Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs ($2) Introduction This is a theory in psychology that was proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. Maslow believed that every human being has an intrinsically good ...

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Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs ($2)
Introduction
This is a theory in psychology that was proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943. Maslow believed that every human being has an intrinsically good nature. He believed a good environment should be encouraged as it allows a person to express his wishes and demands, helps them to make choices and offers the necessary materials and opportunities to satisfy their needs. He proposes that human beings are motivated by a hierarchy of needs, whereby satisfaction of the lower level of needs leads to expectations of the next level of needs. Failure to satisfy one level of needs puts one into a deficit (lacking) state and becomes continually concerned about that level of needs.
According to Maslow, if our physiological needs are met, we became concerned with personal, safety. If we achieve a sense of security, we then seek to love, to be loved, and to love ourselves. With our love and needs satisfied, we then seek self-esteem. Ultimately, we seek self-actualization which is the process of fulfilling our potential. Maslow divided the needs into two levels:
Basic or deficiency needs: These include physiological needs and safety needs. They are called the lower level needs.
Meta or growth needs: These include, love and belonging, esteem needs, aesthetic and cognitive needs and self-actualization. They are also called the higher level needs.

Fig 2.1: Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Physiological needs
This is the first category of needs. Examples include food, rest, water and sex. The needs are similar to the needs that cause other animals to operate. These needs must be satisfied in order to pursue to the next level of needs. For example, a person who is hungry and has no food focuses all his attention and energy in searching for food and becomes less concerned about other levels of needs. Once he f