Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Motives as refer in Maslow’s hierarchy are explained as an internal mental process that stimulate and guide certain behaviors of individual toward specific goals usually to meet a specific need. Motive often arise at time when we are lacking of something and wanted it so much. For example, if an individual has not eaten for the whole day, he or she would be motivated by hunger. Motives often arise based on individual’s need.

In 1943, Dr. Abraham H. Maslow produced an article named “A Theory of Motivation” that was later included in his book named Motivation and Personality (1954). His theory is based upon his clinical experiences with people and not just theoretical or based upon animal behavior like those performed by B.F. Skinner on his conditioning theory.

Dr. Abraham H. Maslow’s theory of motivation stated that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, which he called deficiency needs. . His theory is frame worked into a hierarchical diagram called Maslow hierarchy of need that consists of physiological, safety, love, esteem and self actualization to describe the patterns of how human motivations are involved from level to level in order to achieve these needs.  

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"Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs" by Firefly Sixty Seven

Dr. Abraham H. Maslow stretched that because of the complexity of our brain, different motivations from various levels of Maslow's hierarchy could take place at the same time. Motivation on certain lower basic needs must be accomplished first before higher needs are to be satisfied.

Maslow has defined the most fundamental needs as the physiological needs that consist of the basic necessity such as food, drinks, clothing, and shelter. These needs although fundamental are very important and shall be met first as the consequences of not meeting these requirement could be as serious as ruining the human body.  

All these basic necessity such as food, drinks, clothing, and shelter need money to accomplish and to meet these needs, people are motivated to work harder to ensure that their families’ fundamental needs are well taken care of.

Upon achieving success in obtaining physiological needs, stronger renewed motivation will surface to achieve the next level, which is the safety needs. Upon obtaining all the basic necessity, human beings would want more security as part of their safety needs.  

Individuals would want insurance coverage and medical cards to safeguard themselves against accidents and illness. They will take more nutrients and vitamins for the safety of health and well-being.  They put their money on savings accounts and fix deposit to be used at time of economic crisis. In the absence of physical safety due to increased crime rate, they would invest on alarm and CCTV to safeguard the personal safety of their family members.