Abraham Maslow

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April 1, 1908 rooklyn, !e" #ork June 8, 19$0 %aged &'( Died )enlo *ark, +alifornia Nationality American Fields *sychology +ornell ,niversity Institutions rooklyn +ollege randeis ,niversity Alma mater ,niversity of Wisconsin-)adison Doctoral .arry .arlo" advisor Known for )aslo"/s hierarchy of needs Alfred Adler, 0urt 1oldstein, .enry Influences )urray 2ouglas )c1regor, 3o4erto Assagioli, Influenced 516 +olin Wilson, A44ie .offman, Wayne 2yer, 7lliot Aronson Born Abraham Harold Maslow %April 1, 1908 - June 8, 19$0( "as an American psychologist "ho "as 4est kno"n for creating )aslo"/s hierarchy of needs, a theory of psychological health predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in self8 actuali9ation:5'6 )aslo" "as a psychology professor at randeis ,niversity, rooklyn

+ollege, !e" ;chool for ;ocial 3esearch and +olum4ia ,niversity: .e stressed the importance of focusing on the positive <ualities in people, as opposed to treating them as a =4ag of symptoms:=5>6

Contents

1 iography o 1:1 #outh o 1:' +ollege and university o 1:> Academic career o 1:? 2eath ' @egacy > .umanistic theories of self8actuali9ation o >:1 Aualities of self8actuali9ing people o >:' 2ynamics of self8actuali9ation o >:> )ethodology o >:? .ierarchy of !eeds o >:B *eak eCperiences o >:& )etamotivation o >:$ 8values o >:8 .umanistic psychology o >:9 *sychology of religion o >:10 *ositive psychology ? )aslo"/s hammer B +riticism & Writings $ ;ee also 8 3eferences 9 Further reading 10 7Cternal links

Biogra hy
!outh
orn and raised in rooklyn, !e" #ork, )aslo" "as the oldest of seven children and "as classed as =mentally unsta4le= 4y a psychologist: .is parents "ere first generation Je"ish immigrants from 3ussia "ho fled from +9arist persecution in the early '0th century:5?6 )aslo"/s parents had decided to live in !e" #ork +ity and in a multiethnic, "orking8class neigh4ourhood:5B6 .is parents "ere poor and not intellectually oriented, 4ut they valued education:5B6 Dt "as a tough time for )aslo", as he eCperienced anti8;emitism from his teachers and from other children around the neigh4orhood: .e had various encounters "ith anti8;emitic gangs "ho "ould chase and thro" rocks at him:5&6 )aslo" and other youngsters at the time "ith his 4ackground "ere struggling to overcome such acts of racism and ethnic preEudice in the attempt to esta4lish an idealistic "orld 4ased on

"idespread education and monetary Eustice:5$6 Fhe tension outside of his home "as also felt "ithin it, he rarely got along "ith his mother, and eventually developed a strong revulsion to her: .e is <uoted as saying, =What D had reacted to "as not only her physical appearance, 4ut also her values and "orld vie", her stinginess, her total selfishness, her lack of love for anyone else in the "orld - even her o"n hus4and and children - her narcissism, her !egro preEudice, her eCploitation of everyone, her assumption that anyone "as "rong "ho disagreed "ith her, her lack of friends, her sloppiness and dirtiness:::= .e also gre" up "ith fe" friends other than his cousin Will, and as a result =:::5.e6 gre" up in li4raries and among 4ooks:=586 Dt "as here that he developed his love for reading and learning: .e "ent to oys .igh ;chool, one of the top high schools in rooklyn:596 .ere, he served as the officer to many academic clu4s, and 4ecame editor of the @atin )aga9ine: .e also edited Principia, the school/s *hysics paper, for a year:5106 .e developed other strengths as "ell: As a young 4oy, )aslo" 4elieved physical strength to 4e the single most defining characteristic of a true maleG hence, he eCercised often and took up "eight lifting in hopes of 4eing transformed into a more muscular, tough8looking guy, ho"ever, he "as una4le to achieve this due to his hum4le8looking and chaste figure as "ell as his studiousness:5116

