Maslow's pyramid hierarchizes human needs.
Maslow's pyramid is a theory developed by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow with the aim of analyzing the nature and effects of human needs . Maslow prioritized these needs and through the resulting structure explained how, in his understanding, people's motivations work.
This expert arranged the hierarchy of needs in a pyramid . At the base he placed the basic needs , whose satisfaction is essential to survive, while at the top he placed the needs for self-realization . Between both extremes, according to Maslow , security needs , belonging needs , and esteem needs appear.
Origin of Maslow's pyramid
The origin of Maslow's pyramid dates back to 1943 . In that year, Abraham Maslow unveiled his theory of motivation which, over time, achieved enormous popularity worldwide.
Born on April 1, 1908 in New York , Maslow is considered one of the pioneers of humanistic psychology . He trained at the University of Wisconsin , earning a doctorate in Psychology in 1934 and being mentored by professors such as Harry Harlow and Alfred Adler .
Based on his hierarchy of needs and other theoretical contributions, Maslow positioned himself, along with Carl Rogers , Rollo May and other psychologists, as one of the leaders of the humanist doctrine that developed especially between the 1950s and the 1950s. from 1960 . According to his vision, this school was a third force in psychology that joined behaviorism and Freudian psychoanalysis . Maslow 's death occurred on June 8, 1970 in California , three years after being awarded Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association .
People's motivations can be explained through Maslow's pyramid.
Characteristics of his theory
Maslow's pyramid is usually classified as a humanistic theory. Maslow postulated that people structure their needs at various levels: as they manage to satisfy the most basic needs, other higher needs arise, driving behavior .
This means that the satisfaction of one need always generates a higher one. On the other hand, Maslow maintained that physiological needs (the most basic) are the only natural ones , present in the individual from birth. The rest of the needs arise from their resolution.
Another principle that Maslow pointed out in his theory is that behavioral alterations occur only when there are needs that are not satisfied. Resolving a need, on the other hand, does not cause effects.
Maslow 's contributions are applied, of course, in the field of psychological therapy . But they are also highly valued in the field of companies, advertising and marketing , since these are sectors that seek to influence the motivation of individuals.
The highest level of Maslow's pyramid is associated with self-actualization.
Levels of Maslow's pyramid
There are five levels of Maslow's pyramid . The first four, in turn, can be grouped since they all refer to the so-called deficit needs , leaving the highest level associated exclusively with the needs of the being .
In ascending order, the phases of Maslow's pyramid are as follows:
- Physiological, biological or basic needs : These are those that must be satisfied to survive and maintain homeostasis, thus representing the first motivation for human behavior. Breathing, eating and sleeping are some of these needs.
- Security or protection needs : They have to be satisfied to feel safe and maintain order or balance. Having a job, having a home and enjoying a healthy physical and emotional state are needs at this level.
- Social or affiliation needs : The third phase of Maslow's pyramid refers to those issues linked to social integration, affection and the sense of belonging , such as family and friendship.
- Recognition or esteem needs : These are related to self-esteem and reputation, such as having confidence in oneself, enjoying recognition, achieving status, etc.
- Self-actualization needs : This level of the pyramid is reached when all the needs of the previous phases have already been satisfied. Self-actualization is associated with creativity, morality and other factors that do not have to do with a lack, but with personal development and the achievement of goals.
The metamotivation
It is evident that directing behavior to satisfy basic needs is essential to survive. But, once these demands are satisfied, the motivation to act takes on other characteristics.
For Maslow , when people manage to meet physiological, security, social and recognition needs, they are in a position to begin a journey of motivational growth . In this context, he proposes the concept of metamotivation for those people who achieved self-realization.
At this level, individuals are free to explore their interests, advance the development of their skills, and realize their full potential . Metamotivation, according to Maslow , is present in those who have a vocation and are willing to forge their own destiny.
Detractors of Maslow's pyramid
Beyond the popularity of Maslow's pyramid , there are psychologists who do not share the theory. On the one hand, it is often pointed out that human beings have different needs and interests, which means that there is no single type of structure. Furthermore, someone may have unmet needs at one level but have other needs resolved at a higher level.
The idea of self-realization, in turn, is usually described as abstract . That is why it is difficult to analyze it with scientific criteria and draw precise conclusions about it.
Another critical position maintains that Maslow's pyramid serves to legitimize a social pyramid where the most disadvantaged classes are at the base and the privileged sectors at the top. The hierarchization of needs, in this sense, would contribute to a hierarchization of social organization .