Abraham Maslow

Biography

• born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York

• attended numerous post-secondary institutes
• was heavily influenced by William Sumner and John B. Watson
• married wife in December 1928
• taught at Brooklyn College for fourteen years
• died on June 8, 1970

Accomplishments

• graduated from Wisconsin University

• conducted research with Dr. Harry Harlow
• published numerous books and papers between the 20’s and mid 60’s
• in 1954 published theory: Hierarchy of Needs, in his book Motivation
and Personality
• was made a chairman at Brandeis University
• helped found the Journal of Humanistic Psychology
• was elected President of the American Psychological Association in
1966

Theories – Hierarchy of Needs

According to his theory, different human needs are arranged in order based
on their ability to motivate a person.
The following are the different levels of needs, starting from the base of the
pyramid.

Physical: these are the very basic needs possessed by all people, including
air, warmth, food, sleep, stimulation, and activity

Security: is the need to feel safe in one’s environment or surroundings, as

well the need to feel emotionally stable

Social: is based on one’s need for belonging, and the need to feel accepted
in
society through love and friendship from family and peers

Ego: is the need for respect from their social group, so as to develop a sense
of
self-confidence and self-satisfaction

Self-Actualization: at the peak of the pyramid, is a level rarely achieved by

individuals, as it defines a person who feels completely
fulfilled in terms of their needs.

Theories - Self-Actualization
He described self-actualization as the drive that motivates people to reach
their full potential, and begin to act outside of their own needs.

With this theory, Maslow outlined the characteristics of a self-actualized

person. These characteristics include a greater perception of reality,
acceptance of themselves and others, spontaneity, a need for independence
and privacy, without the need for love and respect from others, creativity,
being focused on the issues of others, spirituality, and having a great
appreciation for the basic elements in life.

Criticisms

Although Maslow’s theories seem very accurate in today’s society, over the
years some have criticized him for his unorthodox research methods. He
lacked what others called “scientific proof”, as his methods were based
primarily on his vast knowledge in psychology. While people insisted that he
invented the self-actualizer theory, Maslow disagreed, saying that
investigations were not needed to prove his hypotheses.
He claimed that after observing the people around him and their everyday
behaviour, his proposed characteristics about the self-actualizer were
evident.

Does He Fit in Our Course?

Abraham Maslow can be classified in our course under the Behaviourism

School of Thought in Psychology. He studied the behaviour of primates, as
well as human behaviour and motivation.