Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivation model with different stages, describing how an individual's motivation is based on their needs. The requirements can be physiological and psychological, and every individual takes actions under their influence.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid studies and indicates how the motivation of an individual is connected to their needs. This pyramid consists of five needs arranged from bottom to top, each building upon the previous one in ascending order. It reflects how one need of the individual dominates the other and progresses from basic to complex, impacting their actions and behaviors.

• Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a five-tier motivation model that explains how an individual's actions are strongly influenced by their needs.
• The theory was developed by Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, and was published in 1943 in his paper "A Theory of Human Motivation." This theory was derived from his hierarchy of needs concept.
• Several books on this theory have been published, covering management, psychology, politics, history, and human motivation.
• The model encompasses five hierarchical needs: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and self-worth, with the highest level corresponding to the need for self-actualization.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory is a prominent motivational and needs-based framework that explains how human behavior and actions change based on underlying needs. Introduced by American psychologist Abraham Maslow, this model asserts that individuals are driven by their needs, and their actions can be understood through this lens.

This model comprises five stages arranged in a pyramid. Each stage corresponds to a different category of needs individuals seek to fulfill. The progression starts from the foundational first stage at the bottom and ascends to more advanced physiological and psychological requirements. According to Maslow, once an individual's needs are met at a particular stage, they naturally progress to fulfill demands from subsequent stages.

The five stages of the model are as follows:

1. Physiological and basic needs: This stage encompasses fundamental necessities such as air, water, food, and shelter, essential for human survival.
2. Safety needs: These include security, employment, income, and access to resources that contribute to a sense of safety and stability.
3. Love and belonging need: Building upon fulfilling basic needs and safety. Individuals seek love, companionship, and belonging within society and interpersonal relationships.
4. Esteem: Having established a foundation of security and belonging, individuals strive for psychological needs like self-esteem, recognition, status, and a sense of accomplishment.
5. Self-actualization: Positioned at the pinnacle of the pyramid, this stage involves fulfilling one's potential, pursuing personal growth, and achieving a sense of self-fulfillment.

It is worth noting that Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory is not confined to a specific domain; it finds applications in various fields. For instance, in healthcare settings, such as nursing, this model assists support staff and medical professionals in prioritizing patient care based on individual needs. However, while the theory is widely accepted, it also holds limitations and is built upon certain assumptions.

Below are two examples of this theory, one hypothetical and another from a real-world situation -

Example #1

Suppose Steve and Stuart are two individuals who work in the same company. Steve is the company's managing director, whereas Stuart is an entry-level employee. In comparison, Steve has a lovely house, a good family, a big salary, a nice car with a good reputation, and social status. In contrast, for Stuart, it is his first job, his salary is less, and he has to support his family financially.

Now Steve makes a foreign trip every three months, and he visits temples, monasteries and is known as a solo traveler. He participates in cultural activities, does philanthropy, and is part of many social communities. On the other hand, Stuart works overtime and does not take leaves, even though he wants to have fun but has no time and is working patiently to build his life.

From a third-person perspective, Stuart's actions are motivated by his needs, which lie at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy. At the same time, Steve's action lies at the top of Maslow's model of the needs hierarchy. His actions differ entirely from many people because he needs self-actualization, but Stuart is motivated to meet his basic needs.

In this way, the management, people, or society can gauge people's motivation influenced by their needs.

Example #2

In 2022, the midterm elections were explained by Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a great source of information defining politics and governance. The theory suggested how higher food prices and an increased crime rate influenced voters, and their motivation changed because the basic needs, as per Maslow's theory, were challenged. In addition, a threat to abortion rights drove women to ask for a change in the authorities because their actions were motivated by personal safety needs.

The psychologist was more interested in understanding why people vote as they do; the early polls suggested that rising inflation, abortion rights, and crime impacted most voters. In this example, it is visible that when basic needs at the bottom of the hierarchy were sabotaged, people came forward, and their actions reflected their needs.

The importance of this theory is -

• It helps derive employees' motivation and allows management to understand their actions.
• Companies can study and increase the productivity of their employees by getting them rewards and incentives that drive their actions and improve performance.
• It aids in understanding consumer behavior and market trends in terms of changing trends.
• Maslow's theory helps understand the consumers' needs and works toward achieving customer satisfaction.
• All five sections of Maslow's pyramid of needs describe how people and their motivations change, defining the shift in their behavior based on their needs.
• It is used in psychology to understand why and how people think, feel and behave in a particular manner.

The criticism of this theory is -

• During his research, Maslow did not consider that a person can have different basic needs outside the stage they are at present.
• The study has no valid empirical research foundation or basis.
• It is criticized for not having any evidence or validation represented by any scientific community worldwide.
• The study has many stages which deal with personal attributes like status, self-esteem, confidence, or respect, which cannot be assumed for the global population.
• The theory assumes that after the need is satisfied, the individual will only step up to the next stage and not above it or would not like to stay at their current level.
• The hierarchy model does not account for many external factors and life aspects.

An individual may start from the bottom and work upward, but the topmost level of self-actualization is rarely attained by anyone.

Three prominent psychological theories that provide insights into human motivation, development, and identity are Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Alderfer's ERG Theory, and Erikson's Stages of Development Theory.

Let's understand the differences between them.

• Maslow's hierarchy of needs is based on needs and their fulfillment. In comparison, Alderfer's ERG theory represents a more developed version of Maslow's theory, while Erikson's stages of development theory revolve around identity.
• Maslow's model comprises five stages, whereas Alderfer's ERG theory condenses them into three steps. On the other hand, Erikson's theory encompasses a total of eight stages.
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs was introduced in 1943, followed by Alderfer's ERG theory in 1969. Similarly, Erikson's stages of development were formulated in 1950.

This article has been a guide to What Is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. We explain its examples, importance, criticism, and comparison with Alderfer's ERG Theory. You may also find some useful articles here -

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