Strengths And Weaknesses Of Maslow's Theory

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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Countless psychologists have theorized about human behavior, but few theories have had the impact that Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs has had. Maslow was looking to explain the motivation behind people’s actions. He developed his theory to represent the needs people need to meet to be comfortable in their living situations. Based on Maslow’s theory, phycologists can determine why people partake in the actions they do. For example, people who do not feel belonging and love as children are more likely to join gangs or other organizations to gain a sense of belonging. To understand the full theory and its impact, the main ideas, the importance, the research done with it, and its strengths and weaknesses must be …show more content…

The theory dictates that people must reach each level of need to go to the next one. The first level is physiological needs, or the basic needs of survival such as, food, water, air, and shelter. The second level is safety and security of several forms. So, theoretically humans would need food and water before they could feel any level of security. Additionally, the third level is the feeling of belongingness and love that humans desire. Those who are missing this level could fall victim to several dangerous behaviors. Next, the fourth level focuses on esteem and having other people’s respect. Finally, the last level is self-actualization (Taormina & Gao 156). Self-actualization refers to fulfilling ones goals and improving oneself to reach a point of happiness (Textbook 44). Thus, the main ideas of Maslow’s theory are commonly placed into a pyramid to represent the reaching of each …show more content…

For example, many people have criticized Maslow saying that the theory wouldn’t apply to different cultures. Additionally, several individuals have said that the needs of people from different genders or ethnicities don’t necessarily fit the guidelines. After the initially theory, Maslow said that the needs aren’t necessarily strictly defined, but the major concept still applies. Despite the weaknesses, the strengths of the theory are still valid. It allows psychologists and other people to identify and rationalize the behaviors of different people. Effectively, it gives outsiders an ability to judge the motivation of another based on the level of need they are