Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

Abraham Maslow suggested that a hierarchy of five basic classes of needs or motives influence human behaviour. He describe that before more sophisticated higher order needs can be met, certain primary needs must be satisfied. His model can be conceptualized as a pyramid in which the more basic needs are at the bottom and the higher level needs are at the top. From the bottom to top of Maslow’s hierarchy these five groups of motives are as follow:

• Physiological Needs. The more basic needs are described as primary drives that is need for oxygen, food, water, sleep, sex and the like. In order to move up the hierarchy, a person must have these basic physiological needs met.

• Safety Needs. Safety needs comes next in the hierarchy. It means that being cared for as a child and having a secure income as an adult. Maslow suggests that people need a safe, secure environment in order to function effectively. Physiological and safety needs compose the lower order needs.

• Love and Belongingness. When the basics lower order needs are met, a person can fulfill higher order needs, consisting of love and belongingness. It includes the need to obtain and give affection and to be a contributing member of some group or society. It indicates as being part of various kinds of social groups and participating in affectionate sexual and nonsexual relationship.

• Self Esteem. After basic needs are fulfilled, the person strives for esteem. That means to feel respected as a useful and honorable individual.

• Self Actualization. After all this, the person is ready to strive for the highest level need, self actualization, which means becoming all that one is capable of. People motivated by this need explore and enhance relationships with others. They follow the interests for intrinsic pleasure and are concerned with issues affecting all people, not just themselves.