Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a theory first presented in Maslow’s “Theory of Human Motivation” of 1943. This theory is a basic description of human stages of growth and psychological development, most commonly represented as a pyramid. This pyramid has five levels. The lower four of these levels are considered basic needs, where these needs should be met if the individual is to feel sufficiently comfortable and satisfied with his or her life to be able to focus on the fifth level. From the lowest level, the hierarchy of needs is as follows:
-Physiological
These needs are basic, physical needs, namely air, food, water, sex, sleep, excretion and the ability to regulate one’s own internal biological workings. If all of these needs are not met, an individual can become ill, physically and mentally, and die either slowly or at a more accelerated pace.
-Safety
This term refers to the secure state of an individual’s own person, as well as their belongings, those values and ideals they hold sacred, and their loved ones. If the safety of these elements is threatened, an individuals may become aggressive, anxious, paranoid, nervous or depressed, and this may ultimately lead to criminal activity or death. In short, a prolonged condition of insecurity infers that this level of need is not being met.
-Connection
Humans as a species are not solitary animals. They instinctively look for others to band with, when alone. An individual living alone is prone to suffer mental illness as a result of seclusion and lack of connection with other people. A person will feel this need as a longing for love or the sense of belonging to a family, which is why enforced solitude as punishment, such as solitary confinement or time outs for children, are so effective.
-Esteem
People seek approval from each other. It is why the fashion and cosmetics industries exist, and why cars have become so expensive and luxurious. There is a basic need for an individual to achieve more and to attain recognition for those achievements. When a person is held in low regard by his or her peers, there is a feeling of rejection and otherness which causes emotional discomfort. Children who have been abused or bullied at school by their peers or teachers will often display signs of mental illness in adulthood, as a lasting effect of this lack of esteem.
-Self-Actualization
When an individual has achieved the fulfillment of the four basic levels of needs, a feeling of contentment is achieved, which is then translated into the need to look beyond the primary elements of life. When one is healthy, safe, loved and held in good regard, then one is able to reassess those extraneous concepts such as spiritual enlightenment, creative or abstract thought, problem-solving and the consideration of the lives of others.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs describes the human condition and can be used to explain many different human behaviours. It is a simple, yet effective, representation of the psychological growth of an individual, and how elements in one’s life may affect or be affected by the lack of certain key needs. Overall, the hierarchy is a useful tool for the analysis of a society and its members, and can offer answers to questions, such as “why do philanthropists tend to come from the more affluent economic strata?”
References:
http://www.abraham-maslow.com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs.asp
http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/regsys/maslow.html
