Psychology Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Register
in: American psychologists, Humanists, Pages using ISBN magic links

Changes: Abraham Maslow

Back to page
Sign in to edit
No edit summary
m (Reverted edits by 46.253.202.166 (talk | block) to last version by 112.198.64.37)
(8 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{ProfPsy}}
  
{{ProfPsy}}
−
'''Abraham Maslow''' (April 1, [[1908]] – June 8, [[1970]]) was an American psychologist. He is mostly noted today for his proposal of a [[Maslow's hierarchy of needs|hierarchy of human needs]].
+
'''Abraham Harold Maslow''' (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) was an American [[psychology|psychologist]]. He is noted for his conceptualization of a "[[Maslow's hierarchy of needs|hierarchy of human needs]]", and is considered the founder of [[humanistic psychology]].<ref>http://www.scimednet.org/bibliography/transpers_approaches.htm</ref>
  +
−
 
 
==Biography==
  
==Biography==
−
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Maslow was the first of seven children of Jewish immigrants from Russia. His parents were uneducated, but they insisted that he study law. At first, Abraham acceded to their wishes and enrolled in the [[City College of New York]]. However, after three semesters he transferred to [[Cornell University|Cornell]], then back to CCNY. After he married, he moved to Wisconsin to attend the [[University of Wisconsin]] from which he received his [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] (1930), his [[Master's degree|M.A.]] (1931), and his [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] (1934) in psychology. While in Wisconsin, Maslow studied with [[Harry Harlow]], who was known for his studies of rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior. A year after graduation, Maslow returned to New York to work with [[E. L. Thorndike]] at [[Columbia University|Columbia]].
  
   
  +
Was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. the eldest of seven children. His parents were uneducated Jewish immigrants from Russia. He was slow and tidy, and remembered his childhood as lonely and rather unhappy, because, as he said, "I was the little Jewish boy in the non-Jewish neighborhood. It was a little like being the first Negro enrolled in the all-white school. I was isolated and unhappy. I grew up in libraries and among books, without friends."<ref>[http://psy.rin.ru/eng/article/48-101.html RIN.ru] {{ru icon}}</ref>
−
Maslow began teaching full time at [[Brooklyn College]]. During this time he met many leading European psychologists, including [[Alfred Adler]] and [[Erich Fromm]]. In 1951, Maslow became the chairman of the psychology department at [[Brandeis University]], where he began his theoretical work. There, he met [[Kurt Goldstein]], who introduced him to the idea of [[self-actualization]].
  
  +
  +
Maslow first studied law at the [[City College of New York]] (CCNY). In 1927 he transferred to Cornell University, where his cousin Will Maslow was studying. His father hoped he would pursue law, but he went to graduate school at the [[University of Wisconsin]] to study [[psychology]]. While there, he married his first cousin Bertha in December 1928, and found as his chief mentor, professor [[Harry Harlow]]. At Wisconsin he pursued an original line of research, investigating [[primate]] [[Dominance (ethology)|dominance]] behavior and [[Human sexuality|sexuality]]. He went on to further research at [[Columbia University]], continuing similar studies; there he found another mentor in [[Alfred Adler]], one of [[Sigmund Freud]]'s early followers.
  +
  +
From 1937 to 1951, Maslow was on the faculty of [[Brooklyn College]]. In New York he found two more mentors, [[anthropology|anthropologist]] [[Ruth Benedict]] and Gestalt psychologist [[Max Wertheimer]], whom he admired both professionally and personally. These two were so accomplished in both realms, and such "wonderful human beings" as well, that Maslow began taking notes about them and their behavior. This would be the basis of his lifelong research and thinking about [[mental health]] and [[human potential]]. He wrote extensively on the subject, borrowing ideas from other psychologists but adding significantly to them, especially the concepts of a [[Maslow's hierarchy of needs|hierarchy of needs]], metaneeds, [[Self-actualization|self-actualizing]] persons, and [[peak experiences]]. Maslow became the leader of the humanistic school of psychology that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, which he referred to as the "third force" -- beyond [[psychoanalysis|Freudian theory]] and [[behaviorism]].
   
