Understanding and addressing our core psychological needs lie at the heart of fostering psychological wellbeing and resilience. These fundamental needs, rooted in our experiences and relationships, significantly impact our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. By acknowledging and meeting these needs, individuals pave the way toward psychological healing and personal growth.
Safety and Security
Feeling safe and secure forms the cornerstone of emotional wellbeing. This need encompasses physical safety but extends to emotional security, stability in relationships, and predictability in our environment. When this need is unmet, it can manifest as anxiety, hypervigilance, or difficulties in forming trusting relationships.
Connection and Belonging
Humans are inherently social beings, yearning for connections that provide a sense of belonging. This need encompasses meaningful relationships, acceptance, and a sense of community. When this need is unfulfilled, it may lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation, or a persistent sense of not fitting in.
Autonomy and Competence
The need for autonomy and competence involves a sense of independence, self-reliance, and the ability to make choices. It reflects the belief in one’s capabilities and a sense of mastery in different aspects of life. When this need remains unmet, it can lead to feelings of helplessness, dependency, or low self-esteem.
Identity and Purpose
Having a clear sense of identity and purpose is vital for a fulfilling life. It encompasses understanding oneself, values, beliefs, and having a sense of direction or meaning. When this need is unfulfilled, individuals might experience confusion, lack of direction, or feelings of emptiness.
Spontaneity and Play
The need for spontaneity and playfulness involves experiencing joy, creativity, and a sense of freedom. It’s about finding pleasure in life’s simple moments, being playful, and embracing creativity. When this need is neglected, it can lead to a lack of joy, rigid thinking, or an inability to relax and enjoy life.
Fulfilling Core Needs in Therapy
Psychotherapy often involves identifying and addressing core psychological needs to heal emotional wounds and break harmful patterns. By creating a nurturing environment, exploring past experiences, and fostering healthy coping strategies, our Gold Coast Psychologists help individuals meet these needs, leading to psychological healing and personal transformation.
The six core needs remains Anthony Robbin’s finest contribution to the personal development space. Here is how the model works:
Beyond the biological needs of food, water, air and shelter, Anthony Robbins summarises the complete range of human needs in his brilliant six core needs model. There are three groups of paradox pairs pulling in opposite directions making up six needs in total.
Six Core Needs
Certainty – The need for safety, control, order, and comfort
2. Variety/uncertainty – The need for adventure, change, surprise, and spontaneity
3. Significance – The need for validation, approval, acceptance, value, and importance
4. Love/connection – The need for belonging, understanding, closeness, and to be seen.
5. Contribution – The need to give back, make a difference, add value, solve problems, and leave a legacy.
6. Growth – The need to expand, achieve, experience, enlarge, explore, develop, attain, and achieve.
There are also four overarching principles which govern how these needs play out in our lives and help us to observe all human behaviour in a clean way:
1. All needs must be met. Each need provides an essential part of what is required to survive life. Unmet needs create a vacuum that must be filled. Therefore, you are either meeting each need resourcefully or unresourcefully. Your conscious awareness of how these needs are being met is not a prerequisite to the meeting of the need itself. Your unconscious will find some way to fill your cup, or you will die.
2. Needs trump values. If you have not developed high quality, adult strategies to meet each need in line with your values, your needs will still be met irrespective of your values. (see principle 1) This is precisely why good people do bad things. Remember, behaviour is a strategy to meet needs.
3. Every behaviour has a positive intent. We are intrinsically motivated to do good to, and for, ourselves. We are always trying to bring peace and comfort. No one is trying to ruin their own life. Behaving in ways that hurt ourselves and others is NOT evidence of inherent evil. We do bad things not because we are bad, but because we are needy and haven’t found a better way to meet the need (see principle 1 and 2)
4. Change always comes through displacing poor ‘need meeting’ strategies with better ones. You can’t just stop a behaviour if it is meeting a need. You’ll simply open the vacuum again. (See principle 1)
Six Core Needs
The first time I heard of the six core needs it radically changed my life. I hit the jackpot at a garage sale one frosty Saturday morning when I found an unopened box set of Tony Robbins CD’s for only $10. A few weeks later in my car, I heard him describe the power of his model in a way that revolutionised my thinking about my own nature and the reasons I behave in certain ways.
Listening to Tony explain this model on his original CD’s, he taught that all needs must be met, at all times. And that we all need just as much certainty, variety, significance, love, contribution, and growth as everyone else.
Since then, however, every half-arsed, shiny life coach has butchered and diluted this model in such a way that it has made it all the way back to Robbins himself and caused him to change the way he speaks about how these needs work. Now you can take a test on Tony’s website that identifies your most important need as a function of your personality type.
This deviation from the original model now suggests that these needs exist in a hierarchy.
There is no hierarchy
Although, the clear advantage of this heresy is how well it works as a marketing funnel, the problem is that it protects, excuses, and even empowers dysfunction as just a result of having a greater need for one or more of the core needs.
For example:
If the test reveals your primary core need is certainty, you can be excused for being a control freak, risk averse, fearful, anxious, and therefore remain in your comfort zone.
If your primary need is variety, you can get away with being scattered, unplanned, late, disorganised, transient, uncommitted, and rebellious. It is not your fault!
If your primary need is significance, that explains why you are needy, selfish, narcissistic, a people pleaser, externally motivated, arrogant, egotistical, and overly driven.
If your primary need is love, that explains why you are needy, dependant, clingy and compliant.
If your primary need is contribution, then of course you will always need to be seen doing things for others and giving of your time, energy, and money sacrificially.
And if growth ranks highest, that can excuse your driven-ness, restlessness, overachieving, and dissatisfaction with your current results.
While this may appear to explain why you behave in certain ways, again it does not hold up under scrutiny.
A friend of mine tried to use this logic to explain why he was risk averse, anxious, overly cautious, and analytical, and I appeared adventurous, confident, carefree, with a large appetite for risk. It made sense to him that we simply had different primary needs. He clearly needed more certainty, and I required far more variety.
The truth is, that we both need exactly the same amounts of both certainty and variety. I can’t survive in the world with any less certainty than he can, it’s just that I have developed a high quality, internal way of being my own certainty and so my cup is always full, whereas his strategy is all external and unresourceful and so his cup leaks. Sure, he definitely has a higher felt need for certainty, but that just betrays his low-quality source and how little certainty he receives from the world.
To come back to the foundational idea that there is no hierarchy, means that each of us need all the core needs to be met at all times. And every behaviour is simply an attempt to meet these needs in the best way we have available to us at the time.
Without this understanding, it inevitably causes people to be highly confused about their nature, identity, and personality. (Which then undermines their willingness to trust themselves completely).
These are the most common misunderstandings that underpin the faulty assumptions about yourself:
Your character is most accurately demonstrated by your behaviour.
Bad behaviour proves there is a problem with your nature.
You are what you do and so your identity is entirely connected with your performance.
Your personality is the culmination of your patterns of behaviour.
When you take a clean look at yourself through the lens of the six core needs model, an entirely different truth emerges:
You always do the best you know how with the resources available to you at the time.
Your behaviour is simply a strategy for meeting your needs, not a reflection of your true nature.
You are not what you do. Your identity has nothing to do with your strategy for meeting your needs and protecting your fears.
Your personality is not the persona you’ve developed in a certain season to meet your needs and protect your fear. You are not your personas.
Behaviour is at the end of the assembly line in the factory of our lives and as such, every behaviour is clear evidence of the cleverly designed strategy to meet your needs externally.
The aim of the game is not to stop needing, but to meet your own needs internally. This means becoming your own source and supply.
Two rings
When I came to terms with the implications of Robbins’ core needs model, it completely changed my life.
No wonder I was so anxious and insecure, I had been looking for my needs to be filled in all the wrong places. The people I was relying on for my sense of certainty, significance and love were terrible at satisfying my thirst. To no fault of their own, they were too busy trying to meet their own needs to have any extra capacity to meet mine as well.
To continue outsourcing responsibility for what I needed, could only leave me feeling increasingly empty, alone, and unloved, and confusing me about my true value and worth.
I accepted that filling my cup was actually my job. I had worked out how to become self-sufficient physically and financially, so clearly, I had what it took to become self-sufficient emotionally, relationally, and psychologically as well.
