Human Needs

Needs are a lack of something required or desired.

Needs motivate us to act.

Abraham Maslow

Noted psychologist who developed a hierarchy of needs.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow defined a hierarchy of human needs that stated that the lower needs must be met before an individual strive to meet high needs.

What are Maslow’s Human Needs?

Can you guess what Maslow’s

levels of needs are?

Self-Actualiz-

ation

Esteem

Belongingness and Love

Safety

Physiological

Physical needs

Food Water Air/Oxygen Sleep Protection/Shelter Elimination Motor needs Sensory needsThese needs are essential for life; if unmet, these needs lead to

death.

What did Maslow mean by physical needs?

What physical needs does every person have?

Physical needs Consider these questions?

Are you meeting these needs for your well being and good health?

Who provides these needs for you? Could you provide these needs for a baby?

Safety and Security Needs Need to be free from anxiety and fear Need to be secure in the environment Need for order and routine

How do these safety and

security needs relate to you?

Safety and Security Needs

Which of these are met for you? Who provides these needs for you? Which of these needs could you provide for a baby?

Love/Affection, Acceptance, and Belongingness Needs

Social acceptance, friendships, family, to be loved, affectionate relationships in general

Need to belong, to relate to others Sexuality:

Person’s feelings/attitude toward their masculine/feminine nature

Ability to give and receive love and affection Reproductive capabilities

What are some examples of love and acceptance you see

in your life?

Esteem Needs

Feeling important and worthwhile – includes respect, approval, appreciation Engagement in activities that bring achievement, success,

and recognition Growth of self confidence which directs our actions toward

becoming what we WANT to be

Self esteem:the need for respect of othersthe need for status, recognition, dignity

Self respect: confidence competence achievement,

independence freedom

Self-actualization

Self realizationObtaining our full potentialBecoming confidentEager to express our beliefsA willingness to reach out to others to help them

According to Maslow, only a small percentage of the world’s population is truly, predominantly, self-actualizing.

Can you think of people who fit into

the self-actualization category?

Self-actualization Knowledge and appreciation of beauty, goodness, freedom

and a realistic view and acceptance of self and others. Reality-centered: differentiate what is fake and dishonest

from what is real and genuine. Problem-centered: treating life’s difficulties as problems

demanding solutions, not as personal troubles to be railed at or surrendered to.

Different perception of means and ends: felt that the ends don’t necessarily justify the means, that the means could be ends themselves, and that the means -- the journey -- was often more important than the ends.

To meet our human needs, we usually learn what works by trial and error.

When needs are felt, individuals are motivated or stimulated to act.

If the need is met, satisfaction of a feeling of pleasure or fulfillment occurs.

If a need is unmet, tension or frustration occurs.