Introduction

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his

1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in Psychological Review. Maslow

subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity. His

theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which

focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. Maslow used the terms Physiological,

Safety, Belongingness and Love, Esteem, Self-Actualization and Self-Transcendence needs

to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through. Maslow studied what

he called exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, and

Frederick Douglass rather than mentally ill or neurotic people, writing that "the study of

crippled, stunted, immature, and unhealthy specimens can yield only a cripple psychology

and a cripple philosophy." Maslow studied the healthiest 1% of the college student

population. Maslow's theory was fully expressed in his 1954 book Motivation and

Personality. While the hierarchy remains a very popular framework in sociology research,

management training and secondary and higher psychology instruction, it has largely been

supplanted by attachment theory in graduate and clinical psychology and psychiatry.

For over 40 years, Maslow focused his research attention towards human motivation. His

studies led him to believe that people have certain needs which are unchanging and genetic in

origin, which he explains via his theory, the Hierarchy of Needs. This paper seeks to

introduce Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and to describe ways in which this theory can be

applied to the experience of students in higher education and their future life. Strengths and

weaknesses of the application of this theory to the new student experience will also be

discussed.

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About Abraham Maslow

Abraham Harold Maslow was born April 1, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. He was the first of

seven children born to his parents, who themselves were uneducated Jewish immigrants from

Russia. His parents, hoping for the best for their children in the new world, pushed him hard

for academic success. Not surprisingly, he became very lonely as a boy, and found his refuge

in books. To satisfy his parents, he first studied law at the City College of New York

(CCNY). After three semesters, he transferred to Cornell, and then back to CCNY. He

married Bertha Goodman, his first cousin, against his parents wishes. Abe and Bertha went

on to have two daughters. He and Bertha moved to Wisconsin so that he could attend the

University of Wisconsin. Here, he became interested in psychology, and his school work

began to improve dramatically. He spent time there working with Harry Harlow, who is

famous for his experiments with baby rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior. He received

his BA in 1930, his MA in 1931, and his PhD in 1934, all in psychology, all from the

University of Wisconsin. A year after graduation, he returned to New York to work with E.

L. Thorndike at Columbia, where Maslow became interested in research on human sexuality.

He began teaching full time at Brooklyn College. During this period of his life, he came into

contact with the many European intellectuals that were immigrating to the US, and Brooklyn

in particular, at that time -- people like Adler, Fromm, Horney, as well as several Gestalt and

Freudian psychologists. Maslow served as the chair of the psychology department at Brandeis

from 1951 to 1969. While there he met Kurt Goldstein, who had originated the idea of self-

actualization in his famous book, The Organism (1934). It was also here that he began his

crusade for a humanistic psychology -- something ultimately much more important to him

than his own theorizing. He spend his final years in semi-retirement in California, until, on

June 8 1970, he died of a heart attack after years of ill health (Franken, 2001).

What is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Motivation theory which suggests five interdependent levels of basic human needs

(motivators) that must be satisfied in a strict sequence starting with the lowest level.

Physiological needs for survival (to stay alive and reproduce) and security (to feel safe) are

the most fundamental and most pressing needs. They are followed by social needs (for love

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and belonging) and self-esteem needs (to feel worthy, respected, and have status). The final

and highest level needs are self-actualization needs (self-fulfillment and achievement). Its

underlying theme is that human beings are 'wanting' beings: as they satisfy one need the next

emerges on its own and demands satisfaction ... and so on until the need for self-actualization

that, by its very nature, cannot be fully satisfied and thus does not generate more needs. This

theory states that once a need is satisfied, it stops being a motivator of human beings. In

personnel management, it is used in design of incentive schemes. In marketing, it is used in

design of promotional campaigns based on the perceived needs of a market segment a

product satisfies. Named after its originator, the US psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow

(1908-70) who proposed it in 1954 (Lutz, 2014).

Hierarchy

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid with the largest,

most fundamental levels of needs at the bottom and the need for self-actualization at the top.