  +
Maslow was a professor at [[Brandeis University]] from 1951 to 1969, and then became a resident fellow of the [[Laughlin Institute]] in California. He died of a heart attack on June 8, 1970.
−
He retired to California, where he died of a heart attack in 1970 after years of ill health.
  
   
  +
In 1967, the [[American Humanist Association]] named him Humanist of the Year.
−
==Work==
  
   
  +
==Humanistic theories of self actualization==
−
[[Image:Maslow's hierarchy of needs.png|right|thumb|400px|Diagram of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, represented as a pyramid with more primitive needs at the bottom.]]
  
   
  +
There have been countless psychologists throughout history that have shared their theories and made a significant impact on how society understands the world that surrounds them. Abraham Maslow was one of these theorists; he brought a new face to studying human characteristics. He was inspired by great minds, and his own gift of thought that brought on the unique concept of Humanistic Psychology..
−
Maslow's primary contribution to psychology is his [[Maslow's hierarchy of needs|Hierarchy of Human Needs]], which he often presented as a pyramid. Maslow contended that humans have a number of needs that are instinctoid, that is, innate. These needs are classified as "conative needs," "cognitive needs," and "aesthetic needs." "Neurotic needs" are included in Maslow's theory but do not exist within the hierarchy.
  
   
  +
Maslow's views throughout his career stemmed from his Orthodox Jewish Background. His family and his experiences impacted the ideas that created a whole new form of psychology; most of his writings came to reality after World War II. Maslow began to question the way that psychologists had come to their conclusions and though he didn’t completely disagree, he had his own ideas on how to understand the Human mind.
−
Maslow assumed our needs are arranged in a hierarchy in terms of their potency. Although all needs are instinctive, some are more powerful than others. The lower the need is in the pyramid, the more powerful it is. The higher the need is in the pyramid, the weaker and more distinctly human it is. The lower, or basic, needs on the pyramid are similar to those possessed by non-human animals, but only humans possess the higher needs.
 
   
  +
Humanistic Psychologists believe that in every person there is a strong desire to realize his or her full potential, to reach a level of Self-actualization. To prove that humans are not simply blindly reacting to situations, but trying to accomplish something greater. To prove this Maslow decided to study the mentally healthy individuals instead of the people with serious psychological issues. He realized through his studies that individuals experienced “peak experiences” which are the high points of life, when the individuals believe they are at harmony with themselves and their surroundings. Self-actualized people can have many peak experiences throughout a day when others have those experiences less often.
−
The first four layers of the pyramid are what Maslow called "deficiency needs" or "D-needs:" the individual does not feel anything if they are met, but feels anxious if they are not met. Needs beyond the D-needs are "growth needs," "being values," or "B-needs." When fulfilled, they do not go away; rather, they motivate further."
  
   
  +
Maslow created a visual aid to explain his theories; he called it the Hierarchy of Needs. It is a pyramid that depicts the levels of humanistic needs, psychological and physical. When a human being executes the steps of the pyramid then that individual will have reached self actualization. The bottom of the pyramid is the “Basic needs” of a human being, food and water. The next level is “Security and Stability.” These two steps are important to the survival of the person physically. Once the individual has basic nutrition and shelter then they instantly look to accomplish more. The third level is “Love and Belonging,” this is a psychological need, once the individual has taken care of themselves physically then they are ready to share themselves with others. The fourth step occurs when the person feels comfortable with what they have accomplished then they have reached the “Esteem” level. This level is success and status. The top of the pyramid is “Self-actualization” that occurs when it is believed that the individual has reached a state of harmony and understanding.
−
The base of the pyramid is formed by the physiological needs, including the biological requirements for food, water, air, and sleep.
 
