Abraham H Maslow was a psychologist who developed a theory that sought to explain human behaviour in terms of basic needs for survival and growth. (www.enotes.com. 2002). This paper will define Maslow’s theory (a ‘hierarchy of needs’) and explain how differences in priorities influence and inform upon consumer behaviour.
Maslow developed his ‘hierarchy of needs’ in an attempt to describe patterns of human behaviour, and to try to understand the processes behind the actions of consumers. In essence, his theory centres on the idea of ‘motivation’, which he sees as a driving force in a person’s movement from one level of need priorities to the next.
The above diagram, though not of Maslow’s own design, suggests the hierarchy of needs starts at the bottom with ‘physiological needs’, and continues up the pyramid, finishing with self-actualisation. Maslow’s theory identifies that there are general types of needs also described as basic needs they are the simple things in life that we must have to survive, such things as food, water, shelter and good health. These are known as your physiological needs. Safety needs represent the ability to feel safe and be away from danger, not being in a dangerous relationship or living free from abuse. Social needs are the ability to be loved and feel a sense of belonging in a society. Esteem needs refer to the individual having a good self-esteem and being in a health state of mind. These four categories of needs are known as ‘deficiency needs’, and Maslow suggests as long as we are ‘motivated’ to satisfy these needs, we are moving towards growth, and leading to self-actualisation. (mason.gmu.edu. 2004). At the top of the diagram is self-actualisation, which Maslow sa...
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The 3rd level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, is the needs for belonging, love, and affection. Maslow described these needs as less basic than physiological and security needs. Relationships such as friendships, romantic attachments, and families help fulfill this need for companionship and acceptance, involvement in social, community, or religious groups.
Maslow suggested that there are five levels of need. Level one needs are basic needs such as food and shelter which need to be meet before moving to the next level of need. Each level should be meet in turn up to level five, self-actualisation. An example of this in current practice is providing children with snack and water during the school day fulfilling basic needs and providing opportunities to develop friendships and feel safe at school to express their feelings can fulfil needs in levels 2 and 3 of Maslowâ€TMs hierarchy of
People have long considered general theories of motivation, and the question regarding the specific motives that direct and energize our human behavior has undergone tremendous speculation. To this day the question still stands: what is it that humans seek most in life? In an effort to answer this question, Abraham Maslow proposed what he called the hierarchy of needs. Maslow theorizes that human beings are motivated to fulfill this hierarchy, which consists of needs ranging from those that are basic for survival up to those that promote growth and self-enhancement (Kassin 300).
Simons, Janet A., Donald B. Irwin, and Beverly A. Drinnin. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Psychology: the Search for Understanding. St. Paul: West Pub., 1987. Print.
Which aspects of Susan’s behaviour would be the focus of a therapist who is operating within Maslow’s theory?
Maslow believed that there was a hierarchy of five innate needs that influence people’s behaviors (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p.246-247). In a pyramid fashion, at the base are physiological needs, followed by safety needs, then belonginess and love needs, succeeded by esteem needs, and finally the need for self-actualization. Maslow claimed that lower order needs must be at least partially satisfied before higher level needs are addressed. Furthermore, behavior is dominated by solely one need
The first type of need in Maslow 's theory is Self-actualization. In this stage, you begin to fulfill your potential, accept reality, and solve problems and being more creative. The second type of need in Maslow 's theory is Self-Esteem. In this stage, you begin to have confidence in yourself, respect others and others respect you. The third type of need in Maslow 's theory is the Belonging Need. In this stage, you feel like being accepted, loved by others, friendship, sex and other things. The fourth stage of need in Maslow 's theory is the Safety Need. In this stage, you are to have the feelings of protection, security and safe from dangers. And the last type of need in Maslow 's theory is the Physiological needs. this needs to refer to the physical things one needs to survive and they include; food, water, shelter and
Psychologist Abraham Maslow created the hierarchy of needs, outlining and suggesting what a person need to reach self-actualization and reveal the true potential of themselves. In the model, Maslow propose that a person has to meet basic needs in order to reach the true potential of themselves. Biological/physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging need, esteem needs according to Maslow is the fundamental frame for reaching the peak of self. The last need to be met on the scale
Unlike many of his colleagues at the time who were focusing on psychopathology, or what is wrong with individuals, he focused on how individuals are motivated to fulfill their potential and what needs govern their respective behaviors (McLeod)). Maslow developed the hierarchy over time, adjusting from a rigid structure where needs must be met before being able to achieve a higher level, to where the individuals can experience and behave in ways across the hierarchy multiple times daily depending on their needs. The hierarchy is comprised of 5 levels; Physiological, Safety and Security, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. The bottom two levels are considered basic needs, or deficiency needs because once the needs are met they cease to be a driving factor, unlike psychological needs. Loving and Belonging and Esteem needs are considered psychological needs, and are different from basic needs because they don’t stem from a lack of something, but rather the desire to grow. Maslow theorizes that individual’s decisions and behavior are determined based on their current level of needs, and the ideal level to achieve full potential culminates in self-actualization; however, operating on this level cannot be achieved until the preceding levels of needs have been
Maslow (1943) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled, a person seeks to fulfil the next one, and so on. The earliest and most widespread version of Maslow's (1943, 1954) hierarchy of needs includes five motivational needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory that includes a five level pyramid of basic human
Abraham Maslow wrote the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory was based on fulfilling five basic needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization. Maslow believed that these needs could create internal pressures that could influence the behavior of a person. (Robbins, p.204)
Abraham Maslow did studies of the basic needs of human beings. He put these needs into a hierarchical order. This means that until the need before it has been satisfied, the following need can not be met (Encyclopedia, 2000). For example, if someone is hungry they are not thinking too much about socializing. In the order from lowest to highest the needs are psychological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization. The first three are classified as lower order needs and the last two are higher order (Hierarchy, 2000). Without meeting these needs workers are not going to be as productive as they could otherwise. The first three are considered to be essential to all humans at all times. The last two have been argued but are mostly considered to be very important as well.
In conclusion, it is evident that Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs can no longer be applied to today’s consumer behaviour. Yes, consumer behaviour can be classified and categorized, but it cannot be placed in a specific order in which the consumer will feel each class and category. There are too many factors to consider and cannot be measured through a hierarchy. To this day, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory that has yet to be proven to predict consumer behaviour, but rather predict
The Hierarchy of needs theory, by Maslow, shows the basic and the advanced needs that the person should fulfill to reach his or her highest potential. That is why the theory is best depicted as a pyramid including seven stages. The first stage is physiological needs: water, body temperature, sleep, and sex. When one satisfies those needs, he or she can go to the next stage. Safety needs is the second stage. Here, the person is concerned about his safety and stability, so he tries to find a good job to support himself financially, and also find a good home in a safe place. The third stage is belongingness and love. To love and be loved and accepted becomes very important in this stage, so the person starts to worry about his relationships. Being accepted and loved will lead successfully to the fourth stage, which is esteem needs. In this level, the person is more concerned about achieving and gaining approval. Ones those needs are fulfilled, the cognitive needs come to be a priority. This fifth level is attained by seeking knowledge and explor...