Maslow: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Before Abraham Maslow, the psychological world was awash in behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Maslow changed all this by popularizing psychological humanism. Famous people like Abraham Lincoln were subjects of study instead of people with broken brains. One of Maslow’s most important contributions to psychology was his theory of human needs, developed in the 1970’s. This theory explained that human needs where hierarchical in nature. Maslow, a humanistic psychologist, believed that people are not merely controlled by mechanical forces (the stimuli and reinforcement forces of behaviorism) or unconscious instinctual impulses of psychoanalysis. Maslow focused on human potential, believing the humans strive to reach the highest levels of their capabilities. People seek the frontiers of creativity, and strive to reach the highest levels of consciousness and wisdom. People at this level were labeled by other psychologists as “fully functioning” or possessing a “healthy personality”. Maslow called these people “self-actualizing” persons. Explanation of Hierarchy General Maslow presents a hierarchy of needs which can be divided into basic needs and growth needs. One must satisfy lower level basic needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level called self-actualization. Every individual is capable and has the desire to move up the hierarchy toward a level of self-actualization. Unfortunately, progress is often disrupted by failure to meet lower level needs. Life experiences including divorce and loss of job may cause an individual to fluctuate between levels of the hierarchy. Maslow noted only one in ten individuals become fully self-actualized because our society rewards motivation primarily based on esteem, love and other social needs. Specific Needs Basic • Physiological: need for sleep and rest , food, drink, shelter, sex, and oxygen • Safety: need to be safe from harm, for a predictable world with consistency, fairness, routine, for sense of stability and security Growth Needs • Love and Belonging: need for love and affectionate relationships, belonging to a group, and caring • Esteem: two components SELF-RESPECT: desire for confidence, competence, adequacy, achievement, mastery RESPECT OF OTHERS: desire for acceptance, recognition, reputation, appreciation, status, prestige • Understanding and Knowledge: need to satisfy curiosity, explore, discover, find solutions, look for relationships and meaning, and seek intellectual challenges • Aesthetics: need for beauty in surroundings • Self-actualization: need for growth, development and utilization of potential, becoming all that one can be, self-fulfillment Description of Maslow’s Motivation Theory Maslow was considered to be the father of Humanistic Psychology, also known as the “Third Force”. Humanistic Psychology incorporates aspects of both Behavioral Psychology and Psychoanalytic Psychology. Behaviorists believe that human behavior is controlled by external environmental factors. Psychoanalytic Psychology is based on the idea that human behavior is controlled by internal unconscious forces. Though he studied both Behavioral and Psychoanalytic Psychologies, Maslow rejected the idea that human behavior is controlled by only internal or external forces. Instead, Maslow’s motivation throry states that man’s behavior is controlled by both internal and external factors. In addition he emphasizes that humans have the unique ability to make choices and excercise free-will. Maslow showed little interest in animal or laboratory studies of human behavior. He chose instead to collect data for his theories by studying outstanding individuals. His studies led him to believe that people have certain needs which are unchanging and genetic in origin. These needs are the same in all cultures and are both physiological and psychological. Maslow described these needs as being hierarchal in nature, meaning that some needs are more basic or more powerful than others and as these needs are satisfied, other higher needs emerge. Maslow set up a hierarchical theory of needs in which all the basic needs are at the bottom, and the needs concerned with man’s highest potential are at the top. The hierarchic theory is often represented as a pyramid, with the larger, lower levels representing the lower needs, and the upper point representing the need for self-actualization. Each level of the pyramid is dependent on the previous level. For example, a person does not feel the second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied. 1. Physiological Needs. These needs are biological and consists of the needs for oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant body temperature. These needs are the strongest because if deprived, the person would die. 2. Safety Needs. Except in times of emergency or periods of disorganization in the social structure (such as widespread rioting) adults do not experience their security needs. Children, however often display signs of insecurity and their need to be safe. 3. Love, Affection and Belongingness Needs. People have needs to escape feelings of loneliness and alienation and give (and receive) love, affection and the sense of belonging. 