   
  +
Maslow looked at historical figures, also people who he knew, that he felt clearly met the standard of self actualization, to base his study on. He studied many people; Albert Einstein was one of those figures. Maslow looked at his writings and his accomplishments throughout his life time and began creating characteristics of the self actualized person. He realized that the individuals who he was studying had similar personality traits. They were all “reality centered” meaning that they were able to differentiate what was fraudulent from what was genuine. They also were “problem centered” meaning that they treated life’s difficulties as a problem that demanded a solution. These individuals also were all right being alone and their personal relationships were healthy. They had only a few close friends and family rather than a large amount of shallow relationships.<ref name="ship">{{cite web|url=http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/maslow.html|title=ABRAHAM MASLOW|first=C. George Boeree|accessdate=2009-10-08}}</ref> One historical figure that Maslow found to be helpful in his journey to understanding self actualization was Lao Tzu, The Father of Taoism. The basis of Taoism is that the people do not obtain personal meaning or pleasure by seeking material possessions.
−
Once the physiological needs are met, an individual can concentrate on the second level, the need for safety and security. Included here are the needs for structure, order, security, and predictability.
 
   
  +
When Maslow introduced these ideas to the world of psychology some people were not ready to understand why he believed the things he did. He was on the total opposite spectrum of Sigmund Freud who was and still is a renowned psychologist. Maslow stated in his book “It is as if Freud supplied us the sick half of psychology and we must now fill it out with the healthy half” there are two faces to human nature- the sick and the healthy- and so there should be two faces of psychology.
−
The third level is the need for love and belonging. Included here are the needs for friends and companions, a supportive family, identification with a group, and an intimate relationship.
 
   
  +
Abraham Maslow brought a new face to psychology and changed the way that modern-day physiologists understand the world around them. Without his creative mind critically looking at the situations that surrounded him humanistic psychology would not have been as well understood and developed as it has been
−
The fourth level is the esteem needs. This group of needs requires both recognition from other people that results in feelings of prestige, acceptance, and status, and self-esteem that results in feelings of adequacy, competence, and confidence. Lack of satisfaction of the esteem needs results in discouragement and feelings of inferiority.
 
   
  +
Maslow saw human beings' needs arranged like a ladder. The most basic needs, at the bottom, were physical—air, water, food, sleep. Then came safety needs—security, stability—followed by psychological, or social needs—for belonging, love, acceptance. Then, came esteem needs—to feel achievement, status, responsibility, and reputation. At the top of it all were the self-actualizing needs—the need to fulfill oneself, to become all that one is capable of becoming. Maslow felt that unfulfilled needs lower on the ladder would inhibit the person from climbing to the next step. Someone dying of thirst quickly forgets their thirst when they have no oxygen, as he pointed out. People who dealt in managing the higher needs were what he called self-actualizing people. Benedict and Wertheimer were Maslow's models of self-actualization, from which he generalized that, among other characteristics, self-actualizing people tend to focus on problems outside of themselves, have a clear sense of what is true and what is phony, are spontaneous and creative, and are not bound too strictly by social conventions.
−
Finally, [[self-actualization]] sits at the apex of the original pyramid.
  
   
  +
Maslow's thinking was surprisingly original—most psychology before him had been concerned with the abnormal and the ill. He wanted to know what constituted positive mental health. [[Humanistic psychology]] gave rise to several different therapies, all guided by the idea that people possess the inner resources for growth and healing and that the point of therapy is to help remove obstacles to individuals' achieving this. The most famous of these was [[client-centered therapy]] developed by [[Carl Rogers]]. [[Classical Adlerian Psychotherapy]], based on the teachings of [[Alfred Adler]], also encourages the optimal psychological development of the individual.
−
In [[1970]] Maslow published a revision to his original [[1954]] pyramid ([http://www.xenodochy.org/ex/lists/maslow.html]), adding the cognitive needs (first the need to acquire knowledge, then the need to understand that knowledge) above the need for self-actualization, and the aesthetic needs (the needs to create and/or experience beauty, balance, structure, etc.) at the top of the pyramid. However, not all versions of Maslow's pyramid include the top two levels.
  
