Describe Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Essay Example

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Faculty Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is a theory in psychology. Abraham Maslow proposedthis theory in his paper ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ in 1943. In this theory Maslow, subsequently extended to include his observations of mans innate curiosity. This theory states that as humans meet basics needs, they seek to satisfy successively higher needs that are a set of hierarchy. This theory is often depicted as a pyramid, which consists of five levels. The first four levels of needs are grouped together and said as ‘deficiency needs’ associated with physiological needs, while the top level is termed ‘growth needs’ associated with psychological needs.

Human tries to first achieve deficiency needs than after he tries to achieve growth needs that are continually shaping behavior [Wikipedia]. Biological and Physiological needs: Physiological needs take highest priority, because it can control thoughts and behaviors causing people to feel sick, pain and discomfort. These types of needs mainly consist of air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, homeostasis and excretion Safety needs: This need comes after the Physiological needs are met. This is a natural phenomenon that one moves next level after achieving one stage.

Everyone wants to have safety and security. This may be for physical security, health security, employment security, revenues, property and resources security, moral and physiological security, family security, etc.Belongingness and Love needs: When physiological and safety needs are met than human want to have social needs that mainly involves emotionally based relationships. This type of needs is workgroup, supportive and communicative family, affection, relationships, Friendship, and sexual intimacy.

A human nature needs to feel belonging and acceptances from social group or social connections and love and to be loved (sexually and non-sexually) by others. Absence of these needs can cause one to feel being alone and depressed. Sometime belonging and love need overcome the physiological and safety needs that depend on the strength of the peer pressure.Esteem Needs: According to Maslow, all humans have a need to be respected, to have self-respect, and to respect others. People need to engage themselves in order to gain recognition.

People have an activity or activities that give the person a sense of contribution, to feel accepted and self-value, be it in a profession or hobby. Imbalances at this level can result in low self-esteem, inferiority complexes, and an inflated sense of self-importance or snobbishness. These types of needs are self-esteem, confidence, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, respect of others, respect by others, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.Self-Actualization Needs: Self-Actualization needs can be defined as the instinctual need of humans to make the most of their abilities and to strive to be the best they can.

Self-actualization is realizing personal potential such as creativity and problem solving, morality, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences, closeness to other people and appreciating life, embracing the facts and reality of the world rather than denying or avoiding them, spontaneous in ideas and actions, etc.Besides above needs three types of other needs cognitive, aesthetic needs (deficiency needs), and Transcendence needs (growth needs) exists.Cognitive needs: This can be said as the expression of the natural human needs to learn, explore, discover, create, and perhaps even dissect in order to get a better understanding of the world around them.

Aesthetic needs: Humans need beautiful imagery or something new and aesthetically pleasing in order to continue up towards Self-Actualization. Aesthetic needs mainly consist of appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.Transcendence needs: It is helping others to achieve self-actualization and sometimes referred to as spiritual needs. References:Maslows hierarchy of needs. 19 March 2007, Wikipedia. Retrieved on 20 March 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs http://www.

businessballs.com/maslow.htm accessed on 19 March 2007.http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm accessed on 19 March 2007.Appendix:Source: http://www.businessballs.com