Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow developed his hierarchy of needs theory in 1943. Maslow's theory is based on the belief that human behavior is motivated by meeting five types of needs in a specific order:

• Physiological needs
• Safety
• Love and belonging
• Self-esteem
• Self-actualization

This article discusses the hierarchy of needs, including how a person progresses through the levels, examples of each need, and criticisms of Maslow's theory.

What Is the Hierarchy of Needs?

The purpose of Maslow's hierarchy of needs was to better understand what motivates human behavior. Maslow also wanted to understand what made people happy, and what may prevent them from achieving a satisfying, fulfilling life.

The hierarchy is often represented as a pyramid, with more basic needs at the bottom (physiological needs) and higher needs (self-actualization) at the top. Maslow believed that a person's basic needs must be met before higher needs can be addressed.

The first four levels of needs in the pyramid are sometimes called "deficiency needs." At the lower levels, a person is deprived of something and is motivated to get it. For example, if a person goes without food, they are motivated by hunger. Once that hunger is satisfied, the motivation for food decreases.

The highest level—self-actualization—is referred to as a "growth" need. When needs are met at this level, a person becomes even more motivated for personal growth.

Physiological Needs

Physiological needs are at the base of the pyramid of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. These basic needs must be met for a person to survive:

• Food
• Water
• Oxygen
• Warmth
• Clothing
• Sleep
• Sex
• Shelter

Beyond survival, meeting these needs first is essential to creating a foundation for the other needs. When basic needs like food, water, and shelter are not being met, survival instincts kick in. A person who is going without these basic needs won’t be able to think of anything else because their instincts tell them they will die if their needs cannot be met. 

Safety Needs

Safety and security are the next level of human needs. Many aspects of life are included in this level:

• Financial security
• Job security
• Physical and emotional health
• Safety from physical danger
• Law and order in society

In the same way that humans will be preoccupied with their basic needs, the need for safety can also dominate a person’s thoughts if it’s not met. A person without a safe place to be in the world or a sense of stability may be ruled by fear and anxiety. 

Love and Belonging Needs

The third level of needs, called love and belonging, includes:

• Love
• Intimacy
• Friendships
• Trust
• Belonging to a "group"
• Connecting with others

Maslow believed that everyone needs to love and be loved. He also believed that depression, anxiety, and loneliness were caused by unmet needs at this level of the hierarchy. In general, humans are social and need to interact with others in supportive, meaningful ways. When a person is isolated and lonely, it can have detrimental effects on their mental and physical health.

Esteem Needs

The fourth level of the hierarchy is esteem needs. These needs include how a person views themselves (self-esteem) as well as the way they are seen by others. Esteem needs include:

• Confidence
• Competence
• Strength
• Independence
• Dignity
• Mastery
• Achievement
• Status
• Reputation
• Respect
• Recognition
• Attention

Having goals and a sense of achievement in one’s life is important for growth and confidence. People who lack self-esteem can develop feelings of inferiority and may lose their motivation to try harder if they’re convinced that they will fail. 

Self-Actualization Needs

Self-actualization needs are at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid. This level represents personal growth or reaching your full potential. These needs are specific to each person but may include being a great parent, an accomplished athlete, a professional artist, or an excellent student.

Self-actualization is seen as the pinnacle of functioning as a person, having the most life satisfaction, and having a strong sense of well-being.

Examples of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Here are a few real-world examples of Maslow’s needs at play:

• Physiological: An explorer gets separated from their team while researching in a remote jungle. They go into “survival mode” and focus only on finding food, safe water, and shelter.
• Safety: A child grows up in a chaotic, abusive home. They are constantly trying to “read” their caregivers to avoid violence. The hypervigilance is exhausting, and they can’t focus on schoolwork.
• Love and belonging: A teen struggles to make friends at school. They are never invited to parties and sit alone at lunch. They feel a deep sense of loneliness, isolation, and depression.
• Self-esteem: An employee works hard for a promotion. They want their boss to value their contributions at work They also want to be valuable to their coworkers.
• Self-actualization: An older adult retires from their job. They enjoy volunteering in their community by running the local food pantry and leading story time at the town library.

Progressing Through the Hierarchy of Needs

Once a person's basic needs are met, they can progress to the next level of the hierarchy. For example, once a person has their physical and emotional needs met, they can work on personal goals and try to reach their full potential.

At first, Maslow stated that a person had to progress through the hierarchy of needs in order. However, later in his career, he said that the hierarchy of needs could differ from person to person based on individual circumstances. For example, a person might have a stronger need for recognition by others (a level four need) than feeling loved by others (a level three need).

Criticism of the Hierarchy of Needs

Even though Maslow’s hierarchy is very popular, other psychologists have criticized it. Here are a few criticisms of Maslow’s theory:

• The theory was not based on a diverse group: Maslow came up with his idea of a "self-actualized" person based on qualities demonstrated by 18 mostly Caucasian, highly educated men from Western backgrounds. Therefore, his findings were not based on the general population. In later years, Maslow did include research on self-actualized women, but they were of a "higher class" and not from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
• The hierarchy may not need to be followed in order: Critics of Maslow’s theory have argued that individuals may not need to pursue them in order. Even Maslow ultimately decided that the order of needs could be personal.
• The pyramid assumes that needs are universal. Maslow's hierarchy of needs assumes that everyone puts the same value on different needs. However, for some people, finding love (a level three need) might be more important than financial security (a level two need). Cultural differences are also not considered in the hierarchy. Similarly, the theory assumes that sex is a need for all people. In reality, sexuality is a spectrum, and some people are fulfilled without having sex as part of their lives.
• Self-actualization can be achieved even if lower needs are not met: Psychologists have argued that people who do not have their basic needs met can achieve some level of self-actualization, as is evidenced by people who succeed despite facing socioeconomic challenges like living in poverty or experiencing child abuse.

Summary

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory based on the idea that human behavior is motivated by needs These needs must be met in order, from basic needs for survival like food, water, and shelter to higher-level needs like love and self-esteem.

Maslow's theory has been criticized based on its rigidity and lack of diversity. It’s also not necessary for everyone to go through the needs in order or even to view the needs as having the same importance as Maslow’s hierarchy suggests.