Abraham Maslow's Theory Of Needs

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Abraham Maslow (1908 - 1970) was a well-known American psychologist. He made his most important academic contributions in the 1940s and 1950s. He is considered one of the founders of 'humanist psychology '

According to humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow , our actions are motivated in order to achieve certain needs. Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" and his subsequent book Motivation and Personality.

In the 1970s, the psychologist Abraham Maslow suggested that people are motivated by a hierarchy of needs.This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs.

The preface:

• The needs of a human being are felt more unconsciously than conciously, thus cultural and social context do not play a significant role in the theory of needs.

• Man is a perpetually wanting animal.

• Behaviour is motivated by a complex set of conscious and unconscious needs, as well as the socio-cultural context. Thus, studying one single need is usually too little to explain behaviour. Abraham Maslow has rejected the presumption that human behavior is directed by only internal or external forces. Instead, Maslow’s motivation theory states that man’s behavior is directed by both internal and external factors. He also emphasizes that humans have the unique ability to make choices and exercise free-will. His studies have led him to believe that people have certain needs which are unchanging and genetic in origin. These needs are also the same all cultures and are both physiological and psychological.

Maslow has introduced his Theory of Human Motivation which basically can be divided into two types,

➢ the Basic needs

➢ the Growth Needs.

Maslow 's hierarchy is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the most basic needs, while the most complex needs are at the top of the

Maslow believed that these needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in motivating behavior. Physiological, security, social, and esteem needs are deficiency needs, which arise due to deprivation. Satisfying these lower-level needs is important in order to avoid unpleasant feelings or consequences.

Maslow termed the highest level of the pyramid as growth needs. These needs don 't stem from a lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a person.

Maslow points out that the hierarchy is dynamic; the dominant need is always shifting. He notes that a satisfied need no longer motivates. This highly popular theory strikes most people as intuitively right.

The hierarchy theory is often represented as a pyramid, with larger, lower levels representing the lower needs, and the upper point representing the need for self-actualization. The hierarchy does not exist by itself, but is affected by the situation and the general culture. Maslow believes that the only reason that people would not move well in the direction of self-actualization is because of hindrances placed in their way by the society. He states that education is one of these