The Humanist Approach

Overview of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 

Humanists  Psychologists who believe people work hard to become the best they could possibly become

 School of thought is neither biology nor empirical behaviour  Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers – believed they were into a new frontier of understanding, founded the Humanist School of Thought  Rogers and Maslow’s views were different  Rogers believed that every living creature has actualizing tendency  Maslow believed only 2% of the human population are self-actualizing  Both believed that neither psychoanalysts nor the behaviourists acknowledged the role of values, intentions, and meaning in understanding human behaviour

Abraham Maslow ( )  Hierarchy of Needs (1943) – used to explain and understand human motivation  Believed that human nature was either neutral or inherently good  Maslow is credited with being founder of the Humanist approach to psychology  His argument: some needs take precedence over others  For example: when we are critically ill, our need for sleep overtakes our need for self-esteem. Once rested and healthy, we can resume fulfilling our esteem needs and return to work.  In Canada, Hierarchy of Needs is in accordance with Canadian norms and standards of living

 Maslow applied the principle of homeostasis – the body’s desire to maintain balance (internal monitor that alerts us when we need something)  First 4 needs (Physiological, safety and security, love and belonging, esteem needs) are primarily physical in nature and go unnoticed unless they are not met. These are the D-needs or deficit needs  When not met, an individual experiences anxiety and its needs have to be fulfilled

Physiological needs  Oxygen, water, minerals, food, sleep (what our bodies need)  Basic needs  Obtaining water and food is not a problem in Canada – in other parts of the world it is the primary motivational force

Safety and Security Needs  Once our physiological needs are met, we need to obtain safety and security  Job security, benefits, union protection, economic stability, universal health coverage  The need to feel safe overrides the need for love and belonging  Still seen as a basic need

Love and Belonging Needs  Once we feel safe and secure, we want to “fit in” with our families and friends  We want to be accepted and we conform to the implicit or explicit behavioural codes of the social, community, and work groups we join  Failure to reach belonging needs results in alienation, isolation and loneliness

Esteem Needs  Then we strive for recognition  Maslow said that esteem needs have a “lower” and “higher” order  “Lower-order” esteem needs are satisfied when we experience respect and recognition from others (often temporary, it can be lost just as easily as it was gained)  “Higher-order” self-esteem are based on the respect we have for ourselves (not as easily lost)

From Deficit to Being  Once these primary physical needs were met, we are free to pursue needs which are more psychological  We strive to use our capacities and develop to our fullest  Maslow expanded theory to include cognitive and aesthetic needs and self- actualizing needs  He called this Being or B-needs

Cognitive needs  “A desire to understand, to systematize, to organize, to analyze, to look for relations and meanings”

Aesthetic Needs  Believing that we turn from ugliness and that we feel calmer and healthier in beautiful surroundings

Self-actualization  Individualized expression of self in terms of doing what we believe we are best suited for  Mother Theresa is an example  Peak moments – we are able to transcend physical and social conventions  Only 2% of the population and few, if any, young people could attain self- actualization because of social and economic pressures keep our internal monitors directed at filling deficits

A fun way to look at the Hierarchy of needs  Through “Up” 

Test yourself  science/psychology/i2p401/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-exercise science/psychology/i2p401/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-exercise