Although I had no clear plan about how to do this for myself, the closest reference point for what it would be like to take on this role was the wedding ring on my left hand.
I can vividly remember standing at the alter as a 19 year old boy holding Katherine’s hand, about to pledge my life to her. I remember thinking that these words I was saying to her were some lofty and grandiose promises, especially at my age. I had gone against the pleas of my father-in-law to wait until I was much more financially stable before taking his daughter from him. However, I also realised that what qualified me to be speaking these words was not my track record of successful past marriages but my wholehearted commitment to be Katherine’s man.
I looked into her eyes and spoke from my heart. From this moment, I’ve got you, I’ve got this, I’ve got us. You can rest in my love for you. You won’t need to look for anyone else to be by your side in this way for the rest of your life.
In one moment, everything had changed. I’m not trialling for the role of husband or on probation to see if I’m up for the job, I’m in. With this ring, I am now her husband, and she is my wife.
This ring is still a powerful anchor to this wholehearted love I have for Katherine 25 years later.
In the same way, I decided that I wanted to wholeheartedly commit to the role of being there for myself.
The very same day I had the revelation about meeting my own core needs, I bought a ring and put it on my right hand and spoke from my heart to myself. From this moment, Jaemin I’ve got you, I’ve got this, I’ve got us. I knew that I couldn’t point to my past track record of knowing how to meet my own needs, but that this was not required. Again, it was my wholeheartedness that qualified me.
All these years later, that ring too is still a powerful anchor of my wholehearted commitment to be there for myself.
This threshold moment, line in the sand, all-in thinking, is a central part of ending your neediness and making the adult upgrade to meet all 6 core needs yourself. Any half-heartedness, or indecisiveness will get you into strife with the safety officer. For your operating system to be deemed safe enough to handle more speed, pressure, and growth you must be sure that you are completely committed to being the adult in your own life.
Here is a comprehensive description of the typical ways adults meet their need unresourcefully, and what the adult upgrade looks like for each of the 6 core needs.
(This is an excerpt from “The Self-Permission Model – How to succeed in life without using self discipline”
How do we develop our core needs?
Each of us is unique and shaped by our individual life events and corresponding emotions. Many of our deepest needs are developed in childhood, when our minds are taking in all the information they can. This information, whether positive or negative, creates our beliefs and values – and those create our entire world. It’s even been proven that stress in childhood has lasting effects on brain chemistry and development.
Each of us prioritizes our needs differently, and our decisions are based on which needs we put first. While the 6 human needs are deep-seated, remember that your past is not your future unless you live there. You can choose to fulfill your needs in a healthy way, as well as bring balance to your life by developing your ability to fulfill all of your needs equally.
What are the 6 human needs?
Certainty: assurance you can avoid pain and gain pleasure
Uncertainty/Variety: the need for the unknown, change, new stimuli
Significance: feeling unique, important, special or needed
Connection/Love: a strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something
Growth: an expansion of capacity, capability or understanding
Contribution: a sense of service and focus on helping, giving to and supporting others
Everyone ranks these human needs differently, and the way they are ranked explain why you are the way you are as a person. The top four needs in the list above shape our personality, while the last two (growth and contribution) shape our spiritual needs. People’s needs can be met in a variety of ways; we seek fulfillment through our relationships, careers, personal interests and more. Here’s more on the basic human needs and what they mean.
Certainty
If certainty is one of your core needs, you need to feel secure and safe about the future. When you receive positive recognition, it may be accompanied by a need for certainty that the recognition is authentic and will continue. In order to live a life filled with certainty, your life has to stay the same – a nearly impossible expectation to fulfill. So, you artificially control your environment by changing your expectations or by avoiding new situations or people. This process provides you with assurance that your actions will either avoid pain or gain pleasure, which then fulfills the basic human need for certainty.
How to tell if certainty is one of your core needs: You are trustworthy and always do what you say you’ll do. You enjoy planning, thrive on a schedule and are very organized. You’re hesitant to take risks and have new experiences. You may fall into addictive or obsessive behaviors.
How to fulfill a need for certainty: Find activities that you enjoy, but that also push you slightly out of your comfort zone. Incorporate healthy and empowering routines into your life. Give back to others to promote growth and contribution in a consistent way.
Uncertainty/variety
Though it’s important to understand the beauty of uncertainty, those who experience this as one of their top basic human needs can take it to an extreme. They engage in frequent job or relationship changes for the sake of variety, or take unnecessary risks to achieve the adrenaline jolt they crave. However, if uncertainty is one of your top 6 human needs, you will be unafraid of taking risks and will not avoid new situations or people.
How to tell if variety is one of your core needs: You’re generally outgoing and like meeting new people. You’re always willing to do something new and have many interests. You can be unfocused and lack planning skills, and perhaps push people away in relationships.
How to fulfill a need for variety: Feed your mind regularly with a variety of new information. Switch up your exercise routine, eat new foods and take classes with new people. Learn how to ignite passion in your life and relationships.
Significance
If significance is among the top two of your 6 human needs, then part of meeting that need includes receiving recognition. This translates into a desire to be seen, heard and listened to – in short, you want to be noticed. You measure significance by what you believe makes you unique compared to everyone else around you. Recognition provides you with a sense of validation that makes you feel seen, special and/or needed. Recognition is a major driving force behind human behavior because it provides us with a measurement system to analyze and track our significance. Recognition is also an extremely important part of keeping up employee productivity.
Those who don’t devise a positive way to feel significant may end up taking drastic measures to make themselves feel good, like turning to alcohol or engaging in frequent arguments. Others surround themselves with people that they view as less skilled or accomplished to provide contrast to their own achievements. Either scenario can result in increased significance – but neither behavior is particularly healthy.
How to tell if significance is one of your core needs: You’re highly driven to be successful and love setting and reaching goals. You’re committed to a cause – or several causes. Others tell you that you stand out. You can be overly competitive, perfectionistic or dramatic.
How to fulfill a need for significance: Channel your competitive nature into healthy activities by learning a new sport or skill or by volunteering. Work on your people skills to become a more well-rounded leader. Commit to total mastery of your profession or career.
Connection/love
If connection/love is your top basic human need, you are constantly seeking out a close relationship with someone or something. You truly understand that love wakes you up to the gift of life. People need love, and this can lead to some incredibly fulfilling relationships – but it can also cause you to sacrifice self-care in order to take care of others or maintain a partnership.
How to tell if connection is one of your core needs: Loyalty and generosity with those you love are your top values. You give freely and others find you trustworthy. You have strong social ties, but you can sometimes lose your sense of self and find it hard to say “no.”
How to fulfill a need for connection: Be willing to be vulnerable and create deeper, more meaningful friendships. Communicate your needs to your partner to improve intimacy. Achieve greater spirituality through prayer, meditation or connecting with nature.
Growth
Those whose foremost core need is growth are always striving to be better and learn more. They are very good at their jobs, but tend to move on quickly as soon as they believe they’ve reached their full potential. Though their constant striving for betterment ensures they will never be bored, they can err on the side of perfectionism and neglect the rest and relaxation they need to keep stress levels manageable.
How to tell if growth is one of your core needs: You’re always pushing boundaries, both your own and those set for you by others and by society. You’re very independent and are not attached to material things. You may find it hard to connect with others and move on too quickly from relationships.
How to fulfill a need for growth: Develop your growth mindset even further by challenging yourself to not only learn, but truly master a difficult skill. Don’t forget emotional and spiritual growth: examine your limiting beliefs, learn to control your emotions and take up meditation or priming.
Contribution
The secret to living is giving, and those who experience contribution as one of their top 6 human needs know this better than anyone. If you have a need to contribute, you will likely make a big difference in your community. However, you can lose sight of the fact that giving begins at home and neglect those closest to you as you change the world.
How to tell if contribution is one of your core needs: You’re an extremely empathetic and compassionate person. You enjoy giving back and sharing what you have. You want to leave a legacy. Yet you may burn out easily or be taken advantage of by others.
How to fulfill a need for contribution: Giving back is the best way to fulfill this need. Don’t just join a volunteer group – start your own. The closer the cause is to your heart, the more fulfilled you will feel.
