Abraham Maslow

“Hierarchy of Needs”

Self-
Actualization

Esteem Needs

Belongingness & Love

Needs

Safety Needs

Physiological Needs
ABRAHAM MASLOW
• April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970
• 1 of 7 children
• Jewish, parents uneducated
• Married Bertha Goodman, first
cousin
• Received BA (1930), MA (1931) and
PhD (1934) all from
University of Wisconsin
• Professor at Brooklyn College
(1937-51)
and Brandeis University (1951-
61)
MASLOW’
S
Hierarchy
Of Needs Self-
Actualization

Esteem Needs

Belongingness & Love

Needs

Safety Needs

Physiological Needs
 Hierarchy of Needs
The hierarchy has five levels:

 Physiological Needs: oxygen, water, protein, salt, sugar,

calcium and other minerals and vitamins, shelter and sleep etc.
 Safety Needs: security, stability, protection from physical and
emotional harm
 Belongingness & Love Needs: affection, belonging,
acceptance, friendship, community
 Esteem Needs: (Internal ones are need for self-respect,
confidence, autonomy, and achievement. External ones are need
for respect of others, status, fame, glory, recognition and
attention.) Maslow feels these are the roots to many, if not most
of our psychological problems.
 Self-actualization: (doing that which maximizes one’s potential
and fulfills one’s innate aspirations)
DEFICIT (D-NEEDS)
 If you don’t have enough of something you
have a “deficit” (need)
 Maslow's hierarchy seems to follow the life
cycle. A baby's needs are almost entirely
physiological. As the baby grows, it needs
safety, then love. Toddlers are eager for social
interaction, attention and affection. Teenagers
are anxious about social needs, young adults
are concerned with esteem and only more
mature people transcend the first four levels to
spend much time self-actualizing.
 Under stressful conditions, or when survival is
threatened, we can “regress” to a lower level
need.
 References
 http://www.maslow.com/
 Myers, D.G. (1986) Psychology. (First Ed.) New York, New
York: Worth Publishers.
 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhmasl.html
 http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/maslow.html
 http://www.accel-team.com/human_relations/hrels_02_maslow.h
 http://
facultyweb.cortland.edu/andersmd/MASLOW/APPLY.HTML
 http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html
 http://web.utk.edu/~gwynne/maslow.HTM
 Read the following statements and decide
which need is being met

__ A I am successful in life and/or work, and I’m recognized by my

peers for being so. I’m satisfied with the responsibility and role
that I have in life and/or work, and my status and reputation.

__ B I am part of, and loved by, my family. I have good relationships

with my friends and colleagues - they accept me for who I am.

__ C My aim is self-knowledge and enlightenment. The most

important thing to me is realizing my ultimate personal potential. I
seek and welcome ‘peak’ experiences.

__ D I generally feel safe and secure - job, home, etc - and protected
from harm. My life generally has routine and structure - long
periods of uncontrollable chaos are rare or non-existent.

__ E Aside from dieting and personal choice, I never starve through

lack of food, nor lack of money to buy food. Aside from the usual
trauma of moving house, I have no worry at all about having
somewhere to live - I have ‘a roof over my head’.