4. Esteem Needs. People need a stable, firmly based, high level of self-respect, and respect from others in order to feel satisfied, self confident and valuable. If these needs are not met, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless. 5. Self-actualization Needs. Maslow describes self-actualization as a person’s need to be and do that which the person was born to do. It is his “calling”. “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, and a poet must write.” If these needs are not met, the person feels restlessness, on edge, tense, and lacking something. Lower needs may also produce a restless feeling, but here is it much easier to find the cause. If a person is hungry, unsafe, not loved or accepted, or lacking self-esteem the cause is apparent. It is not always clear what a person wants when there is a need for self-actualization. Maslow believes that the only reason that people would not move through the needs to self- actualization is because of the hindrances placed in their way by society. For example, education can be a hindrance, or can promote personal growth. Maslow indicated that educational process could take some of the steps listed below to promote personal growth: 1. We should teach people to be authentic; to be aware of their inner selves and to hear their inner-feeling voices. 2. We should teach people to transcend their own cultural conditioning, and become world citizens. 3. We should help people discover their vocation in life, their calling, fate or destiny. This is especially focused upon finding the right career and the right mate. 4. We should teach people that life is precious, that there is joy to be experienced in life, and if people are open to seeing the good and joyous in all kinds of situations, it makes life worth living. 5. We must accept the person and help him or her learn their inner nature. From real knowledge of aptitudes and limitations we can know what to build upon, what potentials are really there. 6. We must see that the person’s basic needs are satisfied. That includes safety, belongingness and esteem needs. 7. We should refreshen consciousness, teaching the person to appreciate beauty and the other good things in nature and in living. 8. We should teach people that controls are good, and complete abandon is bad. It takes control to improve the quality of life in all areas. 9. We should teach people to transcend the trifling problems and grapple with the serious problems in life. These include the problems of injustice, of pain, suffering and death. 10. We must teach people to be good choosers. They must be given practice in making choices, first between one goody and another; later between one god and another. Maslow’s Core Tendencies: • Push for physical and psychological survival 1. Called deprivation motivation, it arises from pain and discomfort associates with biological deprivation. Aim is tension reduction. 2. Can be satisfied (Eat a Big Mac) 3. Ensures the maintenance of life. 4. D-Values: the goals of deprivation motivation - food, air, water, etc. 5. Must be satisfied first, before one can become interested in self-actualization. • Push toward the actualization of inherent potentialities - called self-actualization (SA) 1. Called Growth Motivation: It doesn’t repair deficits, but rather expands horizons. The aim is not tension reduction, but tension increase. 2. Can not be satisfied - when do you have too much truth or beauty? 3. Serves the enhancement of life, not survival. 4. B-values (Being values) are the goals of growth motivation - truth, beauty, justice, etc. Core Characteristics: Hierarchy of Needs • Physiological Needs: Needs for air, water, food, etc. 1. Affects perception - When on a diet, see golden arches five miles away. Aware of smells of food. Basis of TAT & projective tests. 2. Can be satisfied - eat a steak. 3. Job talk - focus is on next pay check. 4. Deprivation --> sickness (Vitamin D and rickets). 5. Pathology - eat, drink too much. Hoarding behaviors. • Safety Needs: Crucial for infants. 1. Affects perception - paranoia 2. Can be satisfied - go into teaching & get tenure. 3. Job talk - fringe benefits, dental insurance 4. Deprivation --> neurosis, insecurity 5. Pathology - phobias such as agoraphobia. • Love and Belongingness Needs: People live in groups. 1. Affects perception - singles vs. marrieds. 2. Can be satisfied - can have a good marriage. 3. Job talk - desires good boss & good working conditions 4. Deprivation --> loneliness 5. Pathology - antisocial, inadequate personality • Esteem needs: First comes from others (respect), then is internalized (self-respect). These needs kick in when the person is “comfortably situated”. 1. Affects perception - “I get no respect” 2. Can be satisfied - can do a job well. 3. Job talk - “employee of the month” awards 4.