Abraham MaslowAbraham Maslow

ABRAHAM MASLOWABRAHAM MASLOW

• April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970• 1 of 7 children• Jewish, parents uneducated• Married Bertha Goodman, first cousin• Received BA (1930), MA (1931) and PhD (1934) all from University of Wisconsin• Professor at Brooklyn College (1937-51) and Brandeis University (1951-61)• Considered to be the founder of humanistic psychology.

Hierarchy of NeedsHierarchy of Needs

Instinctoid: hereditary componentInstinctoid: hereditary component Activate and direct human behaviorActivate and direct human behavior We are not driven by all needs at the We are not driven by all needs at the

same timesame time

HierarchyOf Needs

Maslow’Maslow’ss

Safety Needs

Belongingness & Love Needs

Physiological Needs

Esteem Needs

Self-Actualization

The hierarchy has five levels:The hierarchy has five levels:

Physiological NeedsPhysiological Needs: oxygen, water, protein, salt, sugar, calcium and other : oxygen, water, protein, salt, sugar, calcium and other minerals and vitamins, shelter and sleep etc.minerals and vitamins, shelter and sleep etc.

Safety Needs:Safety Needs: security, stability, protection from physical and emotional security, stability, protection from physical and emotional harmharm

Belongingness & Love Needs:Belongingness & Love Needs: affection, belonging, acceptance, affection, belonging, acceptance, friendship, communityfriendship, community

Esteem Needs:Esteem Needs: (Internal ones are need for self-respect, confidence, (Internal ones are need for self-respect, confidence, autonomy, and achievement. External ones are need for respect of others, autonomy, and achievement. External ones are need for respect of others, status, fame, glory, recognition and attention.) Maslow feels these are the status, fame, glory, recognition and attention.) Maslow feels these are the roots to many, if not most of our psychological problems.roots to many, if not most of our psychological problems.

Self-actualization:Self-actualization: (doing that which maximizes one’s potential and fulfills (doing that which maximizes one’s potential and fulfills one’s innate aspirations)one’s innate aspirations)

Hierarchy of NeedsHierarchy of Needs

If you don’t have enough of something you have a If you don’t have enough of something you have a “deficit” (need)“deficit” (need)

Maslow's hierarchy seems to follow the life cycle. A baby's Maslow's hierarchy seems to follow the life cycle. A baby's needs are almost entirely physiological. As the baby grows, it needs are almost entirely physiological. As the baby grows, it needs safety, then love. Toddlers are eager for social needs safety, then love. Toddlers are eager for social interaction, attention and affection. Teenagers are anxious about interaction, attention and affection. Teenagers are anxious about social needs, young adults are concerned with esteem and only social needs, young adults are concerned with esteem and only more mature people transcend the first four levels to spend more mature people transcend the first four levels to spend much time self-actualizing. much time self-actualizing.

Under stressful conditions, or when survival is threatened, we Under stressful conditions, or when survival is threatened, we can “regress” to a lower level need.can “regress” to a lower level need.

DEFICIT (D-NEEDS)DEFICIT (D-NEEDS)

Safety NeedsSafety Needs

Second from bottom of hierarchySecond from bottom of hierarchy Structure, order, stability, predictabilityStructure, order, stability, predictability More important to children than normal More important to children than normal

adultsadults

Belongingness and Love NeedsBelongingness and Love Needs

Middle of hierarchyMiddle of hierarchy Intimate and social relationshipsIntimate and social relationships

Esteem NeedsEsteem Needs

Fourth from bottom of hierarchyFourth from bottom of hierarchy 2 forms of esteem needs:2 forms of esteem needs:

From ourselves: feelings of self-worthFrom ourselves: feelings of self-worth From others: status, recognition, social From others: status, recognition, social

successsuccess

BEING NEEDS (SELF-BEING NEEDS (SELF-ACTUALIZATION)ACTUALIZATION)

Needs that do not involve balanceNeeds that do not involve balance

Once engaged, they continue to be feltOnce engaged, they continue to be felt

Continuous desire to fulfill potentials (“be all you can be”)Continuous desire to fulfill potentials (“be all you can be”)

You need to have lower needs taken care of, at least to a You need to have lower needs taken care of, at least to a considerable extentconsiderable extent

Only a small percentage of the population is truly, self-actualizing Only a small percentage of the population is truly, self-actualizing (approximately 2%)(approximately 2%)

Self-Actualization NeedsSelf-Actualization Needs

Pinnacle of hierarchyPinnacle of hierarchy Maximum realization of potentials, talents, Maximum realization of potentials, talents,

abilitiesabilities Fullest personality developmentFullest personality development Even if satisfy all other needs, person will Even if satisfy all other needs, person will

feel restless and discontent if not self-feel restless and discontent if not self-actualizingactualizing

Conditions for Self-ActualizationConditions for Self-Actualization

Free of constraintsFree of constraints Not distracted by lower needsNot distracted by lower needs Secure self-image and relationshipsSecure self-image and relationships Realistic knowledge of strengths and Realistic knowledge of strengths and

weaknessesweaknesses

Characteristics of Self-Characteristics of Self-ActualizersActualizers

Efficient perception of realityEfficient perception of reality Acceptance of selves, others, natureAcceptance of selves, others, nature Spontaneity, simplicity, naturalnessSpontaneity, simplicity, naturalness Focus on problems outside of themselvesFocus on problems outside of themselves Social interestSocial interest CreativenessCreativeness

Characteristics of Self-Characteristics of Self-ActualizersActualizers

Peak experiences: religious, mystical Peak experiences: religious, mystical experiencesexperiences

Profound interpersonal relationshipsProfound interpersonal relationships Resistance to enculturationResistance to enculturation Extremely rare- seen in less than 1% of Extremely rare- seen in less than 1% of

the populationthe population

Research in Malsow’s TheoryResearch in Malsow’s Theory

Negative correlation between high self-Negative correlation between high self-actualizing scores and alcoholism, mental actualizing scores and alcoholism, mental disorders, neuroticismdisorders, neuroticism

Meeting esteem needs: greater feelings of Meeting esteem needs: greater feelings of self-worth, self-confidence, competence self-worth, self-confidence, competence (similar to Badura’s self-efficacy)(similar to Badura’s self-efficacy)

Criticisms of Maslow’s TheoryCriticisms of Maslow’s Theory

Weak research methodologyWeak research methodology Small sample sizeSmall sample size Lack of empirical methodsLack of empirical methods

Vague terms (peak experiences)Vague terms (peak experiences)

Contributions of MaslowContributions of Maslow

Further development of humanism in Further development of humanism in psychologypsychology

Applicable to variety of disciplines Applicable to variety of disciplines (teaching, religion, business)(teaching, religion, business)

Very optimistic- may be more appealing to Very optimistic- may be more appealing to some than behavioral or psychoanalytic some than behavioral or psychoanalytic approachesapproaches