Hierarchy of Needs

Hierarchy of Needs

Kameron Washington

PSY/211

May 13, 2014

Doretta Zemp

Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow is a humanistic psychologist that developed a model of human motivation in the 1940s and 1950s called the Hierarchy of Needs. The hierarchy of needs is a motivation model that says there is an order to the needs that one should fulfill before being able to achieve others. The model relates to motivation in the sense that the motivation used for acquiring the needs is obtaining the incentive at the top of the hierarchy. The ultimate goal in the hierarchy is self-actualization. Self-actualization is when a person achieves its full potential in life. Although I agree with Maslow’s theory, I can understand the challenges one may face trying to follow this method.

Maslow’s method is a five step method. He starts at the bottom of the hierarchy with the physiological needs like food, water, rest and warmth. The next level is a step further in basic needs, security and safety. After basic needs he has categorized the next steps as psychological needs; those include belongingness needs, and esteem needs. Belongingness and love needs include intimate relationships and friendships. Esteem needs has needs such as prestige and feelings of accomplishment. The highest level is self-actualization. Once a person has obtained all lower levels, Maslow feels they will be able to reach their full potential. Once a person has reached the full potential they are able to see things as they actually are and care for problems other than their own (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2014).

I fully understand Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It makes sense to me in theory that in order to reach one’s full potential there are certain needs that need to be met. It is as if he is saying, a person must be fully stable and content in their personal life in order to be the best that they can be. If a person is lacking in a certain area of needs it may be hard for that person to focus on being their best self. For example, if a person is lacking basic needs, such as a homeless person, it would be quite difficult to obtain feelings of accomplishment. In order to have a bit of self-esteem a person has to at least be able to take care of themselves. I look at them as priorities that a person must set as a guide to being their best self. However, I do feel as if those needs could be arranged a little differently.