Taking Care of Your Needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs And Defense Mechanisms

Do Now: Share Human Needs Homework Results Have your assignment and homework tracker out Go around the circle and allow each person to share their findings Write (on a white board) the human needs that come up again and again

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs After completing a chart based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, I will be able to correctly identify the need being met in several scenarios.

Abraham Maslow Psychologists study mental processes and behavior. Most early psychologists studied people who had problems, but Abraham Maslow (born 1908 – died 1970) studied people who were satisfied with their lives. Maslow decided that people want to be happy and loving, but often there are particular needs that keep people from happiness.

Maslow believed most people want more than they have. Once a person meets their most basic needs, they develop higher needs. Maslow said, “As one desire is satisfied, another pops up in its place.”

Maslow created a Hierarchy of Needs; a pyramid with five levels. Maslow argued that once the lower level of needs were met, people develop higher levels until they reach a stage he called “self-actualization.” Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs includes five levels.

Take notes on your pyramid as we go through each level. Which needs should go at the bottom of the pyramid?

Physiological (Body) Needs Biological necessities such as food, water, and oxygen. These needs are the strongest because a person would die if they were not met.

Physiological Needs (food, water, sleep, etc.) Which needs come next, after your physiological needs are met?

Safety Needs People feel unsafe during emergencies, or times of disorder like rioting. Children more commonly do not have this need met when they feel afraid.

Safety Needs Physiological Needs (food, water, sleep, etc.) Which needs can you meet after your body and safety needs are met? Complete the pyramid on your own.

Love and Belonging Needs The need to escape loneliness and alienation, to give and receive love, and have a sense of belonging. These needs are usually met within a family.

Self-Esteem The need to feel valuable, to have self-respect and the respect of others. If a person does not fulfill their esteem needs, they feel inferior, weak, helpless, and worthless.

Self-actualization We are constantly becoming the best person we can be by developing confidence and using talents wisely. We try to improve our attitudes about ourselves and others. We really like ourselves and other people. We never completely reach self- actualization. It is a lifelong effort.

Which level of Maslow’s Hierarchy is being met in each scenario? There may be more than one correct answer. Ava blushed happily when she opened the gift box of chocolates. Marie planned to serve caviar and lobster on the night she invited her new boss to dinner. Thomas was laid off from his job in accounting, and he took an evening job delivering packages for UPS. Jamal quit his job in accounting to pursue his dream of opening up his own bakery. Elisabeth realized that her boyfriend made her feel bad about herself, and she broke up with him.

Defense Mechanisms Defense mechanisms: Ways that humans protect themselves from emotional pain or anxiety. These are unconscious strategies.

Defense Mechanisms Defense mechanisms: Ways that humans protect themselves from emotional pain or anxiety. These are unconscious strategies. 1.Projection – thinking or telling someone else that they have one of your faults, not you 2.Repression – putting painful memories out of your conscious mind 3.Denial – refusing to believe that something has happened 4.Rationalization – making an excuse for doing something but not realizing that the excuse is not the real reason for the action

Defense Mechanisms After viewing a power point presentation on defense mechanisms, students will be able to create a skit representing one of the defense mechanisms so well that the class can correctly identify the term represented.

Projection – thinking or telling someone else that they have one of your faults, not you Think of this as BLAMING someone else for a problem without realizing your part in it. Ex.) Kevin repeatedly got Ds on his math tests. He complained to Paul that Mr. Collins was driving them too hard and was crazy. Ex.) My team slacked off at practice and then lost the football game. The refs were totally calling everything against us!

Repression – putting painful memories out of your conscious mind Ex.) Captain Johnson can’t remember many details about her time in Iraq when she was deployed on a dangerous mission. Ex.) I was in a car accident last year. I couldn’t tell the policewoman any details about it. I just don’t remember.

Denial – refusing to believe that something has happened Ex.) Kevin doesn’t tell his parents about his poor grades. He tells himself that there isn’t a problem. It’s just a few bad grades, but he’ll study and get As to make up for them up soon. They don’t need to know because by the time report cards come out, he’ll be fine. Ex.) I am not going to start working on my project this weekend. We just got it assigned to us. I’m thinking that we probably won’t even really have to do it, so why get started?

Think of this as making an excuse in your own mind. Ex.) I planned to spend 3 hours studying for my test, but come to think of it, I probably can get it done in a hour after I’m done watching this movie. Ex.) I cheated on my test. I tell myself that it isn’t so bad because I had no time to study. Rationalization – making an excuse for doing something but not realizing that the excuse is not the real reason for the action

Group Activity Your group will pick a card with a defense mechanism written on it. Your group will have ten minutes to write skit that demonstrates this defense mechanism. Then, you will share with the class and everyone will guess which defense mechanism you are demonstrating. Example: “Doctor, I know your test showed that I have cancer, but I am very healthy. I think maybe we should try the test again because I am sure that I am not sick.”

Defense Mechanisms Review The defense mechanisms are written out at the four corners of the room. When you read an example, go to the corner that you think best diagnoses the defense mechanism being used in each scenario.

Which defense mechanism? Kevin tells himself that he doesn’t care that Winnie has a new boyfriend. She can do whatever she wants!

Which defense mechanism? Adi planned to work on his essay both Saturday and Sunday. However, there were really good football games on TV Saturday afternoon. The more he thought about it, he reasoned that he could easily finish the work Sunday afternoon.

Which defense mechanism? I am SO mad at my mom. When I forgot my homework at home, she didn’t pick up her phone all morning when I called her to bring it to me!

Which defense mechanism? Jazmine didn’t really remember the details of the worst day of her life – the day that her dad left.