& '0?$@, %9A> #8) 4etrieved from http:CCpsychclassics)yorku)caCMaslowCmotivation)htm % Maslow, A ?!#7$@) Motivation and (ersonality) Gew Kork, GK: (arper) pp) *%8) =./G A2 A82A$!#;92%) % Mittelman, W) ?!##!@) Maslow's study of self2actuali3ation: A reinterpretation) )ournal of *umanistic Psycholo#y& 31?!@, !!$>!%7) doi: !A)!!99CAA**!89;#!%!!A!A J a b Maslow, A) ?!#7$@) Motivation and (ersonality. Gew Kork, GK: (arper) J a b van =J3endoorn M(, .agi2.chwart3 A ?*AA;@) &:ross2:ultural -atterns of AttachmentB Fniversal and :onte,tual 5imensions&) =n :assidy J, .haver -4) *andboo+ of ,ttachment: -heory& $esearch and .linical ,((lications) Gew Kork and 0ondon: Euilford -ress) pp) ;;A>#A7) =./G #9;!7#%;7;9$*) J a b /ugental 5/ ?*AAA@) &Ac+uisition of the Algorithms of .ocial 0ife: A 5omain2/ased Approach&) Psycholo#ical "ulletin &'( ?*@: !9;>*!#) doi:!A)!A%9CAA%%2*#A#)!*8)*)!;9) -M=5 !A9$;8$A) % .teere, /) F) ?!#;;@) "ecomin# an effective classroom mana#er: , resource for teachers.) Albany, GK: .FGK -ress) =./G A2;;9A828*A2;, #9;A;;9A88*A9) http:CCbooks)google)comCL idM.*cwd78NvDM:OpgM-A*!Od+MMaslow'sPhierarchyPofPneedsOcdM%QvMonepageO+MMaslow's 6*Ahierarchy6*Aof6*Aneeds) % Eoble, F) ?!#9A@) -he third force: -he (sycholo#y of ,braham Maslo%. 4ichmond, :A: Maurice /assett -ublishing) pp) 8*) J a b Maslow, A) ?!#7$@) Motivation and (ersonality. Gew Kork, GK: (arper % Maslow, A) ?!#7$@) Motivation and (ersonality. Gew Kork, GK: (arper) pp) #!) % Maslow, A) ?!#7$@) Motivation and (ersonality. Gew Kork, GK: (arper) pp) #*) % Maslow, A) ?!#7$@) Motivation and (ersonality. Gew Kork, GK: (arper) pp) #%) % Nillarica, () ?*A!!, Aug !9@) Maslow *)A: A new and improved recipe for happiness) -he ,tlantic. 4etrieved from http:CCwww)theatlantic)comClifeCarchiveC*A!!CA;Cmaslow2*A2a2new2and2 improved2recipe2for2happinessC*$%$;8CQ)'kvR=4v;F.1)facebook % 'ay, 0), O 5iener, 1) ?*A!!@) Geeds and sub<ective well2being around the world) )ournal of Personality and Social Psycholo#y& 101?*@, %7$>%87) doi: !A)!A%9CaAA*%99# % :ronburg, ') ?*A!A@) Maslo% 2.0 human hierarchy of needs /0ma#e1. 4etrieved from !" % /retherton, =) ?!##*@) &'he Drigins of Attachment 'heory: John /owlby and Mary Ainsworth&) 2evelo(mental Psycholo#y ') ?7@: 97#>997) doi:!A)!A%9CAA!*2!8$#)*;)7)97#)

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E*ternal lin+s
Wikimedia :ommons has media related to: Maslow's hierarchy of needs

A 'heory of (uman Motivation, original !#$% article by Maslow) Maslow's (ierarchy of Geeds, 'eacher's 'oolbo,) A video overview of Maslow's work by Eeoff -etty) A 'heory of (uman Motivation: Annotated) 'heory and biography including detailed description and e,amples of self2actuali3ers) Maslow's (ierarchy of Geeds, Naldosta) Abraham Maslow by : Eeorge /oheree

4etrieved from &http:CCen)wikipedia)orgCwCinde,)phpLtitleMMaslow 6*9sShierarchySofSneedsOoldidM7$$!99!%8& :ategories: (uman development =nterpersonal relationships

Drgani3ational behavior -ersonal development -ersonal life 5evelopmental psychology Motivational theories (appiness