Maslow 's Hierarchy Of Needs

Abraham Maslow was an American philosopher who was born in the early 1990 's in Brooklyn, New York. He was one of the leading theorists that promoted humanistic psychology during his era. Maslow sought to understand what motivates and inspires individuals. He theorized that individuals possess and hold a group of motivation and incentive systems not related to plunder or insensible desires. Maslow declared that people are motivated and provoked to attain certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on. The earliest version of Maslow 's hierarchy of needs includes five motivational needs, often viewed as hierarchical levels inside a pyramid. The five stage representation can be separated into basic needs and growth needs. The deficiency or basic needs are said to motivate and stimulate individuals when they are unmet and not fully attained. Also, the desire to fulfill and accomplish such wants and needs will become stronger the longer the duration they are denied. Once these needs have been relatively satisfied, an individual may be capable of reaching the highest level of the pyramid called self-actualization. Maslow though that self actualization is a state that exists when an individual is acting in harmony with his or her full capabilities. In Cormac McCarthy 's novel, The Road, we will examine the character 's physical journey towards self-actualization on Maslow

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a structural progression of psychological and physical needs. Maslow hypothesized that there were two distinct types of needs: deficiency needs and growth needs2. The deficiency needs,

Psychologist Abraham Maslow created Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a list of necessary needs in order to live with healthy mental. The levels are physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. Physiological deals with survival needs which include food, shelter, and water. Safety is the need to be secure from danger, a shelter or safe environment. Love is the is need for affection and belongingness, friends and family. Esteem is the personal worth, success and achievements. Self-actualization is actualizing one’s potential and what you are capable of. According to Maslow, the most important level is physiological and is needed for survival.

Psychologist Abraham H. Maslow is the developer of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The theory covers human behavior in terms of basic requirements for survival and growth (Cengage, 2002). The theory was developed in the early 1960’s. During this time psychology was taken over by two different views. One side was the human behavior and the other one was the behaviorist. Maslow explained that psychoanalysts had not accomplished the task to consider the behavior of healthy humans. He also mentioned that many subjective experiences that related with human behaviors were being ignored by behaviorist. In the beginning Maslow examined motivations and experience of many healthy individuals. He recognized that there are many requirements in this theory that are important for human survival and to help motivate individuals. He conceptualized different human needs as a pyramid with five levels in

Self-concept consists of three elements: self-image, refers to how we see our self, self-esteem refers to the value we place on our self and ideal-self refers to the way we’d like to be. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory based on human motivation to meet our needs with the emphasis on self-actualisation. Often represented by a pyramid divided into eight levels, the four lower relating to deficiency needs and the higher four relating to growth needs. In order to meet the higher needs lower needs must be satisfied.

The next level would include safety needs, personal and financial security health and well being. As you move up the pyramid the needs increase to love and belonging, self –esteem and the highest level would include self-actualization, reaching one’s full potential. The theory is that you can not reach the highest level without first obtaining the basics. (Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs, 10/20/10)

The bottom of the pyramid of the human needs hierarchy is basic needs or physiological needs.

Throughout life, one’s personality is a very important aspect of that individual’s wellbeing. Such characteristics are not only used by others in attempts to understand their peers, but also determine one’s own satisfaction and view of themselves. People are always attempting to change who they are for the better, in efforts to live a more satisfying and self-fulfilling life through achieving higher personal needs. With that said, when studying the psychological basis behind one’s development and change in personality, one specific theory and stance seems to explain this phenomenon of bettering one’s self; that of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

According to Zalenski & Raspa (2006), the first level of needs is physiologic such as the need for food, air, and water. The second level encompasses safety needs, which including security, stability, protection; freedom from fear, anxiety, and chaos. The third level of need is belonging and love. The fourth level is the need for esteem, which is affected by the environment and related to societal recognition. The fifth level is the need for self-actualization, which is about the unique potential in

Physiological needs, such as food and shelter, are followed by needs related to safety. Next, there are needs of love and belonging. Fourth, humans have needs of esteem, such as the need for being respected. The final need in the hierarchy is the need for self-actualization (fulfilling one's potential). The hierarchy suggests that basic needs must be met prior to less basic needs; for example, a starving person will seek food before self-actualization.”(Maslow,

In 1943, Abraham Maslow developed a theory in psychology known as the Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is mostly often used as a pyramid, as shown on the title page. One of the many interesting things that Maslow noticed, is the layers of physiological needs, safety and security needs, the needs for loving and belonging, esteem needs, and self-actualization, in that order(working from the bottom layer of the pyramid up).

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model is implemented off a hierarchal pyramid which is renowned as one the most motivational theories, it is mainly incorporated with business dynamics, and it can also be used when relating to cultural diversity. Maslow 's hierarchy outlines in a hierarchal order as drawn upon by (Patrick.A.G, 2003) quoted by Maslow that the needs are ' 'Physiological, safety, social, self-esteem, and self-actualization ' '. The physiological needs are the basis that an individual will attain such as, basic human needs which incorporate survival, food and shelter. After the physiological needs have been met, safety and security is the next priority need on the hierarchy,

Abraham Maslow’s approach to define how one reaches their highest level of motivational needs is strategically organized. The pyramid he developed to demonstrate the needs one must fulfill in order to reach a level of self actualization is interesting. However, life is a journey. I believe our destiny is influenced by the choices we make. Everyone develops their own unique personality and values. Some people may have to face difficult challenges in life to come out of their shell, and gain the self-worth needed to establish a safe environment. Then they may need to regain the ability to feel love and belongingness. However, they may have been hurt so deeply, it’s hard to love or be loved. This would take them straight from physiological needs to esteem, to safety, to love and belongingness, which they may never find, to self actualization, if they can fully recover. Overall, I think the pattern of the stages on the pyramid would not be the same for all people.

This meant that people first need to take care of their physiological needs before any others. These are our most basic needs such as water and food. Next up the pyramid is safety, which is being free from something harmful. Above that is Love/ Belonging, this would include friendship, family, and sexual intimacy. This third need and above, become more psychological. People need to feel secure financially in order to move to the next step. Which brings us to Self-esteem, that falls under having confidence, and respect for others. Finally, Self-actualization fulfills the deepest possibilities. Each time one of these needs are fulfilled, the person can then move up the pyramid. When Maslow talks about self-actualization, he believes that people should try to be the best that they can be.

He placed the most basic needs at the bottom of the pyramid and the most advanced needs at the top of the pyramid. According to Maslow , when people satisfy one level of need, they then move up to the next level. In his theory, the most basic need is the survive – to have enough money to buy food, shelter and necessary clothes. When they have satisfied the need for survival, they then need to feel safe and secure – perhaps from unemployment. So that second level of need is the security. After that, people need to belong to a group and to have friends – these are their social needs. They then move on the needing status. At this stage they need to be respected in the community, to be esteemed, and to be given recognition for what they do. When all these needs have been satisfied, people finally have self-actualization needs. This is ambition to achieve as much as they possibly can – perhaps to be promoted to high-level position with more responsibility. (Jane, 1999) 4