While the pyramid has become the de facto way to represent the hierarchy, Maslow himself

never used a pyramid to describe these levels in any of his writings on the subject. The most

fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid contain what Maslow called "deficiency

needs" or "d-needs": esteem, friendship and love, security, and physical needs. If these

"deficiency needs" are not met – with the exception of the most fundamental (physiological)

need – there may not be a physical indication, but the individual will feel anxious and tense.

Maslow's theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual

will strongly desire (or focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs. Maslow

also coined the term Metamotivation to describe the motivation of people who go beyond the

scope of the basic needs and strive for constant betterment (Cherry, 2014).

The human mind and brain are complex and have parallel processes running at the same time,

thus many different motivations from various levels of Maslow's hierarchy can occur at the

same time. Maslow spoke clearly about these levels and their satisfaction in terms such as

"relative," "general," and "primarily." Instead of stating that the individual focuses on a

certain need at any given time, Maslow stated that a certain need "dominates" the human

organism. Thus Maslow acknowledged the likelihood that the different levels of motivation

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could occur at any time in the human mind, but he focused on identifying the basic types of

motivation and the order in which they should be met (Cherry, 2014).

Physiological Needs

Physiological needs are the physical requirements for human survival. If these requirements

are not met, the human body cannot function properly and will ultimately fail. Physiological

needs are thought to be the most important; they should be met first. Air, water, and food are

metabolic requirements for survival in all animals, including humans. Clothing and shelter

provide necessary protection from the elements. While maintaining an adequate birth rate

shapes the intensity of the human sexual instinct, sexual competition may also shape said

instinct (Maslow, 1943).

Safety Needs

With their physical needs relatively satisfied, the individual's safety needs take precedence

and dominate behavior. In the absence of physical safety – due to war, natural disaster, family

violence, childhood abuse, etc. – people may (re-)experience post-traumatic stress disorder or

transgenerational trauma. In the absence of economic safety – due to economic crisis and lack

of work opportunities – these safety needs manifest themselves in ways such as a preference

for job security, grievance procedures for protecting the individual from unilateral authority,

savings accounts, insurance policies, reasonable disability accommodations, etc. This level is

more likely to be found in children because they generally have a greater need to feel safe.

Safety and Security needs include (Maslow, 1943):

Personal security

Financial security

Health and well-being

Safety net against accidents/illness and their adverse impacts

Love and Belonging

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After physiological and safety needs are fulfilled, the third level of human needs is

interpersonal and involves feelings of belongingness. This need is especially strong in

childhood and can override the need for safety as witnessed in children who cling to abusive

parents. Deficiencies within this level of Maslow's hierarchy – due to hospitalism, neglect,

shunning, ostracism, etc. can impact the individual's ability to form and maintain emotionally

significant relationships in general, such as (Maslow, 1943):

Friendship

Intimacy

Family

According to Maslow, humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among their

social groups, regardless if these groups are large or small. For example, some large social

groups may include clubs, co-workers, religious groups, professional organizations, sports

teams, and gangs. Some examples of small social connections include family members,

intimate partners, mentors, colleagues, and confidants. Humans need to love and be loved

both sexually and non-sexually by others. Many people become susceptible to loneliness,

social anxiety, and clinical depression in the absence of this love or belonging element. This

need for belonging may overcome the physiological and security needs, depending on the

strength of the peer pressure.

Esteem

All humans have a need to feel respected; this includes the need to have self-esteem and self-

respect. Esteem presents the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others. People

often engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition. These activities give the person a

sense of contribution or value. Low self-esteem or an inferiority complex may result from

imbalances during this level in the hierarchy. People with low self-esteem often need respect

from others; they may feel the need to seek fame or glory. However, fame or glory will not

help the person to build their self-esteem until they accept who they are internally.

