Maslow’s Theory Description
In 1943, Maslow proposed a theory that showed a hierarchy of basic human needs. This psychological theory shows a pyramid of five levels of needs that people want to achieve. Each tier represents a category of needs, in which various ideas represent behaviors and actions necessary to reach a specific goal. The five tiers of the pyramid include physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem, and self-actualization needs (McLeod, 2016). According to McLeod (2016), the first tier shows physiological needs, which are represented by one’s primary instincts. These needs have to be at least partially satisfied to encourage a person to move forward in his or her personal growth. As it is shown in Figure 1, the second level explores the need for one’s safety. This tier includes people’s desire for order and stability as well as freedom. Furthermore, the third tier talks about one’s group instincts and the desire for friendship and love. The next level deals with esteem, which can be further divided into self-esteem and respect from other persons. Finally, the last tier is a need for self-actualization, which can be achieved by realizing one’s full potential.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Self-Actualization
The last tier of basic needs is self-actualization. It is the level at which a person wants to reach self-fulfillment and become the best version of him or herself. Thus, this is a step where people mostly concentrate on personal growth and the discovery of one’s best qualities and abilities. Self-actualization is a process that is unique for every individual as it implies that these people are trying to find and move towards their life goals. Therefore, self-actualized people are the ones that continuously take actions to be closer to their purpose. For example, some see their meaning of life in creating art, while others have a desire to help others medically. In this case, both persons are trying to self-actualize themselves by trying to contribute to these goals being achieved.
One’s behavior plays an integral part in the process of self-fulfillment. Self-actualizes are often motivated and passionate in reaching their goals. The characteristics of self-actualized can include self-acceptance, spontaneity, creativity, high moral standards, logical and objective view of life, and compassion for others (McLeod, 2016). Thus, self-actualizes behave in ways that help them grow morally and ethically as well as professionally.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Criticism
There are some criticisms of Maslow’s theory that can be outlined. First of all, the research was based on a small number of people, whose health and intellectual levels were approximately the same. It is possible that Maslow studied these people to show the full hierarchy of needs (McLeod, 2016). However, this examination shows a bias towards critically acclaimed people with experience and power in various fields of knowledge. The participants that were studied by Maslow were from similar socioeconomic groups as well. Secondly, as McLeod (2016) points out, the system of this pyramid can be viewed as somewhat rigid. It is possible to assume that the fulfillment of the basic needs from the lower tiers can overcome one’s desire for self-actualization. However, Maslow commented on this argument, noting that the system is more flexible than he originally stated (McLeod, 2016). Finally, the difficulty to test Maslow’s research is another concern connected to this theory (Taormina & Gao, 2013). For example, some physiological needs can be overlooked by creative people that live in poverty or other harsh conditions.
Maslow’s Theory Strengths
This theory has many strengths that make it quite popular among scholars. The pyramid of basic needs allows people to implement a holistic view in the spheres of education and work. For instance, businesses can build their practices of this theory, establishing that employees need to fulfill their basic physiological needs before they are motivated to work efficiently. Datta (2013) states that the use of this pyramid can affect not only employees but also customers. Schools can use the same principles for students.
The Pyramid of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
The form of this theory’s presentation is essential to its contents. The notion that the needs are arranged in the pyramid implies that some tiers of this pyramid are more important to people than the others. For example, primary physiological needs can be a requirement for a person to move further towards his or her personal growth. On the other hand, a triangle cannot show the hierarchy of needs. Furthermore, the structure of this pyramid shows that one’s self-fulfillment is a pinnacle of one’s personality, while the range of requirements is smaller for this tier. Thus, the form of this theory depicts a clear hierarchy of needs according to their importance.
References
Datta, Y. (2013). Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs: An ecological view. Oxford Journal: An International Journal of Business & Economics, 8(1), 53-67.
McLeod, S. (2016). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Web.
Taormina, R. J., & Gao, J. H. (2013). Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: Measuring satisfaction of the needs. The American Journal of Psychology, 126(2), 155-177.