The importance of meeting the 6 human needs
Many of your behaviors are based on which of your needs are – or are not – being met. Depending on which of the basic human needs are foremost in your personality, you could be spending a lot of time consciously or subconsciously meeting one or two of them. And if you don’t succeed, it could negatively impact your overall sense of well-being.
Knowing which of your 6 human needs is your primary driver and how this affects your ability to connect with others and develop healthy relationships is crucial to your understanding of what fuels you. It can also help you better understand and manage triggers and be in charge of your own emotions.
Did one or several of the above needs jump out at you? If you’re not sure, take the Driving Force Quiz to determine your top need.
By better understanding which of the basic human needs is your driving force, you can set goals for yourself and implement positive behaviors to help you achieve those goals. Understanding these needs, and which ones you want to meet in any given moment, can help you embrace the power of growth and create new patterns that lead to lasting fulfillment.
Want to learn more about the 6 human needs and how you prioritize them in your own life? No matter what you want – significance, certainty or love and connection – Unleash the Power Within will give you the momentum to achieve it. Embrace the life you desire and deserve today.
Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs马斯洛需求层次理论
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological (food and clothing), safety (job security), love and belonging needs (friendship), esteem, and self-actualization.
Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up.
Key Takeaways
Needs Hierarchy: The original hierarchy includes physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs. Later expansions add cognitive, aesthetic, and transcendence needs.
Not Strictly Linear: While Maslow initially proposed that lower needs must be relatively satisfied before higher ones, modern research suggests people often pursue multiple needs simultaneously.
Cultural Variations: Different societies may prioritize needs differently. Individualistic vs. collectivist cultures, for example, can shape which needs take precedence.
Practical Applications: In fields like education, healthcare, and workplace management, Maslow’s framework helps identify barriers to motivation and guides strategies to fulfill various needs.
Criticisms: Maslow’s biographical approach, cultural biases, and the debate over rigid vs. flexible ordering highlight the importance of viewing his theory as a starting point rather than an absolute rule.
What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?
According to Maslow, human needs were arranged in a hierarchy, with physiological (survival) needs at the bottom, and the more creative and intellectually oriented ‘self-actualization’ needs at the top.
Maslow argued that survival needs must be satisfied before the individual can satisfy the higher needs.
The higher up the hierarchy, the more difficult it is to satisfy the needs associated with that stage, because of the interpersonal and environmental barriers that inevitably frustrate us.
Higher needs become increasingly psychological and long-term rather than physiological and short-term, as in the lower survival-related needs.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow. It organizes human needs into five levels: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Often visualized as a pyramid, this hierarchy suggests that human motivation progresses from basic survival needs to complex psychological and self-fulfillment goals
1. Physiological needs are biological requirements for human survival, e.g., air, food, drink, shelter, clothing, sleep, and homeostasis.
Our most basic need is for physical survival, and this will be the first thing that motivates our behavior.
Once that level is fulfilled, the next level up is what motivates us, and so on.
The human body cannot function optimally if physiological needs are not satisfied.
Maslow considered physiological needs the most important as all the other needs become secondary until these needs are met.
Once an individual’s physiological needs are satisfied, the need for security and safety becomes salient.
2. Safety needs involve predictability, order, and control. These include job security, health, financial security, and freedom from harm.
Safety needs can be fulfilled by the family and societal structures, such as law enforcement and medical care.
For example, emotional security, physical safety, financial security (e.g., employment, social welfare), law and order, freedom from fear, social stability, property, health, and well-being (e.g., safety against accidents and injury).
After physiological and safety needs have been fulfilled, the third level of human needs is social and involves feelings of belongingness.
3. Love and belongingness reflects the human need for social connection, including friendship, family, and romantic relationships. A sense of belonging and acceptance is essential for psychological well-being and can even override safety needs in some cases.
Examples of belongingness needs include friendship, family, intimacy, trust, acceptance, receiving and giving affection, and love.
This need is especially strong in childhood and can override the need for safety, as witnessed in children who cling to abusive parents.
4. Esteem needs include self-respect, achievement, and recognition from others.
Maslow classified esteem needs into two categories: (i) esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement, mastery, independence) and (ii) the desire for reputation or respect from others (e.g., status, recognition, and prestige).
Esteem is the typical human desire to be accepted and valued by others.
People often engage in a profession or hobby to gain recognition, which gives them a sense of contribution or value.
Low self-esteem or an inferiority complex may result from imbalances during this level in the hierarchy.
Maslow indicated that the need for respect or reputation is most important for children and adolescents and precedes real self-esteem or dignity.
5. Self-actualization needs is the pursuit of realizing one’s full potential through personal growth, creativity, or achieving meaningful goals. Maslow described it as the desire ‘to become everything one is capable of becoming’.
This level of need refers to what a person’s full potential is and the realization of that potential.
This need manifests uniquely in each person.
For one, it might involve becoming an ideal parent; for another, it may be fulfilled through work, artistic expression, or invention.
It reflects a commitment to authenticity and the pursuit of purpose.
Although Maslow did not believe that many of us could achieve true self-actualization, he did believe that all of us experience transitory moments (known as ‘peak experiences’) of self-actualization.
Such moments, associated with personally significant events such as childbirth, sporting achievement and examination success), are difficult to achieve and maintain consistently.
Maslow posited that human needs are arranged in a hierarchy:
“It is quite true that man lives by bread alone — when there is no bread. But what happens to man’s desires when there is plenty of bread and when his belly is chronically filled?
At once other (and “higher”) needs emerge and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate the organism. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new (and still “higher”) needs emerge and so on. This is what we mean by saying that the basic human needs are organized into a hierarchy of relative prepotency” (Maslow, 1943, p. 375) .
Keep in mind that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs doesn't follow a strict linear progression. Individuals can feel various needs at the same time or shift between levels.
Maslow continued to refine his theory based on the concept of a hierarchy of needs over several decades (Maslow, 1943, 1962, 1987).
Regarding the structure of his hierarchy, Maslow (1987) proposed that the order in the hierarchy “is not nearly as rigid” (p. 68) as he may have implied in his earlier description.
Maslow noted that the order of needs might be flexible based on external circumstances or individual differences. For example, he notes that for some individuals, the need for self-esteem is more important than the need for love. For others, the need for creative fulfillment may supersede even the most basic needs.
Maslow (1987) also pointed out that most behavior is multi-motivated and noted that “any behavior tends to be determined by several or all of the basic needs simultaneously rather than by only one of them” (p. 71).
Maslow (1954) proposed that human beings possess two sets of needs. This five-stage model can be divided into deficiency needs and growth needs. The first four levels are often referred to as deficiency needs (D-needs), and the top level is known as growth or being needs (B-needs).
Deficiency needs
Deficiency needs concern basic survival and include physiological needs (such as the need for food, sex, and sleep) and safety needs (such as the need for security and freedom from danger).
Behaviors associated with these needs are seen as ‘deficiency’ motivated, as they are a means to an end.
Deficiency needs arise due to deprivation and are said to motivate people when they are unmet.
Also, the motivation to fulfill such needs will become stronger the longer they are denied. For example, the longer a person goes without food, the more hungry they will become.
Maslow (1943) initially stated that individuals must satisfy lower-level deficit needs before progressing to meet higher-level growth needs.
However, he later clarified that satisfaction of a need is not an “all-or-none” phenomenon, admitting that his earlier statements may have given “the false impression that a need must be satisfied 100 percent before the next need emerges” (1987, p. 69).
When a deficit need has been “more or less” satisfied, it will go away, and our activities become habitually directed toward meeting the next set of needs we have yet to satisfy.
These then become our salient needs. However, growth needs continue to be felt and may even become stronger once engaged.
Growth needs
Growth needs are more psychological and are associated with realizing an individual’s full potential and needing to ‘self-actualize’. These needs are achieved more through intellectual and creative behaviors.
Growth needs do not stem from a lack of something but rather from a desire to grow as a person.
Once these growth needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level, called self-actualization. Growth needs are achieved more through intellectual and creative behaviors.
Every person is capable and has the desire to move up the hierarchy toward a level of self-actualization. Unfortunately, progress is often disrupted by a failure to meet lower-level needs.
Life experiences, including divorce and the loss of a job, may cause an individual to fluctuate between levels of the hierarchy.
