Maslow’s Human
Needs Pyramid
Psychologist Abraham Maslow first introduced his concept of a
hierarchy of needs in 1943. This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated
to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs.
As people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly
psychological and social. Soon, the need for love, friendship, and intimacy
become important. Further up the pyramid, the need for personal esteem and
feelings of accomplishment take priority. Maslow emphasized the importance
of self-actualization, which is a process of growing and developing as a
person in order to achieve individual potential.
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This hierarchy is most often displayed as a pyramid, as shown
below. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the most basic needs,
while the more complex needs are located at the top of the pyramid. Needs at
the bottom of the pyramid are basic physical requirements including the need
for food, water, sleep, and warmth. Once these lower-level needs have been met,
people can move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and
security
Types of Needs
Maslow believed that these
needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in motivating behavior.
Physiological, security, social, and esteem needs are deficiency needs
(also known as D-needs), meaning that these needs arise due to
deprivation. Satisfying these lower-level needs is important in order to avoid
unpleasant feelings or consequences.
Maslow termed the highest-level of the pyramid as growth
needs (also known as being needs or B-needs). Growth needs do
not stem from a lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a
person.
Five
Levels of the Hierarchy of Needs
There
are five different levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
1. Physiological Needs
These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival, such as the need
for water, air, food, and sleep. Maslow believed that these needs are the most
basic and instinctive needs in the hierarchy because all needs become secondary
until these physiological needs are met.
2. Security Needs
These include needs for safety and security. Security needs are important for
survival, but they are not as demanding as the physiological needs. Examples of
security needs include a desire for steady employment, health insurance, safe
neighborhoods, and shelter from the environment.
3. Social Needs
These include needs for belonging, love, and affection. Maslow considered these
needs to be less basic than physiological and security needs. Relationships
such as friendships, romantic attachments, and families help fulfill this need
for companionship and acceptance, as doe’s involvement in social, community, or
religious groups.
4. Esteem Needs
After the first three needs have been satisfied, esteem needs becomes
increasingly important. These include the need for things that reflect on
self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition, and accomplishment.
5. Self-actualizing Needs
This is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Self-actualizing
people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the
opinions of others, and interested fulfilling their potential.
Human Needs Activity 1:
List
the levels and specific Maslow’s human needs required by the following cases
Case
|
Level
|
Specific needs
at each level
|
A
child in a hospital
|
1
|
Medical needs
|
A
physically disabled person
|
1,2,3,4
|
Security of
body
|
A
lonely poor old lady in Sri Lanka
|
1,2,3
|
Place , family
|
A
shy rich widow who has a loving family and friends but has not achieved much
in life
|
3,4,5
|
Love , esteem
|
A
family trapped underground because of a bomb shell
|
1,2
|
Basic need
|
An
orphaned child who was forced to work to make a living
|
1,2,3
|
Place ,
employment
|
Physically
and mentally abused person
|
1,2,3,4
|
Respect
|
A
father who lost his job and has a family to support
|
2,3,4
|
Employment ,
family
|
Human Needs Activity 1/2:
Match
the specific needs with the five levels by writing the level number in front of
each need.
1.
Self-actualization water ( 5 )
Problem solving ( 1 )
affection ( 3 )
2.
Esteem
Family ( 3 )
Social interaction ( 3 )
3.
Love/Belonging Sleep ( 5 )
Employment ( 4 )
Health ( 5 )
4.
Safety
Property ( 4 )
Creativity ( 1 )
Confidence (2 )
5.
Physiological
Food ( 5 )
Passions ( 1 )
Respect ( 2 )
Resources ( 4 )
Human Needs Activity 2:
Working
in groups, discuss and answer the following questions:
1.
Does every human being have the
right to reach the top of the Maslow pyramid?
Yes of course
2.
Does every human being have the
capability of reaching that level?
No not everybody unless he have a hand to support
3.
What are the opportunities are
needed to get to the higher level?
Passions , creativity , morality and problem solving
.
4.
What are the obstacles could
stand in the way of reaching these levels?
Racism , Discrimination and hating .
5.
What could you do to help others
to reach the higher levels?
Give them their
rights and try to stand with them to survive .
