Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a charted set of human requirements that are important for an individual to achieve complete development and self-actualization. The hierarchy of needs is a theory of psychologist Abraham Maslow.
The hierarchy is diagramed as a pyramid starting at the bottom with basic needs that must be satisfied for an individual to be able to progress to addressing more secondary needs. It’s understood that a person who has to struggle to survive doesn’t think as much about or attain self-actualization as a person whose survival is relatively assured.
The hierarchy of needs shows the general progression of pursuits for people once survival and comfort are assured into the spiritual, the creative and or intellectual. The levels of the hierarchy, starting from the base of the pyramid are:
- Physiological needs - These are biological requirements for human survival. Examples include air, food, water, shelter, clothing, warmth, sex and sleep.
- Safety needs – Examples include protection from elements, security, order, law and stability.
- Love and belongingness needs – These are the first of social needs, involving the desire for interpersonal relationships and being part of a group. Examples of these needs include friendship, intimacy, trust, acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love.
- Esteem needs - Classified into two categories:
- Self-esteem, stemming from dignity, achievement, mastery and independence.
- The desire for reputation or respect from others, including status and prestige.
- Self-actualization needs – Examples include realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment and seeking personal growth and peak experiences.
Maslow broke down the first four levels of his hierarchy into deficit needs that generally must be satisfied before moving on to being or growth needs of the self-actualization level of the hierarchy. A notable difference in growth needs is that achievement increases motivation where achievement of deficit needs causes a decrease in motivation.
In 1983, Maslow was noted as clarifying that person may not require 100% satisfaction of all previous levels to move on to higher needs. He also pointed out that a life journey might well involve a non-linear progression through the hierarchy. People’s previously filled needs may require addressing again, owing to setbacks in their lives. Major life events such as a move, break up or divorce, for example, may leave individuals with previously filled needs to address.
Abraham Maslow is well renowned for proposing the Hierarchy of Needs Theory in 1943. This theory is a classical depiction of human motivation. This theory is based on the assumption that there is a hierarchy of five needs within each individual. The urgency of these needs varies. These five needs are as follows- According to Maslow, individuals are motivated by unsatisfied needs. As each of these needs is significantly satisfied, it drives and forces the next need to emerge. Maslow grouped the five needs into two categories - Higher-order needs and Lower-order needs. The physiological and the safety needs constituted the lower-order needs. These lower-order needs are mainly satisfied externally. The social, esteem, and self-actualization needs constituted the higher-order needs. These higher-order needs are generally satisfied internally, i.e., within an individual. Thus, we can conclude that during boom period, the employees lower-order needs are significantly met.
Implications of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory for Managers
The managers must identify the need level at which the employee is existing and then those needs can be utilized as push for motivation.
As far as the physiological needs are concerned, the managers should give employees appropriate salaries to purchase the basic necessities of life. Breaks and eating opportunities should be given to employees.
As far as the safety needs are concerned, the managers should provide the employees job security, safe and hygienic work environment, and retirement benefits so as to retain them.
As far as social needs are concerned, the management should encourage teamwork and organize social events.
As far as esteem needs are concerned, the managers can appreciate and reward employees on accomplishing and exceeding their targets. The management can give the deserved employee higher job rank / position in the organization.
As far as self-actualization needs are concerned, the managers can give the employees challenging jobs in which the employees’ skills and competencies are fully utilized. Moreover, growth opportunities can be given to them so that they can reach the peak.
Limitations of Maslow’s Theory
Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)
next
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a model for understanding the motivations for human behavior. It maps different motivations onto a pyramid, with each level representing a different human need. These include physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
The psychologist Abraham Maslow created this model. He believed that people could not focus on the needs higher up the pyramid until they had mostly obtained the needs in the lower levels. Maslow also felt that fulfillment in life results from being able to meet the needs in all five levels.
Keep reading to learn more about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and its applications, as well as what happens when the needs are unmet and criticisms of the theory.
Share on PinterestInfographic by Bailey Mariner
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory about what drives human behavior and what makes humans feel fulfilled. It represents five key human needs that people must meet in order to achieve well-being. They are:
- physiological needs
- safety
- love and belonging
- esteem
- self-actualization
Maslow mapped these needs onto a pyramid diagram, with each need occupying a different level of the pyramid. The lowest and biggest levels represent the basic and highest-priority needs that are essential for survival.
The smaller and higher sections represent self-esteem and self-actualization, which are essential for fulfillment or emotional well-being.
The pyramid diagram shows how Maslow believed that human needs are hierarchical, meaning some take priority over others. According to his theory, people cannot achieve the needs higher up the pyramid until they have taken care of the ones below. Maslow argued that it is only after meeting all five needs that humans can truly thrive.
Maslow published the hierarchy of needs in 1943. Researchers today consider it one of the most impactful ideas in personality science and motivation psychology.
Starting at the bottom of the pyramid, the five needs are as follows:
Physiological needs
These include physical needs that humans must meet in order to survive, such as:
- food
- water
- sex
- warmth
- shelter
- sleep
Safety needs
These include things that make humans feel safe. Order, predictability, and having a sense of control may contribute to this.