Therefore, not everyone will move through the hierarchy in a uni-directional manner but may move back and forth between the different types of needs.
The expanded hierarchy of needs
It is important to note that Maslow’s (1943, 1954) five-stage model has been expanded to include cognitive and aesthetic needs (Maslow, 1970a) and later transcendence needs (Maslow, 1970b).
Changes to the original five-stage model are highlighted and include a seven-stage model and an eight-stage model; both developed during the 1960s and 1970s.
Biological and physiological needs – air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.
Safety needs – protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.
Love and belongingness needs – friendship, intimacy, trust, and acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love. Affiliating, being part of a group (family, friends, work).
Esteem needs – which Maslow classified into two categories: (i) esteem for oneself (dignity, achievement, mastery, independence) and (ii) the need to be accepted and valued by others (e.g., status, prestige).
Cognitive needs – knowledge and understanding, curiosity, exploration, need for meaning and predictability.
Cognitive needs drive our pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
For instance, a student’s desire to understand complex mathematical theories, a traveler’s curiosity about diverse cultures, or an individual’s quest for life’s deeper meanings all exemplify these needs.
Meeting these needs facilitates personal growth, comprehension, and a deeper understanding of life and its complexities.
Aesthetic needs – appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.
Fulfilling these needs leads to a deeper sense of satisfaction and harmony in life, as individuals seek environments and experiences that are pleasing and resonant with their sense of beauty.
This involves the appreciation and pursuit of art, music, nature, and other forms of aesthetic expression.
Fulfilling these needs isn’t just about physical beauty but also the emotional and psychological satisfaction derived from experiencing order and elegance.
Self-actualization needs– realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth, and peak experiences.
Transcendence needs – A person is motivated by values that transcend beyond the personal self. Beyond self-actualization, they represent the human desire to connect with a higher reality, purpose, or the universe.
This level emphasizes altruism, spiritual connection, and helping others achieve their potential.
Individuals seek experiences that move beyond personal concerns, aiming to achieve a deep sense of unity, understanding, and belonging within the vast expanse of existence.
Examples of transcendence needs include mystical experiences and certain experiences with nature, aesthetic experiences, sexual experiences, service to others, the pursuit of science, religious faith, etc.).
Self-Actualization Needs
Instead of focusing on psychopathology and what goes wrong with people, Maslow (1943) formulated a more positive account of human behavior which focused on what goes right.
He was interested in human potential, and how we fulfill that potential.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow (1943, 1954) stated that human motivation is based on people seeking fulfillment and change through personal growth. Self-actualized people are those who are fulfilled and doing all they are capable of.
The growth of self-actualization (Maslow, 1962) refers to the need for personal growth and discovery that is present throughout a person’s life.
For Maslow, a person is always “becoming” and never remains static in these terms. In self-actualization, a person comes to find a meaning in life that is important to them.
As each individual is unique, the motivation for self-actualization leads people in different directions (Kenrick et al., 2010).
For some people, self-actualization can be achieved through creating works of art or literature; for others, through sports, in the classroom, or within a corporate setting.
Maslow (1962) believed self-actualization could be measured through the concept of peak experiences.
This occurs when a person experiences the world totally for what it is, and there are feelings of euphoria, joy, and wonder.
It is important to note that self-actualization is a continual process of becoming rather than a perfect state one reaches of a “happy ever after” (Hoffman, 1988).
Maslow offers the following description of self-actualization:
“It refers to the person’s desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially.
The specific form that these needs will take will of course vary greatly from person to person. In one individual it may take the form of the desire to be an ideal mother, in another it may be expressed athletically, and in still another it may be expressed in painting pictures or in inventions” (Maslow, 1943, p. 382–383).
Characteristics of Self-Actualized People
Although we are all, theoretically, capable of self-actualizing, most of us will not do so, or only to a limited degree. Maslow (1970) estimated that only two percent of people would reach the state of self-actualization.
He was especially interested in the characteristics of people whom he considered to have achieved their potential as individuals.
By studying 18 people, he considered to be self-actualized (including Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein), Maslow (1970) identified 15 characteristics of a self-actualized person.
Characteristics of self-actualizers:
They perceive reality efficiently and can tolerate uncertainty;
Accept themselves and others for what they are;
Spontaneous in thought and action;
Problem-centered (not self-centered);
Unusual sense of humor;
Able to look at life objectively;
Highly creative;
Resistant to enculturation, but not purposely unconventional;
Concerned for the welfare of humanity;
Capable of deep appreciation of basic life-experience;
Establish deep satisfying interpersonal relationships with a few people;
Peak experiences;
Need for privacy;
Democratic attitudes;
Strong moral/ethical standards.
Behavior leading to self-actualization:
Experiencing life like a child, with full absorption and concentration;
Trying new things instead of sticking to safe paths;
Listening to your own feelings in evaluating experiences instead of the voice of tradition, authority or the majority;
Avoiding pretense (“game playing”) and being honest;
Being prepared to be unpopular if your views do not coincide with those of the majority;
Taking responsibility and working hard;
Trying to identify your defenses and having the courage to give them up.
The characteristics of self-actualizers and the behaviors leading to self-actualization are shown in the list above.
Although people achieve self-actualization in their own unique way, they tend to share certain characteristics. However, self-actualization is a matter of degree, ‘There are no perfect human beings’ (Maslow, 1970a, p. 176).
It is not necessary to display all 15 characteristics to become self-actualized, and not only self-actualized people will display them.
Maslow did not equate self-actualization with perfection. Self-actualization merely involves achieving one’s potential.
Thus, someone can be silly, wasteful, vain and impolite, and still self-actualize. Less than two percent of the population achieve self-actualization.
Applications & Examples
Workplace organizations and employee motivation
The theory applies to organizational structures and the motivation of employees.
To enhance performance, the organizational culture and HR strategies must address and fulfill the needs of employees.
HR strategies, including compensation, benefits, job design, training, cultural development, and performance evaluations, can be tailored to cater to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Jerome, 2013).
1. What can managers do to motivate employees with physiological needs?
At the foundational physiological level, organizations should provide wages that sustain a decent standard of living and comprehensive benefits, ensuring employees can comfortably cater to necessities such as food, shelter, and medical care.
Offer comprehensive healthcare benefits – Quality health insurance, dental, vision, mental health coverage, and wellness programs demonstrate you care about employees’ overall health and ability to afford care.
Subsidize gym memberships – Some companies offer monthly gym subsidies or onsite fitness centers to support physical health and stress management.
Make the space ergonomic – Ensure workstations, chairs, keyboards, etc. are height adjustable and comfortable to work at for extended periods to prevent bodily strain or injury.
Pay for wellness services – Some companies offer perks like free annual flu shots, smoking cessation programs, or biometric screenings to proactively address health.
2. What can managers do to motivate employees with safety needs?
For the safety tier, offering job stability, secure working conditions, and equitable compensation is essential.
Employees are more motivated when they feel both financially stable and physically safe within their workplace.
Establish anti-harassment policies and reporting procedures – Ensure strong systems are in place for reporting issues confidentially and without retaliation.
Cultivate psychological safety – Foster an environment where people feel safe to take risks, make mistakes, and speak up without fear of embarrassment or punishment.
Define and reinforce ethical standards – Clearly establish and model expected conduct to prevent ethical lapses that undermine security.
Promote transparency in pay and promotion practices – Clearly communicate compensation structure, advancement criteria, and salary negotiation options to build trust.
3. What can managers do to motivate employees with social needs?
Addressing social needs involves cultivating an inclusive community within the organization.
Team-building exercises, social gatherings, mentorship initiatives, and transparent communication can foster a sense of belonging.
Motivation is heightened when employees feel appreciated and integrated within their teams.
Develop mother’s rooms – Providing clean, private lactation rooms supports new mothers’ needs to pump breast milk during work hours.
Train supervisors in mental health first aid – Equip leaders to recognize signs of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and properly intervene or connect employees with help.
Develop a mentorship program – Allow experienced employees to mentor newer ones to establish interpersonal bonds and a sense of support.
Model inclusive language and behavior – Use words and actions that are welcoming and respectful to all groups.
Share vulnerability and imperfections – Leaders should open up on mistakes, challenges, and lessons learned to humanize the workplace.