   
  +
Maslow's influence extended beyond [[psychology]] - his work on [[peak experiences]] is relevant to [[religious studies]], while his work on management means that his ideas have relevance to [[transpersonal business studies]].
−
Maslow theorized that unfulfilled cognitive needs can become redirected into neurotic needs. For example, children whose safety needs are not adequately met may grow into adults who compulsively hoard money or possessions (see[http://www.rpi.edu/~verwyc/MASLOWOH.htm]). Unlike other needs, however, neurotic needs do not promote health or growth if they are satisfied.
  
   
  +
==Hierarchy of needs==
−
Maslow also proposed that people who have reached self-actualization will sometimes experience a state he referred to as "[[transcendence (philosophy)|transcendence]]," in which they become aware of not only their own fullest potential, but the fullest potential of human beings at large. He described this transcendence and its characteristics in an essay in the posthumously published ''The Farther Reaches of Human Nature''. (see [[flow (psychology)|flow]]).
  
  +
{{Main|Maslow's hierarchy of needs}}
   
  +
Maslow has set up a hierarchy of five levels of basic needs. Beyond these needs, higher levels of needs exist. These include needs for understanding, aesthetic appreciation and purely spiritual needs. In the levels of the five basic needs, the person does not feel the second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied, nor the third until the second has been satisfied, and so on.
−
In the essay, he describes this experience as not always being transitory, but that certain individuals might have ready access to it, and spend more time in this state. He makes a point that these individuals experience not only ecstatic joy, but also profound "cosmic-sadness" (Maslow, 1971) at the ability of humans to foil chances of transcendence in their own lives and in the world at large.
  
   
  ⚫
----
−
Maslow's theory of human needs draws strongly on the pioneering work of [[Henry Murray]] (1938). This provides the basis for wide-ranging and extensively validated work relating to achievement, affiliation, power and ambition."We move toward self actuaalization". This quote brings in Maslow's theory of motivation, tying along with the growth, happiness and satisfaction of every person. He believes to be motivated that it is not driven by reducing tension or avoiding frustration that people look for a positive view.
  
⚫
-----
  
 
{{start box}}
  
{{start box}}
 
{{succession box | title=[[List of presidents of American Psychological Association|{{PAGENAME}} elected APA President]] | before=[[Gardner Lindzey]] | after= [[George A. Miller]] | years=[[1968]]}}
  
{{succession box | title=[[List of presidents of American Psychological Association|{{PAGENAME}} elected APA President]] | before=[[Gardner Lindzey]] | after= [[George A. Miller]] | years=[[1968]]}}
Line 47: Line 50:
 
* [[Carl Rogers]]
  
* [[Carl Rogers]]
 
* [[Clayton Alderfer]]
  
* [[Clayton Alderfer]]
−
* [[Colin Wilson]]
  
 
* [[Douglas McGregor (business theorist)|Douglas McGregor]]
  
* [[Douglas McGregor (business theorist)|Douglas McGregor]]
 
* [[Frederick Herzberg]]
  
* [[Frederick Herzberg]]
Line 57: Line 59:
 
* [[Humanistic psychology]]
  
* [[Humanistic psychology]]
 
* [[Human Potential Movement]]
  
* [[Human Potential Movement]]
−
* [[Positive Disintegration]]
 +
* [[Positive disintegration]]
 
* [[Post-materialism]]
  
* [[Post-materialism]]
   
Line 63: Line 65:
   