Psychological imbalances such as depression can hinder the person from obtaining a higher

level of self-esteem or self-respect. Most people have a need for stable self-respect and self-

esteem. Maslow noted two versions of esteem needs: a "lower" version and a "higher"

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version. The "lower" version of esteem is the need for respect from others. This may include

a need for status, recognition, fame, prestige, and attention. The "higher" version manifests

itself as the need for self-respect. For example, the person may have a need for strength,

competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence, and freedom. This "higher" version

takes precedence over the "lower" version because it relies on an inner competence

established through experience. Deprivation of these needs may lead to an inferiority

complex, weakness, and helplessness. Maslow states that while he originally thought the

needs of humans had strict guidelines, the "hierarchies are interrelated rather than sharply

separated". This means that esteem and the subsequent levels are not strictly separated;

instead, the levels are closely related (Maslow, 1943).

Self-actualization

"What a man can be, he must be." This quotation forms the basis of the perceived need for

self-actualization. This level of need refers to what a person's full potential is and the

realization of that potential. Maslow describes this level as the desire to accomplish

everything that one can, to become the most that one can be. Individuals may perceive or

focus on this need very specifically. For example, one individual may have the strong desire

to become an ideal parent. In another, the desire may be expressed athletically. For others, it

may be expressed in paintings, pictures, or inventions. As previously mentioned, Maslow

believed that to understand this level of need, the person must not only achieve the previous

needs, but master them (Maslow, 1943).

Figure 1: An interpretation of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, represented as a pyramid with the

more basic needs at the bottom

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(Source: Gautam, 2007)

Based on Maslow’s Theory the Needs of a Student’s Life

Biological and Physiological Needs

For we can mention these needs, we must know what they mean. Firstly, biological and

physiological needs include anything of fundamental requirements that a person has. For

example; breathing, excretion, food, water and sleep etc. The longer a person goes without

food the more hungry they will become and this decreases the students’ motivation (Wynne,

2014; Franken, 2001).

Safety Needs

We can move on another layer that is safety after physiological needs of us are met. Security

needs are important for survival, but they are not as demanding as the physiological needs.

Cherry (2014) expresses, “Examples of security needs include a desire for steady

employment, health care, safe neighborhoods, and shelter from the environment” (Wynne,

2014; Franken, 2001).

Belongingness and Love Needs

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In addition; in order to avoid problems such as loneliness, depression, and anxiety, it is

important for people to feel loved and accepted by other people. Personal relationships with

friends, family, and lovers play an important role, as doing involvement in other groups that

might include religious groups, sports teams, book clubs, and other group activities (Wynne,

2014; Franken, 2001).

Esteem Needs

Another layer is esteem needs. The esteem needs based on desires for appreciation and

respect, begin to motivate behavior. Without being esteem, any students don’t concentrate on

the lesson or anything. Thomas (2014) says that without properly meeting esteem need, we

are filled with feelings of inferiority and negativity regarding our lives, which is depicted in

the fourth stage of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. That is; esteem needs include issues of

personal worth, social recognition, accomplishment, and self-esteem (Wynne, 2014; Franken,

2001).

Cognitive Needs

When we take a look at the fifth one, we can see cognitive needs. Maslow believed that

humans have the need to increase their intelligence and thereby chase knowledge. Cognitive

needs is the expression of the natural human need to learn, explore, discover and create to get

a better understanding of the world around them. Gautaam (2007) states, this growth need for

self-actualization and learning, when not fulfilled leads to confusion and identity crisis. Also,

this is directly related to need to explore or the openness to experience (Wynne, 2014;

Franken, 2001).

Aesthetic Needs

Based on Maslow’s beliefs, it is stated in the hierarchy that humans need beautiful imagery or

something new and aesthetically pleasing to continue up towards Self-Actualization. Humans

need to refresh themselves in the presence and beauty of nature while carefully absorbing and

observing their surroundings to extract the beauty that the world has to offer. This need is a

higher level need to relate in a beautiful way with the environment and leads to the beautiful

feeling of intimacy with nature and everything beautiful (Wynne, 2014; Franken, 2001).