4. What can managers do to motivate employees with esteem needs?
To cater to esteem needs, organizations should implement recognition systems, merit-based promotions, and leadership roles.
Leverage unique talents – Properly designated titles that reflect an individual’s role and status can also be beneficial.
Make the most of performance reviews – Regular performance evaluations not only offer recognition but also highlight areas for growth, feeding into the employees’ need for esteem. Thoroughly highlight strengths, progress made, and areas of influence.
Entrust employees with mentoring roles – Having them share knowledge and coach others recognizes their expertise.
What can managers do to motivate employees with self-actualization needs?
For self-actualization, organizations should ensure that job roles align with employees’ talents and passions.
By empowering employees, presenting them with challenges, and fostering an environment that encourages innovation, organizations can facilitate their journey toward self-actualization.
Foster innovation – Dedicate time and resources for experimenting with new ideas without pressure.
Sponsor continuing education – Provide tuition reimbursement or subsidies for advanced courses and certificate programs. Offer paid time for relevant reading, online courses, conferences, and seminars.
Workplace Motivation
A recent quantitative study by McConnell and Metz (2024) examined how different work arrangements (on-site, remote, hybrid) fulfill employees’ needs.
Surveying full-time U.S. employees, they found that those in hybrid work settings reported significantly higher satisfaction of all five need levels, compared to employees working exclusively on-site or exclusively remotely
The hybrid arrangement, which offers flexibility along with in-person collaboration, appears to satisfy basic needs (job security, comfort) while also supporting social connection and personal growth, more so than the other arrangements
This finding suggests that workplaces which balance remote flexibility with opportunities for face-to-face interaction can better motivate employees by addressing the full spectrum of human needs.
The research by Ihensekien and Joel (2023) compares Maslow’s hierarchy with Herzberg’s two-factor theory, finding clear alignment between the frameworks.
Maslow’s lower-level needs correspond to Herzberg’s “hygiene” factors, while higher-level needs match his intrinsic motivators.
Their review concludes that organizations must address both basic extrinsic needs (salary, job security) and higher intrinsic needs (recognition, growth opportunities) simultaneously to develop a motivated, high-performing workforce.
Effective management requires recognizing employees’ diverse needs and creating conditions that satisfy both fundamental necessities and growth needs, resulting in more engaged and productive employees.
Nursing
The hierarchy provides a framework for understanding patients as multifaceted human beings.
Patient care should be holistic, not just medical. Nurses must assess and address the spectrum of patient needs – physical, mental, emotional, and social (Jackson et al., 2014; Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2023).
Doing so motivates greater engagement in care, faster healing, and improved outcomes.
Physiological needs(ABC + D) – Ensure patients have adequate nutrition, hydration, pain control, sleep, and physical comfort. Address pain that hinders sleep and recovery.
A – Airway: Ensure the patient has an open airway.
B – Breathing: Assess and support adequate breathing and gas exchange.
C – Circulation: Evaluate and maintain proper blood circulation.
D – Decreased level of consciousness: Monitor for any changes in behavior or mental status.
Safety needs – Maintain a clean, quiet environment with call bells for assistance. Prevent injuries through fall precautions, blood clot prevention, and pressure ulcer avoidance.
Explain tests, treatments, and medications to patients to relieve anxiety. Keep patient info confidential. Foster a climate of trust through compassionate listening. Prevent medication errors.
Belongingness – Loneliness impedes healing. Make patients feel welcomed and included. Introduce them to other patients. Allow for family visitation and spiritual practices.
Esteem – Show respect through courteous communication and cultural sensitivity. Maintain dignity and privacy.
Empower patients in care decisions. Explain care in an easy-to-understand way. Listen attentively to their concerns. Make them feel valued.
Self-actualization— Align care with patient values and aspirations. Perhaps share motivational stories of those with similar diagnoses who stayed active or provide resources on coping with grief over health changes.
Special Considerations
Pain Management: While pain is typically considered a physiological need, its priority can vary. Acute, severe pain or pain indicating a life-threatening condition should be addressed immediately.
Hospice Care: For end-of-life care patients, comfort and quality of life may take precedence over addressing physiological needs.
Education
Maslow’s (1962) hierarchy of needs theory has made a major contribution to teaching and classroom management in schools.
Rather than reducing behavior to a response in the environment, Maslow (1970a) adopts a holistic approach to education and learning.
Maslow examines an individual’s complete physical, emotional, social, and intellectual qualities and how they impact learning.
Applying Maslow’s hierarchy theory to the work of the classroom teacher is obvious. Before a student’s cognitive needs can be met, they must first fulfill their basic physiological needs.
For example, a tired and hungry student will find it difficult to focus on learning. Students need to feel emotionally and physically safe and accepted within the classroom to progress and reach their full potential.
Maslow suggests students must be shown that they are valued and respected in the classroom, and the teacher should create a supportive environment.
Students with a low self-esteem will not progress academically at an optimum rate until their self-esteem is strengthened.
Maslow’s hierarchy provides a humanistic lens for teaching the whole child.
Maslow (1971, p. 195) argued that a humanistic educational approach would develop people who are “stronger, healthier, and would take their own lives into their hands to a greater extent. With increased personal responsibility for one’s personal life, and with a rational set of values to guide one’s choosing, people would begin to actively change the society in which they lived”.
Here are some ways a teacher can apply Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in the classroom:
Physiological – Ensure students have access to water, food, restroom breaks, and movement. Allow snacks, flexible seating, and adequate breaks.
Safety – Maintain an orderly classroom with clear expectations. Prevent bullying. Build trust through consistency and fairness. Allow students to make mistakes safely.
Belongingness – Facilitate community and collaboration. Foster teamwork through group projects. Learn student names and backgrounds. Appreciate diversity.
Esteem – Recognize student strengths and progress. Display student work. Empower leadership roles like line leader or tech helper. Praise efforts, not just achievement.
Self-Actualization – Help students pursue interests creatively. Assign passion projects. Encourage goal-setting. Provide enrichment opportunities. Support challenging oneself.
When these foundational needs are met, students are more motivated to learn and perform well academically. But needs fluctuate. Be observant and nurture needs as they arise.
Critical Evaluation
Before exploring each critique in detail, here are the main concerns raised about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
Subjective Methodology: Maslow’s biographical analysis (based on a small, primarily Western sample) risks researcher bias and limited generalizability.
Cultural Bias: Critics argue the hierarchy reflects Western, individualistic values and does not always apply uniformly across cultures.
Lack of Empirical Rigor: Testing self-actualization and proving a strict stepwise sequence is challenging, making parts of the theory more speculative than scientifically proven.
Rigid Progression: Real-world examples show people often meet higher-order needs (like belonging or creativity) even when some basic needs remain unmet.
Modern Pluralistic View of Motivation: Contemporary psychologists often see motivation as multidimensional—people can experience and pursue several needs at once rather than progressing linearly from lower to higher needs.
Mental Health Contexts: Research on homelessness, serious mental illness, and recovery suggests individuals continue striving for self-actualization or personal growth despite unmet basic needs, challenging the notion that one must fully satisfy lower needs first.
Overlooked Alternatives: Other models (e.g., Alderfer’s ERG, Self-Determination Theory) suggest more flexible or universal principles of motivation that do not rely on a linear structure.
1. Subjective Biographical Analysis
The most significant limitation of Maslow’s theory concerns his methodology. Maslow formulated the characteristics of self-actualized individuals by undertaking a qualitative method called biographical analysis.
He looked at the biographies and writings of 18 people he identified as being self-actualized. From these sources, he developed a list of qualities that seemed characteristic of this specific group of people, as opposed to humanity in general.
From a scientific perspective, there are numerous problems with this particular approach. First, it could be argued that biographical analysis as a method is extremely subjective as it is based entirely on the opinion of the researcher.
Personal opinion is always prone to bias, which reduces the validity of any data obtained. Therefore Maslow’s operational definition of self-actualization must not be blindly accepted as scientific fact.
2. Biased Sample and Limited Generalizability
Maslow’s biographical analysis focused on a biased sample of self-actualized individuals, prominently limited to highly educated white males (such as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, William James, Aldous Huxley, and Beethoven).
Although Maslow (1970) did study self-actualized females, such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Mother Teresa, they comprised a small proportion of his sample.