 
===Books===
  
===Books===
−
*Maslow, A H (1938) Cases in Personality and Abnormal Psychology (New York: Brooklyn College Press, 1938).
 +
*Maslow, A H (1938) Cases in Personality and Abnormal Psychology (New York: Brooklyn College Press, 1938).
−
*Maslow, A H & Mittelmann, B (1941) Principles of Abnormal Psychology: The Dynamics of Psychic Illness. (New York: Harper and Brothers
 +
*Maslow, A H & Mittelmann, B (1941) Principles of Abnormal Psychology: The Dynamics of Psychic Illness. (New York: Harper and Brothers
−
*Maslow, A H (1954) Motivation and Personality. New, York: Harper & Row.(2nd edition: [[1970]])
 +
*Maslow, A H (1954) Motivation and Personality. New, York: Harper & Row.(2nd edition: [[1970]])
 
*Maslow, A H & Mittelman, B. (1951) Principles of Abnormal Psychology (Revised Edition) New York: Harper & Row,.
  
*Maslow, A H & Mittelman, B. (1951) Principles of Abnormal Psychology (Revised Edition) New York: Harper & Row,.
 
*Maslow, A H (1959) (Ed), New Knowledge in Human Values.New York: Harper & Row.
  
*Maslow, A H (1959) (Ed), New Knowledge in Human Values.New York: Harper & Row.
−
*Maslow, A H (1962) Toward a Psychology of Being. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand Co.
+
*Maslow, A H (1962) Toward a Psychology of Being. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand Co.
−
*Maslow, A H (1964) Religions, Values and Peak-experiences Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press,
 +
*Maslow, A H (1964) Religions, Values and Peak-experiences Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press,
−
*Maslow, A H (1968) Toward a Psychology of Being, 2d ed., Van Nostrand.
 +
*Maslow, A H (1965) ''Eupsychian Management'', 1965; republished as ''Maslow on Management'', 1998
−
*Maslow, A H & Hung-Min Chiang (1969) The Healthy Personality: Readings. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
 +
*Maslow, A H (1968) Toward a Psychology of Being, 2d ed., Van Nostrand.
−
*Maslow, A H (1970) Motivation and Personality. Rev. ed. New York: Harper & Row.
 +
*Maslow, A H & Hung-Min Chiang (1969) The Healthy Personality: Readings. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
−
*Maslow, A H (1971) Farther Reaches of Human Nature. New York: Viking Press.
 +
*Maslow, A H (1970) Motivation and Personality. Rev. ed. New York: Harper & Row.
  +
*Maslow, A H (1971) Farther Reaches of Human Nature. New York: Viking Press.
   
 
===Chapters in Books===
  
===Chapters in Books===
Line 212: Line 215:
   
 
===Further reading===
  
===Further reading===
  +
* Cooke B, Mills A and Kelley E in Group and Organization Management, (2005) Vol.''Situating Maslow in Cold War America'', 30, No. 2, 129-152
  ⚫
* Roy Jose DeCarvalho, ''The Founders of Humanistic Psychology''
  +
* Edward Hoffman, ''The Right to be Human: a biography of Abraham Maslow'', (ISBN 0-07-134-267-2)
  +
* Mook, D.G. (1987). Motivation: ''The Organization of Action'', London: W.W. Norton & Company Ltd (ISBN 0-393-95474-9) Motivation:
  +
* Nicholson, I., (2001). Giving Up Maleness: Abraham Maslow, Masculinity, and the Boundaries of Psychology. ''History of Psychology, 2,'' 79-91
  +
* Jessica Valdez, ''Self Actualization through Humanistic Theories''
  +
* Wahba, M.A. & Bridwell, L. G. (1976). Maslow Reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Theory. ''Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 15'', 212-240
  +
* Wilson, Colin (1972) New Pathways in Psychology: Maslow and the post-Freudian revolution. London: Victor Gollancz (ISBN 0-575-01355-9)
 
*''The Right to be Human'' by Edward Hoffman
  
*''The Right to be Human'' by Edward Hoffman
⚫
*''The Founders of Humanistic Psychology'' by Roy Jose DeCarvalho
  
