Maslows Hierarchy

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Chapter 8 Motivation and Emotion
These results are consistent with the views expressed over many centuries by
philosophers, psychologists, and wise people in all cultures (e.g., Ekman et al., 2005).
As discussed in the personality chapter, for example, Abraham Maslow (1970) noted
that when people in Western cultures experience unhappiness and psychological problems, those problems can often be traced to a deficiency orientation. He said that these
people tend to seek happiness by trying to acquire the goods and status they don’t
have—but think they need—rather than by appreciating life itself, as well as the material and nonmaterial riches they already have. Others have amplified this point, suggesting that our efforts to get more of the things we think will bring happiness may
actually contribute to unhappiness if what we get is never “enough” (Diener & Seligman, 2004; Luthar & Latendresse, 2005; Nickerson et al., 2003; Srivastava, Locke, &
Bartol, 2001).
Relations and Conflicts Among Motives
䉴 Which motives move me most?
It is far too early to tell whether research on subjective well-being will help to channel
people’s achievement motivation toward a more balanced set of goals, but there is no
doubt that people will continue striving to meet whatever needs they perceive to be
important. What are those needs?
Maslow’s Hierarchy
Maslow (1970) suggested that human behavior is influenced by a hierarchy, or ranking, of five classes of needs, or motives (see Figure 8.5). He said that needs at the lowest level of the hierarchy must be at least partially satisfied before people can be motivated by the ones at higher levels. From the bottom to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy,
these five motives are as follows:
1. Physiological, such as the need for food, water, oxygen, and sleep.
2. Safety, such as the need to be cared for as a child and to have a secure income as
an adult.
3. Belongingness and love, such as the need to be part of groups and to participate
in affectionate sexual and nonsexual relationships.
4. Esteem, such as the need to be respected as a useful, honorable individual.
FIGURE
8.5
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Motives
Abraham Maslow saw human
learn motives as organized in a
by
hierarchy in which motives at
lower levels come before those at higher
levels. According to this view, selfactualization is the essence of mental
health; but Maslow recognized that only
rare individuals, such as Mother Teresa or
Martin Luther King, Jr., approach full selfactualization. Take a moment to consider
which level of Maslow’s hierarchy you are
focused on at this point in your life. Which
level do you ultimately hope to reach?
doing
2
Self-actualization
(i.e., maximizing one's potential)
Esteem
(e.g., respect)
Belongingness and love
(e.g., acceptance, affection)
Safety
(e.g., nurturance, money)
Physiological
(e.g., food, water, oxygen)
Source: Adapted from Maslow (1943).