This makes it difficult to generalize his theory to females and individuals from lower social classes or different ethnicity. Thus questioning the population validity of Maslow’s findings.
Critics have often pointed out that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs reflects Western, individualistic values.
In many collectivist or non-Western cultures, community, spirituality, and family obligations may rank as foundational priorities, sometimes appearing at or near the base of the “pyramid” rather than being relegated to higher tiers.
Some cultures integrate spiritual fulfillment or communal welfare into their core survival needs, suggesting that people might see the entire group’s well-being as inseparable from their own.
In these settings, “belongingness” isn’t just a step toward individual esteem—it’s often woven into everyday life.
3. Difficulty in Empirical Testing
A primary criticism is that Maslow himself did not provide empirical work to support his hierarchy of needs.
This absence of empirical foundation from the originator made it inherently difficult for subsequent researchers to operationalise his theory effectively.
Consequently, much of the widespread adoption and dissemination of his theory, often through the iconic pyramid, has occurred without a robust empirical basis for its claims.
Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to empirically test Maslow’s concept of self-actualization in a way that causal relationships can be established.
Critics argue that his theory is more speculative than empirically proven, with a tendency to substitute rhetoric for rigorous research.
4. Rigid Progression of Needs?
Another criticism concerns Maslow’s assumption that lower needs must be satisfied before a person can achieve self-actualization.
Real-world observations show this is not always the case, leading some to claim parts of the hierarchy have been falsified.
In practice, lower-order deficiency needs are often negated to accomplish higher-order being or growth needs. Examples include athletes overtraining, individuals foregoing sleep for work deadlines, or teachers enduring cold classrooms to maintain learning (Rojas, 2023).
People often work on multiple motives simultaneously rather than progressing through distinct levels.
This directly challenges the idea that one must satisfy basic needs before pursuing higher ones.
In cultures where many live in poverty (e.g., India), people still exhibit higher-order needs (love, belongingness), contradicting Maslow’s claim that one cannot focus on these needs without first securing basic physiological needs.
Likewise, many historically creative individuals (Rembrandt, Van Gogh) lived in poverty yet arguably reached states resembling self-actualization.
5. Modern Pluralistic View of Motivation
Psychologists now conceptualize motivation as pluralistic, people can experience multiple needs simultaneously (Wahba & Bridwell, 1973).
Contemporary research by Tay and Diener (2011) supports the idea that universal human needs do exist, but they do not necessarily follow Maslow’s strict order.
Tay and Diener tested Maslow’s theory by analyzing the data of 60,865 participants from 123 countries, representing every major region of the world. The survey was conducted from 2005 to 2010.
Their large-scale study found that although basic needs tend to receive the most attention when unmet, people still benefit from meeting higher needs (e.g., social connections, respect) even when lower needs remain unfulfilled.
Diener compares needs to “vitamins”: we can experience well-being from multiple needs at once, even if some remain only partially satisfied.
Respondents answered questions about six needs that closely resemble those in Maslow’s model: basic needs (food, shelter); safety; social needs (love, support); respect; mastery; and autonomy.
They also rated their well-being across three discrete measures: life evaluation (a person’s view of his or her life as a whole), positive feelings (day-to-day instances of joy or pleasure), and negative feelings (everyday experiences of sorrow, anger, or stress).
The results of the study support the view that universal human needs appear to exist regardless of cultural differences. However, the ordering of the needs within the hierarchy was not correct.
“Although the most basic needs might get the most attention when you don”t have them,” Diener explains, “you don”t need to fulfill them in order to get benefits [from the others].”
Even when we are hungry, for instance, we can be happy with our friends. “They”re like vitamins,” Diener says about how the needs work independently. “We need them all.”
6. Mental Health Contexts
Maslow’s hierarchy has proven valuable in mental health research and practice, offering insight into patient goals and system priorities.
A 2015 mixed-methods study by Derejko et al. applied Maslow’s theory to homeless adults with serious mental illness entering housing programs.
Quantitatively, the researchers found a counterintuitive result: individuals who still lacked basic necessities were often more likely to voice self-actualization goals (such as pursuing education or creative ambitions), rather than focusing exclusively on securing food and shelter.
Qualitative interviews revealed a complex interplay between basic and higher needs – many participants continued striving for meaning and personal growth even while some fundamental needs were unmet.
These findings suggest that, in the context of extreme hardship, people do not always follow a strict stepwise needs progression.
The authors argue that recovery-oriented care should be highly person-centered, helping clients pursue higher goals alongside efforts to meet basic needs.
In other words, mental health services should not assume that no self-improvement goals exist until housing and food are secured; often, the aspiration for purpose and self-worth persists and can be harnessed as part of the recovery process.
Zheng et al. (2016), using neuropsychological evidence, proposed a reordering of Maslow’s hierarchy for mental disorders.
They prioritize safety needs above physiological needs.
This is because chronic insecurity is a key factor in anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders.
The brain’s safety circuitry (amygdala and stress response) demonstrates how a lack of safety triggers severe distress.
Essentially, they suggest “flipping” Maslow’s bottom two layers, making safety (absence of violence, financial stability, health security) the primary need for mental well-being.
This implies that mental health interventions and social policies should prioritize establishing safety as a foundation for other interventions (healthcare, social support, therapy).
7. Alternate Motivation Theories
Alderfer’s ERG Theory
ERG theory offers a more flexible and dynamic model, allowing for overlapping needs and acknowledging that people often navigate back and forth between need levels based on circumstances -something Maslow hinted at but never emphasized as strongly.
Alderfer (1969) proposed three core categories of needs: Existence, Relatedness, and Growth (ERG):
Existence Needs (E) – covering basic material and physiological requirements (food, water, shelter, safety).
Relatedness Needs (R) – encompassing interpersonal relationships and social connections (love, belonging).
Growth Needs (G) – focusing on personal development and self-fulfillment (parallels self-actualization).
How It Compares to Maslow:
Simultaneous vs. Sequential: Unlike Maslow’s largely sequential framework, ERG theory posits that individuals can pursue multiple levels of needs at the same time.
Frustration-Regression Hypothesis: If higher-level needs (Growth) are not met, people may refocus on lower-level (Existence or Relatedness) needs with renewed intensity, rather than simply stalling.
Flexibility: Because ERG theory does not require that one need be “fully satisfied” before addressing another, it can accommodate cultural and personal variations more readily.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Herzberg’s theory parallels Maslow’s distinction between basic (deficiency) needs and growth (fulfillment) needs but emphasizes that satisfying lower needs only neutralizes dissatisfaction.
True motivation emerges from meeting “higher” motivators.
Hygiene Factors: Elements like salary, job security, and working conditions, which, if missing, cause dissatisfaction but do not necessarily motivate people when present.
Motivators (Satisfiers): Factors such as recognition, responsibility, and personal growth, which genuinely drive motivation and satisfaction when they are fulfilled.
How It Compares to Maslow:
Overlap with Lower vs. Higher Needs: Hygiene factors resemble Maslow’s lower-level needs (physiological and safety), while motivators align with higher-level needs (esteem, self-actualization).
Importance of Elimination of Dissatisfaction: Herzberg argues that removing negative conditions (e.g., poor work environment) does not automatically result in motivation—workers need motivators for true engagement.
Focus on Workplace: Herzberg’s theory is often applied in organizational settings, whereas Maslow’s model has broader applications, from education to personal development.
Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan)
Deci and Ryan (1985) proposed that individuals have three fundamental psychological needs: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness:
Autonomy: Feeling in control of one’s actions and decisions.
Competence: Feeling capable and effective in interacting with the environment.
Relatedness: Feeling connected and supported by others.
SDT shifts attention from a layered progression to a holistic view of motivation, suggesting that personal growth and well-being arise from the constant interplay of autonomy, competence, and relatedness—regardless of one’s stage in a hierarchy.
How It Compares to Maslow:
Not Strictly Hierarchical: Deci and Ryan propose that humans continuously seek autonomy, competence, and relatedness; no single need must be fully addressed before another becomes important.
Intrinsic Motivation Focus: Self-Determination Theory (SDT) spotlights how internal drives (e.g., genuine interest, personal values) fuel learning, well-being, and performance, rather than prioritizing external factors like pay or status.