 
* Wahba, M.A. & Bridwell, L. G. ([[1976]]). Maslow Reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Theory. ''Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 15'', 212-240
  
* Wahba, M.A. & Bridwell, L. G. ([[1976]]). Maslow Reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Theory. ''Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 15'', 212-240
   
 
==External links==
  
==External links==
−
* [http://www.maslow.org/sub/m_bib.htm Comprehensive bibliography]
 +
* [http://www.maslow.org/sub/m_bib.htm Comprehensive bibliography of Maslow's works]
−
* [http://www.panarchy.org/maslow/being.1955.html Abraham H. Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being (1955-1957)]
 +
* [http://faculty.vassar.edu/lowry/maslow1.html "Maslow's Vision of Human Nature"] adapted from the Editor's Introduction to ''Toward a Psychology of Being'' (3rd ed.)
  +
* [http://www.panarchy.org/maslow/being.1955.html Excerpts from ''Toward a Psychology of Being'', 2nd ed.]
−
[[http://www.businessballs.com/maslowhierarchyofneeds5.pdf#search=%22Maslow%20pdf%22 Hiearchy of needs diagram]
  
  +
* [http://www.abrahammaslow.com ''The Third Force: The Psychology of Abraham Maslow''] by Frank G. Goble
−  
  +
* [http://www.abrahammaslow.com ''New Pathways in Psychology: Maslow and the Post-Freudian Revolution''] by Colin Wilson
⚫
[[Category:American psychologists]]
  
  +
* [http://www.abrahammaslow.com Maslow film on DVD: ''Being Abraham Maslow'']
⚫
[[Category:Humanists]]
  
  +
* [http://www.abrahammaslow.com Maslow film on DVD: ''Maslow and Self-Actualization'']
   
   
  +
<!--
 
[[bg:Ейбрахам Маслоу]]
  
[[bg:Ейбрахам Маслоу]]
 
[[bn:আব্রাহাম মাসলো]]
  
[[bn:আব্রাহাম মাসলো]]
Line 242: Line 254:
 
[[sv:Abraham H. Maslow]]
  
[[sv:Abraham H. Maslow]]
 
[[zh:亚伯拉罕·马斯洛]]
  
[[zh:亚伯拉罕·马斯洛]]
  +
-->
 
{{enWP|Abraham_Maslow}}
  
{{enWP|Abraham_Maslow}}
  ⚫
[[Category:American psychologists]]
  ⚫
[[Category:Humanists]]

Revision as of 19:48, 7 December 2012

Assessment | Biopsychology | Comparative | Cognitive | Developmental | Language | Individual differences | Personality | Philosophy | Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |

Professional Psychology: Debating Chamber · Psychology Journals · Psychologists

Abraham Harold Maslow (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) was an American psychologist. He is noted for his conceptualization of a "hierarchy of human needs", and is considered the founder of humanistic psychology.[1]

Biography

Was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. the eldest of seven children. His parents were uneducated Jewish immigrants from Russia. He was slow and tidy, and remembered his childhood as lonely and rather unhappy, because, as he said, "I was the little Jewish boy in the non-Jewish neighborhood. It was a little like being the first Negro enrolled in the all-white school. I was isolated and unhappy. I grew up in libraries and among books, without friends."[2]

Maslow first studied law at the City College of New York (CCNY). In 1927 he transferred to Cornell University, where his cousin Will Maslow was studying. His father hoped he would pursue law, but he went to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin to study psychology. While there, he married his first cousin Bertha in December 1928, and found as his chief mentor, professor Harry Harlow. At Wisconsin he pursued an original line of research, investigating primate dominance behavior and sexuality. He went on to further research at Columbia University, continuing similar studies; there he found another mentor in Alfred Adler, one of Sigmund Freud's early followers.