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Self-actualization

Self- actualization is a very important part of the hierarchy and that is the highest level of

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Self-actualization can take many forms, depending on the

individual. These variations may include the quest for knowledge, understanding, peace, self-

fulfillment, meaning in life, or beauty. For instance, the aesthetic person operating on this

level may feel physically ill when driving past an ugly array of fast-food restaurants with

garish neon signs. But the need for beauty is neither higher nor lower than the other needs at

the top of the pyramid. Self- actualization needs aren’t hierarchically ordered. To become

self-actualized, Maslow said we need two things, inner exploration and action. An important

existential problem is posed by the fact that self-actualizing persons (and all people in their

peak- experiences) occasionally live out-of-time and out-of-the- world even though mostly

they must live in the outer world. Living in the inner psychic world (which is ruled by

psychic laws and not by the laws of outer-reality), i.e., the world of experience, of emotion,

of wishes and fears and hopes, of love of poetry, art and fantasy, is different from living in

and adapting to the non-psychic reality which runs by laws he never made and which are not

essential to his nature even though he has to live by them. (He could, after all, live in other

kinds of worlds, as any science fiction fan knows.) The person who is not afraid of this inner,

psychic world, can enjoy it to such an extent that it may be called Heaven by contrast with

the more effortful, fatiguing, externally responsible world of "reality," of striving and coping,

of right and wrong, of truth and falsehood. This is true even though the healthier person can

also adapt more easily and enjoyably to the "real" world, and has better "reality testing," i.e.,

doesn't confuse it with his inner psychic world (Wynne, 2014; Franken, 2001).

Table 1: A Reorganization of Maslow's and Alderfer's Hierarchies

Level Introversion Extroversion

Growth

Self-Actualization (development of

competencies [knowledge, attitudes,

and skills] and character)

Transcendence (assisting in the

development of others' competencies

and character; relationships to the

unknown, unknowable)

Other Personal identification with group, Value of person by group (Esteem)

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(Relatedness) significant others (Belongingness)

Self

(Existence)

Physiological, biological (including

basic emotional needs)Connectedness,  security

(Source: Daniels, 2001)

Application of Maslow's Theory to Education

Physiological

Reduced & free lunch programs

Correct room temperatures

Bathroom breaks

Drink breaks (Huitt, 2006; Nohria et al. 2001)

Safety

Well planned lessons, carried out in an orderly fashion

Controlled classroom behaviors

Emergency procedures well planned, discussed & practiced

Fair discipline

Consistent expectations

Attitude of teacher: accepting & nonjudgmental, pleasant, nonthreatening

Provide praise for correct responses instead of punishment for incorrect responses

(Huitt, 2006; Nohria et al. 2001)

Love & Belonging

With regard to teacher-student relationships

Teacher personality: empathetic, considerate & interested in patient, fair, able to self-

disclose, positive attitude, good listener

Use one-on-one instruction

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Use teacher conferencing

Provide positive comments & feedback rather than negative

Get to know students (likes, dislikes, concerns)

Be available for students in need

Listen to students

Be supportive

Have personal helpers on rotating basis

Show that you value students thoughts, opinions & judgments

Show trust of students by providing situation where it is necessary (ex.running

errands, classroom leader) (Huitt, 2006; Nohria et al. 2001)

With regard to student-student relationships

Class meetings

Class discussions

Peer tutoring

Provide situations requiring mutual trust

Show and tell, sharing (Huitt, 2006; Nohria et al. 2001)

Esteem

Self-esteem

Develop new knowledge based on background knowledge so as to help ensure

success (scaffolding)

Pace instruction to fit individual need

Focus on strengths & assets

Take individual needs & abilities into account when planning lessons and carrying

them out

Teach to the multiple modes of learning

Teach & model learning strategies

Base new teaching, strategies & plans on learning outcomes

Be alert to student difficulties & intervene as soon as possible

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Be available & approachable so students having difficulties feel comfortable coming

for help

Involve all students in class participation & responsibilities

When necessary to discipline a child, do as privately as possible (Huitt, 2006; Nohria

et al. 2001)

