Abraham Maslow was a humanistic psychologist and is most famous for his ‘Hierarchy of Needs’. Maslow states that people are motivated by the achievement of certain needs. These needs are usually depicted in a five tiered pyramid. We are all born with the basic needs for survival such as food, water and shelter and these are all shown in the first tier. Once these basic needs have been met, they can proceed to the next tier, the need for safety and security.
These are obtained from others and from being in an environment which is safe and free from harm. The third tier is where we have the desired need for love. We find a need to be accepted by others and friendships and intimacy are developed. The following tier is the need to be successful, achieve and gain and learn respect. We gain knowledge through education and the behaviour of others. Here we can gain a career and develop self-worth. The fifth and final tier is where we develop the need to reach full potential (McLeod, 2017).
Each tier must be completed before progressing to the next. Maslow’s theories are important and relevant in the development of a child today. If the basic needs of a child are not met, they will find it difficult to concentrate and learn. Making sure a child’s basic needs are met first will help them to learn, grow and develop.
