Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was created by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943. Maslow suggested that human needs could be put into five levels.
Hierarchy needs levels (pyramid) The levels are in order of importance. Basic needs. These include things such as breathing, food, water, and sleep. Safety needs. This includes things such as feeling physically safe in your environment. It includes feeling healthy. It includes feeling that you have enough money and supplies to keep you alive and well. Social belonging. People need to feel love, and they need to feel that they belong in society. Partners could include husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, or other spouses. Self-esteem. To have esteem, you need to be confident in yourself. Also, you feel like others think that you are important. Self-actualization. This complicated idea is expressed as “What a man can be, he must be”. This level is about a person having the opportunity to use their talent, and a chance to go where those talents might lead. Transcendence. Giving oneself to something beyond oneself—for example, in altruism or spirituality. This was a later addition to his ideas.
Maslow says that these needs cause us to want or desire certain things. He says that there are many other things that influence our behavior. Just because we may want something, does not mean we will try to get it. There could be something else in the way that causes us to act differently.
Physiological Needs
The physiological level of Maslow's hierarchy includes basic human needs. These include water, breathing, food, and sleep. The physiological level contains the simplest needs. They are the most straightforward needs in the entire hierarchy. The human body tries to stay balanced inside. When a person is missing a physiological need, the body will naturally want the missing need.
In simple creatures such as rodents, physiological needs may be the only needs that have to be met. However, in humans, this is only the base of the hierarchy. After physiological needs are met, there are four higher levels in the hierarchy. People are often not aware when their physiological needs are being met. However, when these needs are not met it becomes very obvious. For example, most humans do not think about each inhale and exhale they take. This satisfies their need to breathe. However, if the oxygen supply were cut off, all people would immediately become aware of the need to breathe. Physiological needs are important from the time a person is born and throughout their entire life.
Safety Needs
The safety level of Maslow's hierarchy includes varying levels of safety. These include safety of the self, family, resources, jobs, health, and life. Both children and adults are very aware of their safety needs. Needs of safety are just as important as physiological needs. However, these needs deal more with the mind. They include having a sense of safety in the world. Every person’s sense of safety is different depending where they live.
Adults, much like children, prefer the world to be organized. This ensures a level of safety. However, some adults are too focused on organization. People may also attempt to control the world around them in all ways possible. Adults may have their safety needs met in a different way than children. Adults can feel that the money they earn from their job allows them to feel safe. This is because there is no need for financial worry when earning a steady income.
Love and belonging (social needs) The love/belonging level of Maslow's hierarchy deals with various social needs. These include a need for friendship, family, and other types of group inclusion. Love/belonging also refers to personal relationships. These include romantic relationships. It is crucial that the physiological and safety needs of a person are met first. Then they can develop needs of love and belonging. Once basic needs are met, then a person can focus on their social needs. These needs change throughout the human lifespan.
If belonging needs are not met then a person may feel depressed. The field of psychology focuses on this level of the hierarchy. In modern society, many people suffer because their needs of love and belonging are not met. This level also deals with sexual and intimate needs. Sex may or may not be part of this level of need. It can be considered necessary for love. Or it can be looked at as strictly physiological.