From 1937 to 1951, Maslow was on the faculty of Brooklyn College. In New York he found two more mentors, anthropologist Ruth Benedict and Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer, whom he admired both professionally and personally. These two were so accomplished in both realms, and such "wonderful human beings" as well, that Maslow began taking notes about them and their behavior. This would be the basis of his lifelong research and thinking about mental health and human potential. He wrote extensively on the subject, borrowing ideas from other psychologists but adding significantly to them, especially the concepts of a hierarchy of needs, metaneeds, self-actualizing persons, and peak experiences. Maslow became the leader of the humanistic school of psychology that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, which he referred to as the "third force" -- beyond Freudian theory and behaviorism.

Maslow was a professor at Brandeis University from 1951 to 1969, and then became a resident fellow of the Laughlin Institute in California. He died of a heart attack on June 8, 1970.

In 1967, the American Humanist Association named him Humanist of the Year.

Humanistic theories of self actualization

There have been countless psychologists throughout history that have shared their theories and made a significant impact on how society understands the world that surrounds them. Abraham Maslow was one of these theorists; he brought a new face to studying human characteristics. He was inspired by great minds, and his own gift of thought that brought on the unique concept of Humanistic Psychology..

Maslow's views throughout his career stemmed from his Orthodox Jewish Background. His family and his experiences impacted the ideas that created a whole new form of psychology; most of his writings came to reality after World War II. Maslow began to question the way that psychologists had come to their conclusions and though he didn’t completely disagree, he had his own ideas on how to understand the Human mind.

Humanistic Psychologists believe that in every person there is a strong desire to realize his or her full potential, to reach a level of Self-actualization. To prove that humans are not simply blindly reacting to situations, but trying to accomplish something greater. To prove this Maslow decided to study the mentally healthy individuals instead of the people with serious psychological issues. He realized through his studies that individuals experienced “peak experiences” which are the high points of life, when the individuals believe they are at harmony with themselves and their surroundings. Self-actualized people can have many peak experiences throughout a day when others have those experiences less often.

Maslow created a visual aid to explain his theories; he called it the Hierarchy of Needs. It is a pyramid that depicts the levels of humanistic needs, psychological and physical. When a human being executes the steps of the pyramid then that individual will have reached self actualization. The bottom of the pyramid is the “Basic needs” of a human being, food and water. The next level is “Security and Stability.” These two steps are important to the survival of the person physically. Once the individual has basic nutrition and shelter then they instantly look to accomplish more. The third level is “Love and Belonging,” this is a psychological need, once the individual has taken care of themselves physically then they are ready to share themselves with others. The fourth step occurs when the person feels comfortable with what they have accomplished then they have reached the “Esteem” level. This level is success and status. The top of the pyramid is “Self-actualization” that occurs when it is believed that the individual has reached a state of harmony and understanding.

Maslow looked at historical figures, also people who he knew, that he felt clearly met the standard of self actualization, to base his study on. He studied many people; Albert Einstein was one of those figures. Maslow looked at his writings and his accomplishments throughout his life time and began creating characteristics of the self actualized person. He realized that the individuals who he was studying had similar personality traits. They were all “reality centered” meaning that they were able to differentiate what was fraudulent from what was genuine. They also were “problem centered” meaning that they treated life’s difficulties as a problem that demanded a solution. These individuals also were all right being alone and their personal relationships were healthy. They had only a few close friends and family rather than a large amount of shallow relationships.[3] One historical figure that Maslow found to be helpful in his journey to understanding self actualization was Lao Tzu, The Father of Taoism. The basis of Taoism is that the people do not obtain personal meaning or pleasure by seeking material possessions.

When Maslow introduced these ideas to the world of psychology some people were not ready to understand why he believed the things he did. He was on the total opposite spectrum of Sigmund Freud who was and still is a renowned psychologist. Maslow stated in his book “It is as if Freud supplied us the sick half of psychology and we must now fill it out with the healthy half” there are two faces to human nature- the sick and the healthy- and so there should be two faces of psychology.

