1908-1970

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist.

This title is derived from the Latin
word “psyche”, meaning mind. A
psychologist asks questions and
makes observations to determine how
a person thinks and how they behave.
The job of a psychologist is to LISTEN
carefully to patients that are
experiencing difficulties with some
part of their life, and help that patient
adapt their behaviors to cope with life
within society.

A psychologist is not a medical doctor. He can recommend medication, but

cannot actually prescribe it. He is not concerned with the reason “why” a
person behaves the way they do…he just helps them deal with life. If the
treatment/therapy of the psychologist is not enough to help the patient, they
are then referred to a psychiatrist.
 Abraham Maslow identified 5 basic human needs…needs that
every human being must have met in order to survive. A
“heirarchy” simply means that some needs are more
important than others.

In order to teach others

which needs were more
important than others,
Maslow illustrated his theory
with a pyramid.

He used a pyramid instead

of a graph or a circle,
because when you construct
a pyramid the bottom layers
are more important than the
top.
 Be all that you can be!
Use your potential.

A sense of feeling like

LOVE you are “worthwhile”…
Human beings not worthless!
can actually die
from lack of
love and
affection. If you don’t feel
safe, you
become anxious
You
and cannot
need
function.
food,
water,
clothing,
and
shelter
or you
will die!
Can you think of examples?
Let’s suppose you are very hungry, but you have no money. What
decision would you make if you walked into a grocery store?...or
sat beside someone in the school lunchroom with a full tray of
food?...or saw the workers from a fast food restaurant put food in
a dumpster?
Your needs MUST be met, at least to some extent, or you will die.
Therefore, you will make decisions in your life that will enable you to
satisfy those needs. That is because you are a human being, and we
are born with the instinct to survive.

Let’s practice decision-making, using Maslow’s pyramid of human

needs, in this situation… “We’re going to California!”
Make sure you have the following information in your notes,
so you will be prepared for a test:
1. Abraham Maslow was a psychologist.
2. Abraham Maslow identified 5 basic human needs and
illustrated them in a pyramid.
3. The pyramid shows the “heirarchy” of needs…the order
of their importance.
4. The 5 basic human needs are: physical, safety, social or
love, esteem, and self-actualization.
5. Human beings are born with an instinct to survive.
6. Human needs influence decision-making.
7. Make sure you are able to place the needs on the pyramid
correctly.
8. Make sure you understand how to make a decision, based
on Maslow’s pyramid.