Safety can come from the actions of an individual or from their family or community. Depending on the person, it might include:
- living or working in a safe environment
- having a stable and sufficient source of income
- feeling protected from crime or abuse
- being in good physical health with no serious illnesses
Many people in the United States live in physically or emotionally unsafe environments. Feeling unsafe in childhood can affect mental health into adulthood.
Love and belonging needs
Love and belonging needs include the feeling of being connected to others, belonging to a group, and having secure relationships. People meet these needs through:
- making friends
- giving and receiving affection
- emotional intimacy
- feeling accepted by loved ones
Esteem needs
“Esteem” is admiration and respect. Maslow divided this part of the pyramid into two subcategories: the esteem a person has for themselves, or self-esteem, and the respect they desire from others.
Self-esteem involves a healthy positive regard for oneself. The things a person needs to have good self-esteem include:
- self-worth, which is when a person feels they have value
- competency, which involves feeling skilled or knowledgeable
- dignity, which is feeling worthy of respect
- independence, which, in this context, means a person feels they can do things for themselves
Esteem from others may involve gaining:
- respect from peers
- acknowledgment for one’s achievements
- status or prestige
- fame or reputation
However, Maslow noted that the healthiest form of esteem that comes from others needs to be earned. Celebrity and fleeting recognition cannot fulfill a person’s esteem needs long term.
Self-actualization
The highest need on Maslow’s pyramid is self-actualization, which involves a person knowing themselves, understanding their full potential, and reaching it.
This is different from the esteem needs of the previous section. According to Maslow, people who become self-actualized find motivation in growth and possibility rather than trying to gain something they lack. They see things that they or their community could achieve, and they pursue them, whether or not it results in an external reward.
Other characteristics that Maslow felt self-actualized people possess include:
- a realistic perception of reality
- acceptance of imperfections
- flexibility and spontaneity in pursuing goals
- autonomy and responsibility
- consistent and strong morals
- appreciation for life
- creativity
Being self-actualized does not mean a person has no problems and is always happy. Maslow described self-actualization as an ongoing process rather than the end point of a journey.
People have applied Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to many fields of study, industries, and societal issues. Below are some examples:
Education
Education experts sometimes use the hierarchy of needs to help children reach their learning potential.
For example, in 2020, the Institutes of Education Science applied the theory to children receiving an education at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Children in this situation experience unique challenges and may feel unsafe due to the changes happening around them. The authors explain how caregivers can meet their physical, safety, social, esteem, and personal growth needs, even in a difficult situation.
Healthcare
In an older 2014 study, researchers argue that applying Maslow’s theory to the care of people in an intensive care unit (ICU) may have benefits.
People in ICUs tend to be oversedated and immobilized. The authors contend that although these measures are necessary for a minority of patients, they are not essential for the majority. In fact, they may have a negative affect on mental health and cognitive function.
To prevent this, the authors propose changing ICU care so that it considers overall quality of life and not just physical recovery. They advocate using less sedation and promoting mobility wherever possible.
Unmet needs in each category can have specific effects, such as:
Maslow’s theory suggests that people’s needs at one level have to be mostly, but not completely, met before they can move on to the next level. He believed that unmet needs occupy the mind, preventing the pursuit of needs higher in the pyramid.
Thus, according to the theory, if a person is endeavoring to address their basic physiological and safety needs, they will not be able to seek higher needs for love, esteem, and self-actualization.
Below are some criticisms of Maslow’s theory:
The order of needs within the hierarchy is arbitrary
A 2015 study notes that one criticism of Maslow’s theory involves the order of needs within the hierarchy. Some critics say that while it is logical to put physiological needs first and self-actualization last, people do not necessarily pursue or obtain the needs in this order.
For example, some argue that a healthy relationship with oneself is an important requirement for having healthy relationships with others. Maslow himself met people who valued self-esteem more than love.
However, Maslow did not consider the exact order of needs to be rigid.
Self-actualization is not linear
In his early work, Maslow argued that a person could only self-actualize once they had met their basic needs. However, an older 2015 paper notes that, sometimes, not being able to meet one’s basic needs helps people identify their self-actualization goals.
For example, a person may have a stable career for many years, fulfilling their safety needs. However, if they lose their job, they may realize that their old career was not satisfying. Needing another source of income might spur them to pursue the job they truly want.
Maslow also acknowledged that unmet needs could be motivation for self-actualization in his later work.
The self-actualization teaching is not generalizable
Another criticism of the concept of self-actualization is that Maslow largely based his ideas on the biographies of notable historical figures, most of whom were educated white men. As such, the traits he observed in these successful individuals may not apply to all people.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory about what motivates and fulfills humans. The theory includes five needs, each of which forms one section on a pyramid. At the foundation of the pyramid are physiological and safety needs. In the middle, there are social needs, such as love and belonging. At the top are esteem and self-actualization.
People have applied the hierarchy in a range of ways, including in education, child development, and healthcare. Psychologists can use it to understand things that may be contributing to mental health conditions, too.
However, there are some misconceptions and criticisms about Maslow’s theory. It is important to remember that the progression from one stage of the pyramid to the next is not necessarily linear.