The Legacy of Abraham Maslow

What if someone could figure out what needs motivate us the most? Abraham Maslow was a famous psychologist who studied human motivation. In fact, his greatest legacy was his development of what he called a "hierarchy of needs." Maslow postulated that people are driven to fulfill their own needs from the most mundane to the more complex. As each type of need is met, people are then free to progress to the less concrete and more psychologically meaningful needs. Read on for Maslow's personal and professional history and a review of his lasting legacy to the field of psychology: humanism and the hierarchy of needs.

Abraham Maslow's Beginnings

Abraham Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1908 to Jewish, Russian parents. Being the oldest of 7 children, Maslow's parents encouraged him to achieve academically. Hoping to win his parents' good favor, he eventually attended college and ended up at the University of Wisconsin. While there, Maslow studied attachment behavior with Harry Harlow, another famous American psychologist.

Professional History of Abraham Maslow

He became well-rounded in his study of psychology, working with various intellectuals from Gestalt and Freudian psychology circles. Upon studying with Kurt Goldstein--the originator of the term, "self-actualization," Abraham Maslow began to focus his work on more humanistic interests in psychology. He believed it was most important for people to seek out purpose and meaning in their lives, an idea he adapted in the 60s. Truly, Maslow's legacy is in humanistic psychology and his study of how humans are motivated by their needs.

The Hierarchy of Needs

To conceptualize Maslow's famous hierarchy of humanistic needs, imagine a triangle sectioned horizontally into five parts. Each section is designated as specific needs that humans strive to fulfill. The bottom section is "physiological needs". These are needs like hunger, thirst, and sleep. The next section is "safety needs", and includes the need for shelter. The next section is "belongingness needs", the need to belong in a family or other relationship. The next section is "esteem needs". This section includes the need to excel at work or to have power in life. At the top of the triangle or hierarchy of needs is "self-actualization"-one has fulfilled all needs and achieved all goals when this level of needs is reached.

Progressing Up the Hierarchy According to Abraham Maslow

Maslow believed people will satisfy their needs for lower level motives first. For example, food and shelter needs will be fulfilled before looking for love, a need higher on Maslow's hierarchy. As lower level needs are achieved, Maslow theorized that people are then liberated to spend time moving up the hierarchy to satisfy more complex needs. Ultimately reaching "self-actualization" is obtaining the pinnacle of the needs hierarchy, according to Abraham Maslow. In essence, when one reaches his full potential, he is "self-actualized."

Summary

Abraham Maslow's legacy involves researching how people achieve personal growth and their highest potential. Even though some later studies cast criticism on some of his research and ideas, Maslow will long be remembered in the field of psychology for his focus on humanistic psychology and his hierarchy of needs.

Sources

Boeree, C. George. 2006. Personality Theories: Abraham Maslow. Available at Shippensburg University's website.

The Legacy of Abraham Maslow, Helium website (Original version of this article), August 18, 2007.

Morris, Charles. G., 1996. Psychology, An Introduction. Ninth Edition. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Pp. 430-431.