College and university

)aslo" attended the +ity +ollege of !e" #ork after high school: Dn 19'& he 4egan taking legal studies classes at night in addition to his undergraduate course load: .e hated it and almost immediately dropped out: Dn 19'$ he transferred to +ornell, 4ut he left after Eust one semester due to poor grades and high costs:51'6 .e later graduated from +ity +ollege and "ent to graduate school at the ,niversity of Wisconsin to study psychology: Dn 19'8, he married his first cousin ertha, "ho "as still in high school at the time: Fhe pair had met in rooklyn years earlier:51>6 )aslo"/s psychology training at ,W "as decidedly eCperimental84ehaviorist:51?6 At Wisconsin he pursued a line of research "hich included investigating primate dominance 4ehavior and seCuality: )aslo"/s early eCperience "ith 4ehaviorism "ould leave him "ith a strong positivist mindset:5B6 ,pon the recommendation of *rofessor .ulsey +ason, )aslo" "rote his master/s thesis on =learning, retention, and reproduction of ver4al material=:51B6 )aslo" regarded the research as em4arrassingly trivial, 4ut he completed his thesis the summer of 19>1 and "as a"arded his master/s degree in psychology: .e "as so ashamed of the thesis that he removed it from the psychology li4rary and tore out its catalog listing:51&6 *rofessor +arson admired the research enough to urge )aslo" to su4mit it for pu4lication: )aslo"/s thesis "as pu4lished as t"o articles in 19>?:

Academic career
.e continued his research at +olum4ia ,niversity, on similar themes: Fhere he found another mentor in Alfred Adler, one of ;igmund Freud/s early colleagues: From 19>$ to 19B1, )aslo" "as on the faculty of rooklyn +ollege: .is family life and his eCperiences influenced his psychological ideas: After World War DD, )aslo" 4egan to <uestion the "ay psychologists had come to their conclusions, and though he did not

completely disagree, he had his o"n ideas on ho" to understand the human mind:51$6 .e called his ne" disclipline humanistic psychology: )aslo" "as already a >>8year old father and had t"o children "hen the ,nited ;tates entered World War DD in 19?1: .e "as thus ineligi4le for the military: .o"ever, the horrors of "ar instead inspired a vision of peace in him and this led to his ground4reaking psychological studies of self8 actuali9ing people: Fhese studies 4egan "ith his t"o mentors, anthropologist 3uth enedict and 1estalt psychologist )aC Wertheimer, "hom he admired 4oth professionally and personally: Fhese t"o "ere so accomplished in 4oth realms, and such ="onderful human 4eings= as "ell, that )aslo" 4egan taking notes a4out them and their 4ehavior: Fhis "ould 4e the 4asis of his lifelong research and thinking a4out mental health and human potential:5186 .e "rote eCtensively on the su4Eect, 4orro"ing ideas from other psychologists 4ut adding significantly to them, especially the concepts of a hierarchy of needs, metaneeds, metamotivation, self8actuali9ing persons, and peak eCperiences: )aslo" "as a professor at randeis ,niversity from 19B1 to 19&9, and then 4ecame a resident fello" of the @aughlin Dnstitute in +alifornia: Dn 19&$, )aslo" had an almost fatal heart attack, and kne" his time "as limited: )aslo" considered himself to 4e a psychological pioneer: .e gave future psychologists a push 4y 4ringing to light different paths to ponder:5196 .e 4uilt the frame"ork that later allo"ed other psychologists to add in more information: )aslo" long 4elieved that leadership should 4e non8 intervening: +onsistent "ith this approach, he reEected a nomination in 19&> to 4e president of the Association for .umanistic *sychology 4ecause he felt that the organi9ation should develop an intellectual movement "ithout a leader:5'06

Death
While Eogging, )aslo" suffered a severe heart attack and died on June 8, 19$0 at the age of &' in )enlo *ark, +alifornia:5'165''6

