Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

What is self-actualisation?

• Ultimate state of being that all individuals are starving to attain.

What are the 2 main types of motivations experienced by humans?

1. Deficiency needs

2. Growth needs

What are deficiency needs?

• Basic needs people are motivated to fulfil due to their absence.

• Important for survival and stop acting as motivator once they have been met

What are growth needs?

• Needs that once met, act as motivation for people to continue fulfilling them.

• Develop personality of individual and are unique to each person.

• Satisfying them leads to happiness and fulfillment and in turn acts as motivation to continue achieving them.

What are the 5 levels in the 1954 hierarchy?

• Level 1 - physiological needs

• Level 2 - safety needs

• Level 3 - love and belongingness needs

• Level 4 - esteem needs

• Level 5 - self-actualisation

What are the 8 levels in the expanded hierarchy (1970)?

• Level 1- physiological needs

• Level 2 - safety needs

• Level 3 - love and belongingness needs

• Level 4 - esteem needs

• Level 5 - cognitive needs

• Level 6 - aesthetic needs

• Level 7 - self-actualisation

• Level 8 - transcendence needs

What are the 4 deficiency needs?

• Level 1- physiological needs

• Level 2 - safety needs

• Level 3 - love and belongingness needs

• Level 4 - esteem needs

What are physiological needs and 3 examples?

• Basic biological requirements that provide individuals with energy, physical contentment and health.

• e.g. food, water, sleep

What are safety needs and 3 examples?

• Involve physical safety and emotional safety.

• e.g. security, protection, stability.

What is physical safety?

• Including stability, order, limits.

What is emotional safety?

• Feeling free from chaos, threats, fear.

What are love and belongingness needs and 3 examples?

• Incorporate ways in which people receive love from others as well as give love.

• e.g. loving others and being loved, acceptance, identification with groups.

What is receiving love?

• Deeming oneself worthy of being loved, feeling accepted and loved by others, having place in family or group.

What is giving love?

• Having feelings of love and affection toward others.

What are esteem needs and 3 examples?

• Those that are based on need for people to view themselves as capable and achieving and those that come from judgement of others.

• Self-respect, self-esteem, independence.

What is self-esteem?

• Desire for achievement, to feel confident when faced with challenges and to experience freedom and independence.

What is respect from others?

• Receiving recognition, attention and appreciation from other people is sought out by individuals.

What are the 4 growth needs?

• Level 5 - cognitive needs

• Level 6 - aesthetic needs

• Level 7 - self-actualisation

• Level 8 - transcendence needs

What are cognitive needs and 3 examples?

• Mental processes of gaining knowledge and understanding through senses, personal experiences and mental activity.

• e.g. learning, awe, satisfying curiosity.

What are aesthetic needs and 3 examples?

• Beauty as well as appreciation of anything beautiful.

• e.g. symmetry, perfection, delight.

What are transcendence needs and 3 examples?

• Experience of going beyond limitations of physical human experience.

• e.g. peak experience, exaltation, deeper meaning of life.

What is a strength of the theory?

1. Supported by meta-analysis conducted by Alexander and colleagues in 1991.

What are 3 limitations of the theory?

1. Small sample and purposefully selected to be made up of self-actualised people.

2. No objective measures were used, only subjective measures.

3. Oversimplifies complex human behaviour and may not be most suitable structure

What is an application of the theory a real-world context?

• Forms bedrock of edu programs across world