Maslow’s

Need Hierarchy
Theory
 ABRAHAM MASLOW
Abraham Harold Maslow was an American
psychologist who was best known for
creating Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a
theory of psychological health predicated
on fulfilling innate human needs in priority,
culminating in self-actualization.

Maslow was a psychology professor at

Brandeis University, Brooklyn College, New
School for Social Research, and Columbia
University.

OUR LOGO He stressed the importance of focusing on

the positive qualities in people, as opposed
to treating them as a "bag of symptoms".
A Review of General Psychology survey,
published in 2002, ranked Maslow as the
tenth most cited psychologist of the 20th
century.
“WHAT IS NECESSARY TO CHANGE A PERSON IS
TO CHANGE AWARENESS OF HIMSELF ”

—ABRAHAM MASLOW
MASLOW’S CONTRIBUTIONS
1. Humanistic Psychology
He urged people to acknowledge their basic needs before addressing higher
needs and ultimately self-actualization. He wanted to know what constituted
positive mental health. Humanistic psychology gave rise to several different
therapies, all guided by the idea that people possess the inner resources for
growth and healing and that the point of therapy is to help remove obstacles to
individuals' achieving them.

1. Peak and plateau experiences

Maslow envisioned moments of extraordinary experience, known as Peak
experiences, which are profound moments of love, understanding, happiness,
or rapture, during which a person feels more whole, alive, self-sufficient and yet
a part of the world.

Self-actualizing people are more likely to have peak experiences. In other words,
these "peak experiences" or states of flow are the reflections of the realization of
one's human potential and represent the height of personality development
3. B-values
Maslow identified a manner of thought he called "Being-
cognition" , which is holistic and accepting, as opposed to the
evaluative "Deficiency-cognition" and values he called "Being-
values". B-values such as Truth, Goodness, Beauty, wholeness
et al.

4. Hierarchy Of Needs
Maslow described human needs as ordered in a prepotent
hierarchy.
The hierarchy of human needs model suggests that human
needs will only be fulfilled one level at a time..
5. Self-Actualization

Maslow defined Self-actualization as achieving the fullest use of one's

talents and interests—the need "to become everything that one is
capable of becoming. As implied by its name, self-actualization is highly
individualistic and reflects Maslow's premise that the self is "sovereign
and inviolable" and entitled to "his or her own tastes, opinions, values,
etc.
Indeed, some have characterized self-actualization as "healthy
narcissism."

6. Qualities of self-actualizing people

Self-actualizing people tend to focus on problems outside themselves;
have a clear sense of what is true and what is false
Maslow noticed that self-actualized individuals had a better insight of
reality, deeply accepted themselves, others and the world, and also had
faced many problems and were known to be impulsive people.
7. Metamotivation
Maslow used the term metamotivation to describe self-
actualized people who are driven by innate forces beyond their
basic needs, so that they may explore and reach their full
human potential.Maslow's theory of motivation gave insight
on individuals having the ability to be motivated by a calling,
mission or life purpose.
It is noted that metamotivation may also be connected to
what Maslow called B-(being) creativity, which is a creativity
that comes from being motivated by a higher stage of growth

8. Methodology
Maslow based his study on the writings of other psychologists,
Albert Einstein and people who he knew.
Maslow used Einstein's writings and accomplishments to
exemplify the characteristics of the self-actualized person.
9. Transpersonal Psychology
Maslow had concluded that humanistic psychology was
incapable of explaining all aspects of human experience. He
identified various mystical, ecstatic, or spiritual states known as
"peak experiences" as experiences beyond self-actualization.
Maslow called these experiences "a fourth force in psychology",
which he named transpersonal psychology. Transpersonal
psychology was concerned with the "empirical, scientific study
of, and responsible implementation of the finding relevant to,
becoming, mystical, ecstatic, and spiritual states"

10. Maslow’s Hammer

Abraham Maslow is also known for Maslow's hammer, popularly
phrased as "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a
nail" from his book The Psychology of Science, published in 1966.
WHAT IS MOTIVATION ?
Motivation is a driving factor for actions,
willingness, and goals. These needs, wants or
desires may be acquired through influence of
culture, society, lifestyle, or may be generally
innate. An individual's motivation may be
inspired by outside forces extrinsic motivation
or by themselves that is intrinsic motivation

The difference between intrinsic motivation

and extrinsic motivation depends on the
actions behind it. Intrinsic motivation has to do
with having an internal desire to perform a
task and extrinsic motivation has to do with
performing a task in order to receive some
kind of reward.
HIERARCHY OF
NEEDS
SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF NEEDS

ESTEEM
NEEDS

BELONGINGNESS
NEEDS

SAFETY NEEDS

PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS
 MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
1. Physiological Needs

These are biological requirements for human survival, e.g. air, food, drink, shelter, clothing,
warmth, sex, sleep.

If these needs are not satisfied the human body cannot function optimally. Maslow considered
physiological needs the most important as all the other needs become secondary until these
needs are met.

2. Safety Needs

Once an individual’s physiological needs are satisfied, the needs for security and safety become
salient. People want to experience order, predictability and control in their lives. These needs can
be fulfilled by the family and society (e.g. police, schools, business and medical care).

For example, emotional security, financial security (e.g. employment, social welfare), law and order,
freedom from fear, social stability, property, health and wellbeing (e.g. safety against accidents
and injury).
3. Love and belongingness Needs

After physiological and safety needs have been fulfilled, the third level of
human needs is social and involves feelings of belongingness.
Belongingness, refers to a human emotional need for interpersonal
relationships, affiliating, connectedness, and being part of a group. Eg-
friendship, intimacy and trust

4. Esteem needs

These needs are the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy and include self-
worth, accomplishment and respect. Maslow classified esteem needs into
two categories: (i) esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement, mastery,
independence) and (ii) the desire for reputation or respect from others (e.g.,
status, prestige).

Maslow indicated that the need for respect or reputation is most important
for children and adolescents and precedes real self-esteem or dignity.
5. Self-actualization

These needs are the highest level in Maslow's hierarchy, and refer
to the realization of a person's potential, self-fulfillment, seeking
personal growth and peak experiences.

Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything

that one can, to become the most that one can be.

Individuals may perceive or focus on this need very specifically.

For example, one individual may have a strong desire to become

an ideal parent. In another, the desire may be expressed
economically, academically or athletically. For others, it may be
expressed creatively, in paintings, pictures, or inventions.
 SUMMARY OF HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Human beings are motivated by a hierarchy of needs.

(A) Needs are organized in a hierarchy of prepotency in which more basic

needs must be more or less met (rather than all or none) prior to higher
needs.

(B) The order of needs is not rigid but instead may be flexible based on
external circumstances or individual differences.

(C) Most of the behaviour is multi-motivated, that is, simultaneously

determined by more than one basic need.
THANK YOU !