Respect from others

Develop a classroom environment where students are positive &nonjudgmental

Star of the week

Award programs for jobs well done

Providing deserved positions of status

Recognition programs for special effort (ex. helpful citizens of the week)

Develop & carry out a curriculum to encourage children to be empathetic& good

listeners

Employ cooperative learning in such a way as to develop trust between group

members

Involve students in activities of importance & worthiness (ex. cleaning up the

environment, carrying out a food drive for the needy) (Huitt, 2006; Nohria et al. 2001)

Knowledge & Understanding

Allow students time to explore areas of curiosity

Provide lessons that are intellectually challenging

Plan lessons that connect areas of learning & have students compare andcontrast to

search for relationships

Use a discovery approach to learning whenever possible

Have students approach topics of learning from various angles

Provide opportunities for philosophical thought & discussion

Get students involved in intellectually challenging programs (ex. Odysseyof the

Mind) (Huitt, 2006; Nohria et al. 2001)

Aesthetic

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Organize classroom materials in a neat & appealing way

Display student art work in an appealing manner

Put up interesting & colorful wall hangings

Replace overly worn classroom materials periodically

Create varied appealing & interesting learning centers

Rooms painted in pleasing colors

Large window areas

Well maintained physical surroundings (ex. keeping walls painted, desksclean &

repaired etc.)

Clean rooms

Fresh smelling rooms (Huitt, 2006; Nohria et al. 2001)

Self-actualization

Expect students to do their best

Give students freedom to explore & discover on their own

Make learning meaningful--connect to "real" life

Plan lessons involving metacognitive activities

Get students involved in self-expressive projects

Allow students to be involved in creative activities & projects (Huitt, 2006; Nohria et

al. 2001)

Strengths and Weaknesses

There is much strength associated with the application of Maslow’s theory to the new student

experience. This theory, while rooted in complex research, is simple in nature and

straightforward to apply. Student services professionals could use this theory at several

different ‘levels’ of the new student experience. For example, a professional speaking with a

student one-on-one could ensure this student’s needs are being met just as an Odyssey course

instructor will want to ensure her students’ needs are addressed in class. On a much larger

scale, SOAR can use Maslow’s principles to plan out the content of their orientation program

so that students’ questions are answered in the proper sequence, with most basic and general

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questions being addressed first, followed by the more detailed and specific questions

(Bamuhigire, 2009; Norwood, 1999; Ryan and Deci, 2000).

At the same time, some limits exist regarding the application of Maslow’s Hierarchy of

Needs to the new student experience. First, much skepticism exists around the linearity of

Maslow’s theory; that one set of needs must be met before the next set of needs can be met

seems a bit too simplistic. Further to this, is it realistic to expect a new student to push

through the first four levels of the hierarchy to reach self-actualization within their

transitional experience? Based on the narrow list of world icons deemed ‘self-actualized’ by

Maslow, it would seem that first year students are not on par with these folks (Bamuhigire,

2009; Norwood, 1999; Ryan and Deci, 2000).

Conclusion

Consider to theory of Abraham Maslow (1970), human life will never be understood unless

its highest aspiration are taken into account. Growth, self-actualization, the striving towards

health, the quest for identity and autonomy, the yearning for excellence (and other ways of

phrasing the striving “upward”) must be now be accepted beyond question as a widespread

and perhaps universal human tendency. Maslow posited a hierarchy of human needs based on

two grouping: deficiency needs and growth needs. Within the deficiency needs, each lower

need must be met before moving to the next highest level. The first levels are physiological,

safety, belonging and love; esteem need and self- actualization. Maslow has been a very

inspirational figure in personality theory. Maslow was one of the pioneers in that movement

to bring the human being back into psychology and the person back into personality.

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