Maslow's hierarchy of needs
In his 1943 article “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Abraham Maslow presented a hierarchy of needs that describes how a person's “lower,” more basic needs must be met before “higher” needs emerge. At the bottom of this hierarchy are physiological needs, such as food. The need for a person to feel safe and unthreatened comes next; once safety needs are met, according to Maslow, a person moves next to the need to feel love, affection, and belongingness. What Maslow called esteem needs follow: a person seeks self-respect and the respect of others. Once all of these levels of needs are met, a person can pursue, and will be motivated to achieve, self-actualization. Maslow believed that self-actualization was relatively rare, and he also insisted that this hierarchy was not a rigid one.
humanistic psychology
humanistic psychology, a movement in psychology supporting the belief that humans, as individuals, are unique beings and should be recognized and treated as such by psychologists and psychiatrists. The movement grew in opposition to the two mainstream 20th-century trends in psychology, behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Humanistic principles attained application during the “human potential” movement, which became popular in the United States during the 1960s. Humanistic psychologists believe that behaviorists are overconcerned with the scientific study and...
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