Cross-Cultural Flexibility: SDT has been explored extensively across different cultures, suggesting these three needs are universal and can be pursued simultaneously, an idea that overlaps with and expands Maslow’s “growth” dimensions.
Summary of Comparisons
Hierarchy vs. Overlap:
Maslow mainly argued a loose progression (lower to higher needs).
Alderfer and SDT allow multiple needs to coexist, granting greater flexibility.
Herzberg splits conditions into hygiene factors (removing dissatisfaction) and motivators (driving satisfaction).
Deficiency vs. Growth:
Maslow and Herzberg both highlight the difference between meeting basic needs (preventing dissatisfaction) and pursuing higher-level fulfillment.
Alderfer’s Growth and SDT’s Competence/Autonomy similarly emphasize advanced, self-directed pursuits.
Cultural & Individual Variations:
Alderfer and SDT more explicitly account for individual and cultural differences in the order or prominence of needs.
Maslow acknowledged flexibility but still proposed a somewhat universal pattern.
Conclusion
Maslow’s theory differs from more purely physiological representations of human motivation because motivation is seen as being not just concerned with tension reduction and survival but also with human growth and development.
While Maslow’s work was indeed relatively informal and clinically descriptive, it did provide a rich source of ideas, and as such, a framework for discussing the richness and complexity of human motivation that goes beyond homeostatic models and other biological models.
Critical Evaluation
Before exploring each critique in detail, here are the main concerns raised about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
Subjective Methodology: Maslow’s biographical analysis (based on a small, primarily Western sample) risks researcher bias and limited generalizability.
Cultural Bias: Critics argue the hierarchy reflects Western, individualistic values and does not always apply uniformly across cultures.
Lack of Empirical Rigor: Testing self-actualization and proving a strict stepwise sequence is challenging, making parts of the theory more speculative than scientifically proven.
Rigid Progression: Real-world examples show people often meet higher-order needs (like belonging or creativity) even when some basic needs remain unmet.
Modern Pluralistic View of Motivation: Contemporary psychologists often see motivation as multidimensional—people can experience and pursue several needs at once rather than progressing linearly from lower to higher needs.
Mental Health Contexts: Research on homelessness, serious mental illness, and recovery suggests individuals continue striving for self-actualization or personal growth despite unmet basic needs, challenging the notion that one must fully satisfy lower needs first.
Overlooked Alternatives: Other models (e.g., Alderfer’s ERG, Self-Determination Theory) suggest more flexible or universal principles of motivation that do not rely on a linear structure.
1. Subjective Biographical Analysis
The most significant limitation of Maslow’s theory concerns his methodology. Maslow formulated the characteristics of self-actualized individuals by undertaking a qualitative method called biographical analysis.
He looked at the biographies and writings of 18 people he identified as being self-actualized. From these sources, he developed a list of qualities that seemed characteristic of this specific group of people, as opposed to humanity in general.
From a scientific perspective, there are numerous problems with this particular approach. First, it could be argued that biographical analysis as a method is extremely subjective as it is based entirely on the opinion of the researcher.
Personal opinion is always prone to bias, which reduces the validity of any data obtained. Therefore Maslow’s operational definition of self-actualization must not be blindly accepted as scientific fact.
2. Biased Sample and Limited Generalizability
Maslow’s biographical analysis focused on a biased sample of self-actualized individuals, prominently limited to highly educated white males (such as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, William James, Aldous Huxley, and Beethoven).
Although Maslow (1970) did study self-actualized females, such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Mother Teresa, they comprised a small proportion of his sample.
This makes it difficult to generalize his theory to females and individuals from lower social classes or different ethnicity. Thus questioning the population validity of Maslow’s findings.
Critics have often pointed out that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs reflects Western, individualistic values.
In many collectivist or non-Western cultures, community, spirituality, and family obligations may rank as foundational priorities, sometimes appearing at or near the base of the “pyramid” rather than being relegated to higher tiers.
Some cultures integrate spiritual fulfillment or communal welfare into their core survival needs, suggesting that people might see the entire group’s well-being as inseparable from their own.
In these settings, “belongingness” isn’t just a step toward individual esteem—it’s often woven into everyday life.
3. Difficulty in Empirical Testing
A primary criticism is that Maslow himself did not provide empirical work to support his hierarchy of needs.
This absence of empirical foundation from the originator made it inherently difficult for subsequent researchers to operationalise his theory effectively.
Consequently, much of the widespread adoption and dissemination of his theory, often through the iconic pyramid, has occurred without a robust empirical basis for its claims.
Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to empirically test Maslow’s concept of self-actualization in a way that causal relationships can be established.
Critics argue that his theory is more speculative than empirically proven, with a tendency to substitute rhetoric for rigorous research.
4. Rigid Progression of Needs?
Another criticism concerns Maslow’s assumption that lower needs must be satisfied before a person can achieve self-actualization.
Real-world observations show this is not always the case, leading some to claim parts of the hierarchy have been falsified.
In practice, lower-order deficiency needs are often negated to accomplish higher-order being or growth needs. Examples include athletes overtraining, individuals foregoing sleep for work deadlines, or teachers enduring cold classrooms to maintain learning (Rojas, 2023).
People often work on multiple motives simultaneously rather than progressing through distinct levels.
This directly challenges the idea that one must satisfy basic needs before pursuing higher ones.
In cultures where many live in poverty (e.g., India), people still exhibit higher-order needs (love, belongingness), contradicting Maslow’s claim that one cannot focus on these needs without first securing basic physiological needs.
Likewise, many historically creative individuals (Rembrandt, Van Gogh) lived in poverty yet arguably reached states resembling self-actualization.
5. Modern Pluralistic View of Motivation
Psychologists now conceptualize motivation as pluralistic, people can experience multiple needs simultaneously (Wahba & Bridwell, 1973).
Contemporary research by Tay and Diener (2011) supports the idea that universal human needs do exist, but they do not necessarily follow Maslow’s strict order.
Tay and Diener tested Maslow’s theory by analyzing the data of 60,865 participants from 123 countries, representing every major region of the world. The survey was conducted from 2005 to 2010.
Their large-scale study found that although basic needs tend to receive the most attention when unmet, people still benefit from meeting higher needs (e.g., social connections, respect) even when lower needs remain unfulfilled.
Diener compares needs to “vitamins”: we can experience well-being from multiple needs at once, even if some remain only partially satisfied.
Respondents answered questions about six needs that closely resemble those in Maslow’s model: basic needs (food, shelter); safety; social needs (love, support); respect; mastery; and autonomy.
They also rated their well-being across three discrete measures: life evaluation (a person’s view of his or her life as a whole), positive feelings (day-to-day instances of joy or pleasure), and negative feelings (everyday experiences of sorrow, anger, or stress).
The results of the study support the view that universal human needs appear to exist regardless of cultural differences. However, the ordering of the needs within the hierarchy was not correct.
“Although the most basic needs might get the most attention when you don”t have them,” Diener explains, “you don”t need to fulfill them in order to get benefits [from the others].”
Even when we are hungry, for instance, we can be happy with our friends. “They”re like vitamins,” Diener says about how the needs work independently. “We need them all.”
6. Mental Health Contexts
Maslow’s hierarchy has proven valuable in mental health research and practice, offering insight into patient goals and system priorities.
A 2015 mixed-methods study by Derejko et al. applied Maslow’s theory to homeless adults with serious mental illness entering housing programs.
Quantitatively, the researchers found a counterintuitive result: individuals who still lacked basic necessities were often more likely to voice self-actualization goals (such as pursuing education or creative ambitions), rather than focusing exclusively on securing food and shelter.
Qualitative interviews revealed a complex interplay between basic and higher needs – many participants continued striving for meaning and personal growth even while some fundamental needs were unmet.
These findings suggest that, in the context of extreme hardship, people do not always follow a strict stepwise needs progression.
The authors argue that recovery-oriented care should be highly person-centered, helping clients pursue higher goals alongside efforts to meet basic needs.
In other words, mental health services should not assume that no self-improvement goals exist until housing and food are secured; often, the aspiration for purpose and self-worth persists and can be harnessed as part of the recovery process.
Zheng et al. (2016), using neuropsychological evidence, proposed a reordering of Maslow’s hierarchy for mental disorders.
They prioritize safety needs above physiological needs.
