Abraham Maslow : The Father of Humanistic Psychology

affiedalfayed (57)in #steemiteducation • 7 years ago

^{Abraham Maslow}

Abraham Maslow is a well-known figure in psychology. He is known for his theory of the hierarchy of human needs. Maslow was born on April 1, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York from a Jewish family. However, Maslow was not happy in his childhood and felt depressed because of living in a non-Jewish environment. In his childhood, Maslow spent much of his time in the library reading many books from great authors. After graduating from high school, Maslow continued his studies in the Law majors, but for some reason he chose to study in the psychology department of the University of Wisconsin and graduated as a scholar in 1930 (source).

A year after becoming a bachelor, Maslow reached master in psychology in 1931 and a doctorate in 1934, this was a very prestigious achievement of that period in a relatively quick time. While in his graduate studies in 1928, Maslow received direct guidance from Harry Frederick Harlow, afamous American psychologist for his research on monkeys. After getting a doctorate in psychology, Maslow deepened his research at Brooklyn College and met a famous anthropologist Ruth Benedict and a famous psychologist Max Wertheimer. Both of these figures are people who are highly admired by Maslow and became Maslow's concern in developing the hierarchy of human needs theory (source)

Through his long research on human needs, Maslow became one of the founders of humanistic psychology in the mid-20th century. In 1951, Maslow was appointed Professor at Brendeis University and for 10 years became chairman of the Department of Psychology. At the same university, Maslow met and conducted a joint research with a neurologist named Kurt Goldstein. Through Kurt, Maslom first discovered the theory of self-actualization and began to write works on humanistic psychology (source).

In 1967, Maslow received the Humanist of the Year award from the American Humanist Association. Then on June 8, 1970 Maslow died in California at the age of 62 years.

Maslow's Theory of Human Needs

Maslow argues that human motivation is strongly influenced by the human need as a living being. From his point of view, Maslow distributes human needs into 5 types of needs: Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Social Needs, Self Esteem Needs and Actualization Needs (source)

^{Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs}

Physiological Needs
It is a need at the bottom of the hierarchy compiled by Maslow. This need is the most basic need for human beings such as the need to eat, breathe, drink and others. In terms set by Maslow, this is the Basic Needs, where humans will make various efforts to meet the Basic Needs. When Basic Needs are met people will tend to try to get the next need is Safety Needs (source)
Safety Needs
This need is related to feelings of freedom from fear or in other words this is a need to gain security, protection, stability, and order. To fulfill this need, human beings make the rule of law and the Law as a container to get self protection.
Social Needs
After humans reach the basic needs and safety needs in life, then humans will reach the needs in social life. An example of this need is that human tends to want to be loved and accepted in society life.
Self Esteem Needs
After humans reach social needs, then humans will move to meet the needs of self-esteem. In this case, people will usually compete with others to gain status in society either as a ruler or a winner so that they will feel appreciated with that status.
Self Actualization Needs
In Maslow's hierarchy the need for self-actualization is a necessity at the highest level of human need. To meet this need, human beings tend to strive to increase the potential and ability that exist within them optimally.