"egacy
@ater in life, )aslo" "as concerned "ith <uestions such as, =Why don/t more people self8actuali9e if their 4asic needs are metH .o" can "e humanistically understand the pro4lem of evilH=5'>6 Dn the spring of 19&1, )aslo" and Fony ;utich founded the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, "ith )iles Iich as editor until 19$1:5'?6 Fhe Eournal printed its first issue in early 19&1 and continues to pu4lish academic papers:5'?6 )aslo" attended the Association for .umanistic *sychologyJs founding meeting in 19&> "here he declined nomination as its president, arguing that the ne" organi9ation should develop an intellectual movement "ithout a leader "hich resulted in useful strategy during the fieldJs early years:5'B6

Humanistic theories of self#actuali$ation

.umanistic psychologists 4elieve that every person has a strong desire to reali9e his or her full potential, to reach a level of =self8actuali9ation=: Fhe main point of that ne" movement, that reached its peak in 19&0s, "as to emphasi9e the positive potential of human 4eings:5'&6 )aslo" positioned his "ork as a vital complement to that of Freud: Dt is as if Freud supplied us the sick half of psychology and "e must no" fill it out "ith the healthy half:5'$6 .o"ever, )aslo" "as highly critical of Freud, since humanistic psychologists did not recogni9e spirituality as a navigation for our 4ehaviours:5'86 Fo prove that humans are not 4lindly reacting to situations, 4ut trying to accomplish something greater, )aslo" studied mentally healthy individuals instead of people "ith serious psychological issues: .e focused on self8actuali9ing people: ;elf8actuali9ing people indicate a coherent personality syndrome and represent optimal psychological health and functioning:5'96 Fhis informed his theory that a person enEoys =peak eCperiences=, high points in life "hen the individual is in harmony "ith himself and his surroundings: Dn )aslo"/s vie", self8actuali9ed people can have many peak eCperiences throughout a day "hile others have those eCperiences less fre<uently:5>06

%ualities of self#actuali$ing eo le
.e reali9ed that all the individuals he studied had similar personality traits: All "ere =reality centered,= a4le to differentiate "hat "as fraudulent from "hat "as genuine: Fhey "ere also =pro4lem centered,= meaning that those treated life/s difficulties as pro4lems that demanded solutions: Fhese individuals also "ere comforta4le 4eing alone and had healthy personal relationships: Fhey had only a fe" close friends and family rather than a large num4er of shallo" relationships:5>16 ;elf8actuali9ing people tend to focus on pro4lems outside themselvesG have a clear sense of "hat is true and "hat is falseG are spontaneous and creativeG and are not 4ound too strictly 4y social conventions: )aslo" noticed that self8actuali9ed individuals had a 4etter insight of reality, deeply accepted themselves, others and the "orld, and also had faced many pro4lems and "ere kno"n to 4e impulsive people: Fhese self8actuali9ed individuals "ere very independent and private "hen it came to their environment and culture, especially their very o"n individual development on =potentialities and inner resources=:5>'6 According to )aslo", self8actuali9ing people share the follo"ing <ualities:

Fruth: honest, reality, 4eauty, pure, clean and unadulterated completeness 1oodness: rightness, desira4ility, uprightness, 4enevolence, honesty

eauty: rightness, form, aliveness, simplicity, richness, "holeness, perfection, completion, Wholeness: unity, integration, tendency to oneness, interconnectedness, simplicity, organi9ation, structure, order, not dissociated, synergy 2ichotomy8transcendence: acceptance, resolution, integration, polarities, opposites, contradictions Aliveness: process, not8deadness, spontaneity, self8regulation, full8functioning ,ni<ue: idiosyncrasy, individuality, non compara4ility, novelty *erfection: nothing superfluous, nothing lacking, everything in its right place, Eust8rightness, suita4ility, Eustice !ecessity: inevita4ility: it must 4e Eust that "ay, not changed in any slightest "ay +ompletion: ending, Eustice, fulfillment Justice: fairness, suita4ility, disinterestedness, non partiality, Krder: la"fulness, rightness, perfectly arranged ;implicity: nakedness, a4stract, essential skeletal, 4luntness 3ichness: differentiation, compleCity, intricacy, totality 7ffortlessness: easeG lack of strain, striving, or difficulty *layfulness: fun, Eoy, amusement ;elf8sufficiency: autonomy, independence, self8determining:5>>6

