ABRAHAM MASLOW

PRESENTATION BY SHAKSHI DHAM

COURSE: B.A (H) APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
ENROLLMENT NO. : A50706920055
 EARLY LIFE
Abraham Harold Maslow ( April 1, 1908 –
June 8, 1970)
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. 
Abraham Maslow began teaching at
Brooklyn College in 1937 and continued to
work as a member of the school's faculty
until 1951.
 CONTRIBUTIONS

HIERARCHY SELF-
OF ACTUALIZATION
NEEDS HUMANISTIC
THEORY
 During the late 1950s, Abraham Maslow and other humanist thinkers began to formalize the growing humanistic
approach. Abraham Maslow has been considered the Father of Humanistic Psychology. Maslow and his
colleagues came to refer to their movement as “third force psychology,” the first two being psychoanalysis and
behaviorism.
 A “third force” in psychology was introduced, primarily in response to what some psychologists viewed as
significant limitations in the Behaviourist and Psychoanalytic schools of thought. Behaviourism was often
criticized for lacking focus on human consciousness and personality and Psychoanalysis was rejected for its
strong emphasis on unconscious and instinctive forces .
 Maslow’s theory is based on the notion that experience is the primary focus in the study of human learning and
behavior. He placed emphasis on choice, creativity, values, all distinctively human qualities, and believed that
meaningfulness and subjectivity were more important than objectivity.
 Humanistic psychology theory suits people who see the positive side of humanity and believe in free will.
 Humanistic psychologists believe that every person has a strong desire to realize their full potential, to reach a level of
"self-actualization”.

5 PRINCIPLES OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY

• People are more than the sum of their parts.

• In order to understand people, we must look at them within both their human context as well as their place within the
universe.

• Humans are conscious, which means that they are aware as well as aware of this awareness.

• Humans have free will and are capable of making their own choices, but with these choices come great responsibilities.

• Humans seek things intentionally and aim to make their mark on the world by setting goals, expressing creativity, and
seeking meaning.
 HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
• Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs is one of the best-known theories of motivation . The pyramid of
needs, with the most basic needs at the bottom and more complex needs at the top.
• The hierarchy of human needs model suggests that human needs will only be fulfilled one level at a time.
• This hierarchy ranges from more concrete needs such as food and water to abstract concepts such as self-
fulfilment. According to Maslow, when a lower need is met, the next need on the hierarchy becomes our
focus of attention.
• This five-stage model can be divided into deficiency needs and growth needs. The first four levels are
often referred to as deficiency needs (D-needs), and the top level is known as growth or being needs (B-
needs).
An interpretation of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, represented as a pyramid, with the more
basic needs at the bottom
  Physiological needs - Maslow considered physiological needs to be the most essential of
our needs. If someone is lacking in more than one need, they’re likely to try to meet these
physiological needs first. For example, if someone is extremely hungry, it’s hard to focus on
anything else besides food. Another example of a physiological need would be the need for
adequate sleep.
  Safety needs - Once an individual’s physiological needs are satisfied, the needs for
security and safety become important. People want to experience order, predictability and
control in their lives. These needs can be fulfilled by the family and society .
  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.
 Esteem needs are the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy and include self-worth 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).

 Self-actualization needs It refer to self-fulfilment, seeking personal growth and peak

experiences. Maslow (1943) describes this level as the desire to accomplish everything that
one can, to become the most that one can be.
o 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. For others, it may be expressed creatively, in
paintings, pictures, or inventions.
 THE EXPANDED HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
During the 1960s and 1970s he introduced few
more stages and this expanded the model to
eight- stage model of human needs.
 Cognitive needs - It is about knowledge and
understanding, curiosity, exploration, need for
meaning and predictability.
 Aesthetic needs - Appreciation and search for
beauty, balance, form, etc.
 Transcendence needs - A person is motivated by
values which transcend beyond the personal self
(e.g., certain experiences with nature, aesthetic
experiences, sexual experiences, service to others, the
pursuit of science, religious faith, etc.).
 Why is Maslow's hierarchy of needs important?
Maslow's theory has given rise to a new way to look at people’s needs. For example
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is widely used in health and social work as a framework for
assessing clients’ needs.
Problems or difficult circumstances at one point in a person’s life can cause them to fixate
on a particular set of needs, and this can affect their future happiness.
For example, a person who lived through a period of extreme deprivation and lack of
security in early childhood may fixate on physiological and safety needs. These remain
salient even if they are satisfied.
So even if this person later has everything they need they may nonetheless obsess over
money or keeping enough food in the fridge.
This, for Maslow, was the root cause of many ‘neurotic’ mental health problems, such as
anxiety or depression.
 CRITICISMS
◦ There are some criticisms of Maslow’s theory that can be outlined. First of all, the research was based on
a small number of people, whose health and intellectual levels were approximately the same. It is
possible that Maslow studied these people to show the full hierarchy of needs. However, this
examination shows a bias towards critically approve people with experience and power in various fields
of knowledge.
◦ The participants that were studied by Maslow were from similar socioeconomic groups as well. The
system of this pyramid can be viewed as somewhat rigid. It is possible to assume that the fulfilment of
the basic needs from the lower tiers can overcome one’s desire for self-actualization.
◦ However, Maslow commented on this argument, noting that the system is more flexible than he
originally stated . Finally, the difficulty to test Maslow’s research is another concern connected to this
theory. For example, some physiological needs can be overlooked by creative people that live in poverty
or other harsh conditions.
 SELF-ACTUALIZATION
 Maslow (1943) formulated a more positive account of human behaviour which focused on what goes right. He was
interested in human potential, and how we fulfil that potential.

 For Maslow, a person is always 'becoming' and never remains static in these terms. In self-actualization, a person
comes to find a meaning to life that is important to them. The growth of self-actualization, refers to the need for
personal growth and discovery that is present throughout a person’s life.

 As each individual is unique, the motivation for self-actualization leads people in different directions . Self-
actualizing people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others, and
interested in fulfilling their potential.
 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.
 These self-actualized individuals were very independent and private when it came to their environment and culture,
especially their very own individual development on "potentialities and inner resources".
 Beyond the routine of needs fulfilment, Maslow
visualize moments of extraordinary experience,
known as Peak experiences, which are profound
moments of love, understanding, happiness , during
which a person feels more whole, alive, self-sufficient
and yet a part of the world, more aware of truth,
justice, harmony, goodness, and so on.

 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.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF SELF-ACTUALIZERS
 They perceive reality efficiently and can tolerate uncertainty

 Accept themselves and others for what they are

 Spontaneous in thought and action

 Unusual sense of humor

 Able to look at life objectively

 Highly creative

 Concerned for the welfare of humanity

 Establish deep satisfying interpersonal relationships

 Peak experiences

 Strong moral/ethical standards

THANK-YOU!