What is Maslow’s pyramid?

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Maslow’s pyramid is made up of five levels that try to explain what drives human behavior.

Maslow’s pyramid, also known as the hierarchy of human needs, is a psychological theory proposed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow. It was created in 1943 when the author published A theory of human motivation.

Maslow proposed in his theory the existence of five types of basic needs. These needs would be represented in a pyramidal form and organized hierarchically. The most basic would be located at the bottom and the most complex at the top of the pyramid.

At the base would be the physiological needs, followed by the need for security, belonging, self-esteem and, finally, self-realization. Let’s analyze each of them in more detail.

The hierarchy in Maslow’s pyramid

According to Maslow’s pyramid, the satisfaction of needs must follow a sequential order from the base to the top. This means that, although most of us want to satisfy self-actualization needs, we must first focus our energy on lower needs.

Physiological needs

Among the most basic needs of human beings and related to survival, would be the need to breathe, drink and eat. To these we would add the need to sleep and eliminate bodily waste.

They would also be found in this section the need to maintain physiological functions in balance -known as homeostasis-, as well as the avoidance of pain. Lastly, sexual relations would also be included in this level.

Need for safety and security

Once the physiological needs are covered, Human beings need to feel safe. To do this, you need to have a place that allows you to shelter from inclement weather and the cold. You also need to ensure your health as much as you can, having access to healthcare when necessary.

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Another important aspect within this section is access to educational resources. In addition, the need to protect material assets would also be included, such as having financial support, car insurance or a home protected from strangers.

Need to belong

Human beings are deeply social and need to relate to their peers. As a rule, he enjoys feeling part of a family. Furthermore, a large percentage of people search fulfillment through love creating a deep bond with another human being.

Other very important links are those that They are established by creating deep friendships or belonging to some social organization or community with which the person feels identified. This may include, for example, cultural, religious, sporting or recreational activities.

Self-esteem

Abraham Maslow described two basic types of needs related to self-esteem. On the one hand, that relating to the person himself. Aspects like self-respect, self-confidence, being independent or feeling satisfied They would be part of this first group.

On the other hand, Maslow also emphasized relationships with others. Thus, they would be important the need for dignity, respect, to be recognized or appreciated by others.

Self realisation

Maslow’s pyramid culminates with the deepest and highest need of the being: self-actualization. This would consist of develop our potential in the different areas of our life.

It would include such diverse aspects of personal development as acceptance, gratitude or leadership. In addition, it would also include others such as promoting the sense of justice, beauty or the meaning of truth.

Beyond Maslow’s pyramid

Maslow himself was the first to admit that the positions in this particular pyramid are not static, due to changes that occur in the circumstances around us. Additionally, over the years he identified three other categories of needs not included in the original pyramid. These needs were the following:

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Aesthetics. Cognitive. Self-transcendence.

This rectified version of Maslow’s pyramid would include a richer and more complex vision of the human being. However, the theory that has transcended over the years is the simplified version, that of the five basic needs.

Criticisms of Maslow’s theory

Since the appearance of the theory proposed by Maslow, many have integrated it as part of their knowledge. Maslow’s pyramid is a reference, motivating many studies that have tried to shed a little more light on this pyramid of needs.

However, also There is a sector that has questioned this theory. For example, in the article Maslow reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Theory (1976), Mahmoud A. Wahba and Lawrence G. Bridwell did not find evidence either that the order of needs could be extrapolated to the entire population, or that the hierarchy of needs proposed by Maslow existed.

The concept of self-actualization has also been heavily criticized. The main argument is that happiness is absolutely relative and that a person can feel happy without having all their basic needs satisfied.

Final thoughts on Maslow’s pyramid

Theories attempt to model a set of realities in the abstract. In themselves, they are simplifying. In the predictions we make with them there is always a margin of error. On the other hand, among us there are great individual differences that in many cases trigger this error. These two factors mean that many of the theories that come to light within psychology are born surrounded by controversy.

That said, Maslow’s pyramid is a reference x-ray. He rightly points out that meeting a need is what motivates us in many cases.

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Besides, is right to point out that we often have more than one need, having to choose which one to satisfy first.. It can be a need at a very primary level, like the one that awakens hunger or thirst; However, there are also others that are no less powerful for some people in some contexts, such as the need for recognition. Thus, we need some perspective to understand the full implications of this theory.