Dynamics of self#actuali$ation
)aslo" 4ased his theory partially on his o"n assumptions a4out human potential and partially on his case studies of historical figures "hom he 4elieved to 4e self8actuali9ed, including Al4ert 7instein and .enry 2avid Fhoreau:5>?6 +onse<uently, )aslo" argued, the "ay in "hich essential needs are fulfilled is Eust as important as the needs themselves: Fogether, these define the human eCperience: Fo the eCtent a person finds cooperative social fulfillment, he esta4lishes meaningful relationships "ith other people and the larger "orld: Dn other "ords, he esta4lishes meaningful connections to an eCternal reality Lan essential component of self8actuali9ation: Dn contrast, to the eCtent that vital needs find selfish and competitive fulfillment, a person ac<uires hostile emotions and limited eCternal relationshipsLhis a"areness remains internal and limited:

Methodology
)aslo" 4ased his study on the "ritings of other psychologists, Al4ert 7instein and people he kne" "ho clearly met the standard of self8actuali9ation: )aslo" used 7instein/s "ritings and accomplishments to eCemplify the characteristics of the self8actuali9ed person: ut 3uth enedict and )aC Wertheimer "ere also )aslo"/s models of self8actuali9ation: Dn this case, from a scientific perspective there are numerous pro4lems "ith this particular approach: First, it could 4e argued that 4iographical analysis as a method is eCtremely su4Eective as it is 4ased entirely on the opinion of the researcher: *ersonal opinion is al"ays prone to 4ias, "hich reduces the validity of any data o4tained: Fherefore )aslo"/s operational definition of ;elf8actuali9ation must not 4e 4lindly accepted as scientific fact:5>B6

Hierarchy of Needs

An interpretation of )aslo"/s hierarchy of needs, represented as a pyramid "ith the more 4asic needs at the 4ottom:5>&6 )ain article: )aslo"/s hierarchy of needs )aslo" descri4ed human needs as ordered in a prepotent hierarchyLa pressing need "ould need to 4e mostly satisfied 4efore someone "ould give their attention to the neCt highest need: !one of his pu4lished "orks included a visual representation of the hierarchy: Fhe pyramidal diagram illustrating the )aslo" needs hierarchy may have 4een created 4y a psychology teCt4ook pu4lisher as an illustrative device: Fhis no" iconic pyramid fre<uently depicts the spectrum of human needs, 4oth physical and psychological, as accompaniment to articles descri4ing )aslo"/s needs theory and may give the impression that the .ierarchy of !eeds is a fiCed and rigid se<uence of progression: #et, starting "ith the first pu4lication of his theory in 19?>, )aslo" descri4ed human needs as 4eing relatively fluidL"ith many needs 4eing present in a person simultaneously:5>$6 Fhe hierarchy of human needs model suggests that human needs "ill only 4e fulfilled one level at a time:5>86 According to )aslo"/s theory, "hen a human 4eing ascends the levels of the hierarchy having fulfilled the needs in the hierarchy, one may eventually achieve self8actuali9ation: @ate in life, )aslo" came to conclude that self8actuali9ation "as not an automatic outcome of satisfying the other human needs 5>965?06 .uman needs as identified 4y )aslo":

At the 4ottom of the hierarchy are the = asic needs or *hysiological needs= of a human 4eing: food, "ater, sleep and seC: Fhe neCt level is =;afety !eeds: ;ecurity, Krder, and ;ta4ility=: Fhese t"o steps are important to the physical survival of the person: Knce individuals have 4asic nutrition, shelter and safety, they attempt to accomplish more: Fhe third level of need is =@ove and elonging=, "hich are psychological needsG "hen individuals have taken care of themselves physically, they are ready to share themselves "ith others, such as "ith family and friends: Fhe fourth level is achieved "hen individuals feel comforta4le "ith "hat they have accomplished: Fhis is the =7steem= level, the need to 4e competent and recogni9ed, such as through status and level of success: Fhen there is the =+ognitive= level, "here individuals intellectually stimulate themselves and eCplore: After that is the =Aesthetic= level, "hich is the need for harmony, order and 4eauty:5?16 At the top of the pyramid, =!eed for ;elf8actuali9ation= occurs "hen individuals reach a state of harmony and understanding 4ecause they are engaged in achieving their full potential:5?'6 Knce a person has reached the self8actuali9ation state they focus on themselves and try to 4uild their o"n image: Fhey may look at this in terms of feelings such as self8confidence or 4y accomplishing a set goal:5?6

