Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a concept in the field of humanistic psychology, presented and explained, by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper, A Theory of Human Motivation. Maslow originally presented a hierarchy consisting of five levels, or tiers, of basic human needs which motivate human behavior. From the bottom to the top of the hierarchy, these needs are:
- Physiological
- Safety
- Love
- Esteem
- Self-actualization
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Maslow's theory of human motivation proposes that human motivation stems from the innate desire to satisfy, achieve, or sustain these basic human needs. Maslow's hierarchy reflects successive stages of human motivation that significantly align with successive stages of human growth and development. For example, the physiological needs at the bottom of the hierarchy represent the human infant's initial primary needs for food, water, and air, which must be satisfied to ensure survival, growth, and development. Additional physiological needs, as well as the other basic needs, appear later.
The five tiers in the hierarchy are arranged progressively, creating a hierarchy of prepotency. Prepotency is a term used to describe the degree of influence a human need has in creating and sustaining motivation. A prepotent need is one that influences human motivation the most at any given time at any level in the hierarchy. In Maslow's theory, the concept of prepotency has several qualifying characteristics:
- Prepotency applies to all needs of all individuals, but in degrees of relative satisfaction. For example, the higher needs are generally satisfied to a lower extent among populations and the observed norm is that most individuals are only partially satisfied and partially unsatisfied in their basic needs at any given time.
- Prepotent needs can be of conscious or unconscious character, affecting conscious or unconscious motivations.
- A prepotent need does not have to be fully satisfied for a new need to emerge. The degree to which a prepotent need is satisfied may impact the degree to which a new need emerges. For example, if a prepotent need is fifty percent satisfied, then a new need may emerge. The greater the satisfaction of the prepotent need, the more visible the emerging need becomes.
- When a prepotent need is satisfied, it no longer plays a role in motivating human behavior. However, the need may occur more than once over time.
In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the four needs at the bottom (physiological, safety, love, esteem) are classified as deficiency needs, and the fifth need (self-actualization) at the top, is classified as a growth, or being, need. Though the hierarchy reflects a general pattern characterizing the sequential movement of motivation based on progression of needs, Maslow notes that the movement is not always unidirectional (from bottom to top). This means that many human behaviors might be motivated simultaneously by more than one level of need.
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Physiological Needs
Maslow placed physiological needs at the bottom of the hierarchy because he considered them to be fundamental to human survival. In motivation theory, physiological needs are considered physiological drives and are generally the needs that exhibit the greatest degree of prepotency. For example, an individual who is completely unsatisfied at all levels in the hierarchy would most likely continue to exhibit a prepotent need of hunger that must be satisfied to ensure survival.
To a significant degree, many physiological needs are linked to the biological phenomenon of homeostasis, which is the physical body's natural mechanism for maintaining systemic balance. This natural physiological tendency to maintain balance can produce appetites, or cravings, for things the body lacks such as food, water, specific nutrients, and other required energy intakes.
Physiological needs include things such as food, water, air, sleep, sex, clothing, and shelter.
Safety Needs
Once the prepotent physiological needs are sufficiently satisfied, safety and security needs emerge and assume degrees of prepotency. At various times, these needs may be the dominant influencers of human motivation and behavior, compelling individuals to actively seek forms of safety or to cultivate an environment that minimizes exposure to threats.
Safety and security needs include such things as an individual's need for protection from physical harm, as well as the need for emotional well-being, job and financial security, and overall health.
Love and Belonging Needs
Once the prepotent physiological and safety needs of the individual are sufficiently satisfied, the social need of love, acceptance, and belonging emerges and assumes degrees of prepotency. These needs relate to communal acceptance by others. Interpersonal relationships in groups cultivate the sense of belonging and intimacy. This is done in various contexts such as family, school, religious and workplace organizations, and team sports. This category also includes friendships and romantic relationships.
Esteem Needs
Esteem needs comprise the final tier of the deficiency needs. These needs relate to a normal individual's need to feel appropriate levels of self-esteem, self-worth, dignity, and confidence, as well as the need to be esteemed, respected, and recognized by others.
Satisfaction of the esteem needs cultivates feelings of confidence, worth, usefulness, and purpose in an individual. Neglect of the esteem needs produces discouragement or even neurotic tendencies to compensate for the neglect.
Self-actualization Needs
Self-actualization needs comprise the top tier in Maslow's hierarchy. These needs are classified as growth, or being needs, and relate to an individual's active realization of the innate capacity to become the best possible version of the self. This need relates to achieving optimal life performance, personal growth, and self-fulfillment.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Seven and Eight Tiers
In the 1960s and 70s, Maslow expanded his theoretical hierarchy of needs to include two additional tiers, followed by a third tier, bringing the total number of tiers to eight. Maslow's seven-stage model adds cognitive needs (knowledge, curiosity, and meaning) and aesthetic needs (appreciation for beauty and balance) between the esteem needs and the self-actualization needs. His eight-stage model adds transcendence needs (service to others, faith, experiences with nature) above self-actualization, making it the highest of human needs.
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