This is because chronic insecurity is a key factor in anxiety, depression, and trauma-related disorders.
The brain’s safety circuitry (amygdala and stress response) demonstrates how a lack of safety triggers severe distress.
Essentially, they suggest “flipping” Maslow’s bottom two layers, making safety (absence of violence, financial stability, health security) the primary need for mental well-being.
This implies that mental health interventions and social policies should prioritize establishing safety as a foundation for other interventions (healthcare, social support, therapy).
7. Alternate Motivation Theories
Alderfer’s ERG Theory
ERG theory offers a more flexible and dynamic model, allowing for overlapping needs and acknowledging that people often navigate back and forth between need levels based on circumstances -something Maslow hinted at but never emphasized as strongly.
Alderfer (1969) proposed three core categories of needs: Existence, Relatedness, and Growth (ERG):
Existence Needs (E) – covering basic material and physiological requirements (food, water, shelter, safety).
Relatedness Needs (R) – encompassing interpersonal relationships and social connections (love, belonging).
Growth Needs (G) – focusing on personal development and self-fulfillment (parallels self-actualization).
How It Compares to Maslow:
Simultaneous vs. Sequential: Unlike Maslow’s largely sequential framework, ERG theory posits that individuals can pursue multiple levels of needs at the same time.
Frustration-Regression Hypothesis: If higher-level needs (Growth) are not met, people may refocus on lower-level (Existence or Relatedness) needs with renewed intensity, rather than simply stalling.
Flexibility: Because ERG theory does not require that one need be “fully satisfied” before addressing another, it can accommodate cultural and personal variations more readily.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
Herzberg’s theory parallels Maslow’s distinction between basic (deficiency) needs and growth (fulfillment) needs but emphasizes that satisfying lower needs only neutralizes dissatisfaction.
True motivation emerges from meeting “higher” motivators.
Hygiene Factors: Elements like salary, job security, and working conditions, which, if missing, cause dissatisfaction but do not necessarily motivate people when present.
Motivators (Satisfiers): Factors such as recognition, responsibility, and personal growth, which genuinely drive motivation and satisfaction when they are fulfilled.
How It Compares to Maslow:
Overlap with Lower vs. Higher Needs: Hygiene factors resemble Maslow’s lower-level needs (physiological and safety), while motivators align with higher-level needs (esteem, self-actualization).
Importance of Elimination of Dissatisfaction: Herzberg argues that removing negative conditions (e.g., poor work environment) does not automatically result in motivation—workers need motivators for true engagement.
Focus on Workplace: Herzberg’s theory is often applied in organizational settings, whereas Maslow’s model has broader applications, from education to personal development.
Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan)
Deci and Ryan (1985) proposed that individuals have three fundamental psychological needs: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness:
Autonomy: Feeling in control of one’s actions and decisions.
Competence: Feeling capable and effective in interacting with the environment.
Relatedness: Feeling connected and supported by others.
SDT shifts attention from a layered progression to a holistic view of motivation, suggesting that personal growth and well-being arise from the constant interplay of autonomy, competence, and relatedness—regardless of one’s stage in a hierarchy.
How It Compares to Maslow:
Not Strictly Hierarchical: Deci and Ryan propose that humans continuously seek autonomy, competence, and relatedness; no single need must be fully addressed before another becomes important.
Intrinsic Motivation Focus: Self-Determination Theory (SDT) spotlights how internal drives (e.g., genuine interest, personal values) fuel learning, well-being, and performance, rather than prioritizing external factors like pay or status.
Cross-Cultural Flexibility: SDT has been explored extensively across different cultures, suggesting these three needs are universal and can be pursued simultaneously, an idea that overlaps with and expands Maslow’s “growth” dimensions.
Summary of Comparisons
Hierarchy vs. Overlap:
Maslow mainly argued a loose progression (lower to higher needs).
Alderfer and SDT allow multiple needs to coexist, granting greater flexibility.
Herzberg splits conditions into hygiene factors (removing dissatisfaction) and motivators (driving satisfaction).
Deficiency vs. Growth:
Maslow and Herzberg both highlight the difference between meeting basic needs (preventing dissatisfaction) and pursuing higher-level fulfillment.
Alderfer’s Growth and SDT’s Competence/Autonomy similarly emphasize advanced, self-directed pursuits.
Cultural & Individual Variations:
Alderfer and SDT more explicitly account for individual and cultural differences in the order or prominence of needs.
Maslow acknowledged flexibility but still proposed a somewhat universal pattern.
Conclusion
Maslow’s theory differs from more purely physiological representations of human motivation because motivation is seen as being not just concerned with tension reduction and survival but also with human growth and development.While Maslow’s work was indeed relatively informal and clinically descriptive, it did provide a rich source of ideas, and as such, a framework for discussing the richness and complexity of human motivation that goes beyond homeostatic models and other biological models.
What are our five core psychological needs?
Understanding and addressing our core psychological needs lie at the heart of fostering psychological wellbeing and resilience. These fundamental needs, rooted in our experiences and relationships, significantly impact our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. By acknowledging and meeting these needs, individuals pave the way toward psychological healing and personal growth.
Safety and Security
Feeling safe and secure forms the cornerstone of emotional wellbeing. This need encompasses physical safety but extends to emotional security, stability in relationships, and predictability in our environment. When this need is unmet, it can manifest as anxiety, hypervigilance, or difficulties in forming trusting relationships.
Connection and Belonging
Humans are inherently social beings, yearning for connections that provide a sense of belonging. This need encompasses meaningful relationships, acceptance, and a sense of community. When this need is unfulfilled, it may lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation, or a persistent sense of not fitting in.
Autonomy and Competence
The need for autonomy and competence involves a sense of independence, self-reliance, and the ability to make choices. It reflects the belief in one’s capabilities and a sense of mastery in different aspects of life. When this need remains unmet, it can lead to feelings of helplessness, dependency, or low self-esteem.
Identity and Purpose
Having a clear sense of identity and purpose is vital for a fulfilling life. It encompasses understanding oneself, values, beliefs, and having a sense of direction or meaning. When this need is unfulfilled, individuals might experience confusion, lack of direction, or feelings of emptiness.
Spontaneity and Play
The need for spontaneity and playfulness involves experiencing joy, creativity, and a sense of freedom. It’s about finding pleasure in life’s simple moments, being playful, and embracing creativity. When this need is neglected, it can lead to a lack of joy, rigid thinking, or an inability to relax and enjoy life.
Fulfilling Core Needs in Therapy
Psychotherapy often involves identifying and addressing core psychological needs to heal emotional wounds and break harmful patterns. By creating a nurturing environment, exploring past experiences, and fostering healthy coping strategies, our Gold Coast Psychologists help individuals meet these needs, leading to psychological healing and personal transformation.
Your Five Core Emotional Needs Keep You Feeling Alive
Key points
We are all born with core emotional needs that are part of who we are for life.
Growing up, the way these needs are fulfilled or frustrated forms our character.
We can learn to live without some needs being fulfilled, but this can cause us trouble as adults.
It’s never too late to learn how to re-connect with your core needs and improve your quality of life.
From birth, we have these five core needs:
To have safe, secure relationships with loved ones
To feel it’s OK to make mistakes and be imperfect
To say how we feel and what we need
To have loving discipline and structure that isn’t mean in tone
To feel free to be joyful, spontaneous, and creative
It’s up to your parents or caregiver(s) to provide for these needs as you are growing up and dependent on them. It’s our caregivers who guide us on the journey of feeling and validating these five needs. But once you are an adult, it’s up to you to make sure you are being a good caregiver for yourself, and that you are providing for these needs.
Depending on how well your parents validated your emotions, you may have developed certain ways of understanding the world and coping in response to friction, neglect, pressure, or unmet needs. Schema therapists call these ways of coping schemas and modes. Many of our schemas and modes are about protecting us from painful feelings of vulnerability when our needs go unmet.
In other words, it’s better to not feel a need than to feel it being rejected, right? Once you’re used to detaching from your emotional needs, it becomes a challenge to locate those feelings again. It’s like our vulnerable side is invisible or lost in the louder voices of coping.
So when you are chilling and detaching, you may be relying on that detachment to avoid the fact that your emotional needs are going unmet.