Fhe first four levels are kno"n as Deficit needs or D-needs: Fhis means that if you do not have enough of one of those four needs, you "ill have the feeling that you need to get it: ut "hen you do get them, then you feel content: Fhese needs alone are not motivating:5?6 )aslo" "rote that there are certain conditions that must 4e fulfilled in order for the 4asic needs to 4e satisfied: For eCample, freedom of speech, freedom to eCpress oneself, and freedom to seek ne" information5?>6 are a fe" of the prere<uisites: Any 4lockages of these freedoms could prevent the satisfaction of the 4asic needs:

&ea' e( eriences
eyond the routine of needs fulfillment, )aslo" envisioned moments of eCtraordinary eCperience, kno"n as *eak eCperiences, "hich are profound moments of love, understanding, happiness, or rapture, during "hich a person feels more "hole, alive, self8 sufficient and yet a part of the "orld, more a"are of truth, Eustice, harmony, goodness, and so on: ;elf8actuali9ing people have many such peak eCperiences: Dn other "ords, these Mpeak eCperiencesN or states of flo" are the reflections of the reali9ation of oneJs human potential and represent the height of personality development5??6

Metamotivation
)aslo" used the term metamotivation to descri4e self8actuali9ed people "ho are driven 4y innate forces 4eyond their 4asic needs, so that they may eCplore and reach their full human potential:5?B6

B#values
Dn studying accounts of peak eCperiences, )aslo" identified a manner of thought he called = eing8cognition= %or = 8cognition=, "hich is holistic and accepting, as opposed to the evaluative =2eficiency8cognition= or =28cognition=( and values he called = eing8 values=:5?&6 .e listed the 8values as:

Wholeness %unityG integrationG tendency to one8nessG interconnectednessG simplicityG organi9ationG structureG dichotomy8transcendenceG order(G *erfection %necessityG Eust8right8nessG Eust8so8nessG inevita4ilityG suita4ilityG EusticeG completenessG =oughtness=(G +ompletion %endingG finalityG EusticeG =it/s finished=G fulfillmentG finis and telosG destinyG fate(G Justice %fairnessG orderlinessG la"fulnessG =oughtness=(G Aliveness %processG non8deadnessG spontaneityG self8regulationG full8functioning(G 3ichness %differentiation, compleCityG intricacy(G ;implicity %honestyG nakednessG essentialityG a4stract, essential, skeletal structure(G eauty %rightnessG formG alivenessG simplicityG richnessG "holenessG perfectionG completionG uni<uenessG honesty(G 1oodness %rightnessG desira4ilityG oughtnessG EusticeG 4enevolenceG honesty(G ,ni<ueness %idiosyncrasyG individualityG non8compara4ilityG novelty(G 7ffortlessness %easeG lack of strain, striving or difficultyG graceG perfect, 4eautiful functioning(G *layfulness %funG EoyG amusementG gaietyG humorG eCu4eranceG effortlessness(G Fruth %honestyG realityG nakednessG simplicityG richnessG oughtnessG 4eautyG pure, clean and unadulteratedG completenessG essentiality(: ;elf8sufficiency %autonomyG independenceG not8needing8other8than8itself8in8order8 to84e8itselfG self8determiningG environment8transcendenceG separatenessG living 4y its o"n la"s(:

Humanistic sychology
)aslo"/s thinking "as original: )ost psychologists 4efore him had 4een concerned "ith the a4normal and the ill: .e urged people to ackno"ledge their 4asic needs 4efore addressing higher needs and ultimately self8actuali9ation: .e "anted to kno" "hat constituted positive mental health: .umanistic psychology gave rise to several different therapies, all guided 4y the idea that people possess the inner resources for gro"th and healing and that the point of therapy is to help remove o4stacles to individuals/ achieving them: Fhe most famous of these "as client8centered therapy developed 4y +arl 3ogers: Fhe 4asic principles 4ehind humanistic psychology are simple: 1: ;omeone/s present functioning is their most significant aspect: As a result humanists emphasi9e the here and no" instead of eCamining the past or attempting to predict the future: ': Fo 4e mentally healthy, individuals must take personal responsi4ility for their actions, regardless of "hether the actions are positive or negative: >: 7ach person, simply 4y 4eing, is

inherently "orthy: While any given action may 4e negative, these actions do not cancel out the value of a person: ?: Fhe ultimate goal of living is to attain personal gro"th and understanding: Knly through constant self8improvement and self8understanding can an individual ever 4e truly happy:5?$6 .umanistic psychology theory suits people "ho see the positive side of humanity and 4elieve in free "ill: Fhis theory clearly contrasts "ith Freud/s theory of 4iological determinism: Another significant strength is that humanistic psychology theory is compati4le "ith other schools of thought: )aslo"/s .ierarchy is also applica4le to other topics, such as finance, economics, or even in history or criminology: .umanist psychology, also coined positive psychology, is critici9ed for its lack of empirical validation and therefore its lack of usefulness in treating specific pro4lems: Dt may also fail to help or diagnose people "ho have severe mental disorders:5?$6

&sychology of religion
)aslo"/s influence eCtended 4eyond psychology: .is "ork on peak eCperiences is relevant to religious studies, "hile his "ork on management is applica4le to transpersonal 4usiness studies: )aslo"/s .ierarchy is used in higher education for advising students and student retention5?86 as "ell as a key concept in student development:5?96 )aslo" himself found it difficult to accept religious eCperience as valid unless placed in a positivistic frame"ork:5B06

&ositive sychology
)aslo" called his "ork positive psychology:5B165B'6 .is "ork has enEoyed a revival of interest and influence among leaders of the positive psychology movement such as )artin ;eligman: Fhis movement focuses only on a higher human nature:5B>65B?6 *ositive psychology spends its research looking at the positive side of things and ho" they go right rather than the pessimistic side:5BB6

Maslow)s hammer
.e is also kno"n for )aslo"/s hammer, popularly phrased as =if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail= from his 4ook The Psychology of Science, pu4lished in 19&&:5B&6

Criticism
)aslo"/s ideas have 4een critici9ed for their lack of scientific rigor: .e "as critici9ed as too soft scientifically 4y American empiricists:5B06 Dn '00&, conservative social critic +hristina .off ;ommers and practicing psychiatrist ;ally ;atel asserted that, due to lack of empirical support, )aslo"/s ideas have fallen out of fashion and are =no longer taken seriously in the "orld of academic psychology:= 5B$6 *ositive psychology spends much of its research looking for ho" things go right rather than the more pessimistic vie" point,

ho" things go "rong:5B86 Furthermore, the .ierarchy of !eeds has 4een accused of having a cultural 4iasLmainly reflecting Western values and ideologies: From the perspective of many cultural psychologists, this concept is considered relative to each culture and society and cannot 4e universally applied:5B96 )aslo"/s concept of self8actuali9ing people "as united "ith *iaget/s developmental theory to the process of initiation in 199>:5&06

*ritings

A Theory of Human Motivation %originally pu4lished in Psychological Revie , 19?>, Iol: B0 O?, pp: >$0->9&(: Motivation and Personality %1st edition: 19B?, 'nd edition: 19$0, >rd edition 198$( Religions, !alues and Pea"-e#periences, +olum4us, Khio: Khio ;tate ,niversity *ress, 19&?: $upsychian Management, 19&BG repu4lished as Maslo on Management, 1998 The Psychology of Science% A Reconnaissance, !e" #ork: .arper P 3o", 19&&G +hapel .ill: )aurice assett, '00': To ard a Psychology of &eing, %1st edition, 19&'G 'nd edition, 19&8( The 'arther Reaches of Human (ature, 19$1