Abraham Maslow brought a new face to psychology and changed the way that modern-day physiologists understand the world around them. Without his creative mind critically looking at the situations that surrounded him humanistic psychology would not have been as well understood and developed as it has been

Maslow saw human beings' needs arranged like a ladder. The most basic needs, at the bottom, were physical—air, water, food, sleep. Then came safety needs—security, stability—followed by psychological, or social needs—for belonging, love, acceptance. Then, came esteem needs—to feel achievement, status, responsibility, and reputation. At the top of it all were the self-actualizing needs—the need to fulfill oneself, to become all that one is capable of becoming. Maslow felt that unfulfilled needs lower on the ladder would inhibit the person from climbing to the next step. Someone dying of thirst quickly forgets their thirst when they have no oxygen, as he pointed out. People who dealt in managing the higher needs were what he called self-actualizing people. Benedict and Wertheimer were Maslow's models of self-actualization, from which he generalized that, among other characteristics, self-actualizing people tend to focus on problems outside of themselves, have a clear sense of what is true and what is phony, are spontaneous and creative, and are not bound too strictly by social conventions.

Maslow's thinking was surprisingly original—most psychology before him had been concerned with the abnormal and the ill. He wanted to know what constituted positive mental health. Humanistic psychology gave rise to several different therapies, all guided by the idea that people possess the inner resources for growth and healing and that the point of therapy is to help remove obstacles to individuals' achieving this. The most famous of these was client-centered therapy developed by Carl Rogers. Classical Adlerian Psychotherapy, based on the teachings of Alfred Adler, also encourages the optimal psychological development of the individual.

Maslow's influence extended beyond psychology - his work on peak experiences is relevant to religious studies, while his work on management means that his ideas have relevance to transpersonal business studies.

Hierarchy of needs

Main article: Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow has set up a hierarchy of five levels of basic needs. Beyond these needs, higher levels of needs exist. These include needs for understanding, aesthetic appreciation and purely spiritual needs. In the levels of the five basic needs, the person does not feel the second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied, nor the third until the second has been satisfied, and so on.

Preceded by:
Gardner Lindzey 		Abraham Maslow elected APA President
1968 		Succeeded by:
George A. Miller

See also

Publications

Books

  • Maslow, A H (1938) Cases in Personality and Abnormal Psychology (New York: Brooklyn College Press, 1938).
  • Maslow, A H & Mittelmann, B (1941) Principles of Abnormal Psychology: The Dynamics of Psychic Illness. (New York: Harper and Brothers
  • Maslow, A H (1954) Motivation and Personality. New, York: Harper & Row.(2nd edition: 1970)
  • Maslow, A H & Mittelman, B. (1951) Principles of Abnormal Psychology (Revised Edition) New York: Harper & Row,.
  • Maslow, A H (1959) (Ed), New Knowledge in Human Values.New York: Harper & Row.
  • Maslow, A H (1962) Toward a Psychology of Being. Princeton, N.J.: D. Van Nostrand Co.
  • Maslow, A H (1964) Religions, Values and Peak-experiences Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press,
  • Maslow, A H (1965) Eupsychian Management, 1965; republished as Maslow on Management, 1998
  • Maslow, A H (1968) Toward a Psychology of Being, 2d ed., Van Nostrand.
  • Maslow, A H & Hung-Min Chiang (1969) The Healthy Personality: Readings. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
  • Maslow, A H (1970) Motivation and Personality. Rev. ed. New York: Harper & Row.
  • Maslow, A H (1971) Farther Reaches of Human Nature. New York: Viking Press.

Chapters in Books

  • Maslow, A H (1937) Personality and patterns of culture. In Stagner, Ross, Psychology of Personality (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1937).
  • Maslow, A H (1951) Social Theory of Motivation. In M. Shore (Ed.), Twentieth Century Mental Hygiene (New York: Social Science Publishers, 1950).
  • Maslow, A H & MacKinnon, D. (1951) Personality In H. Helson (Ed.), Theoretical Foundations of Psychology ( New York: D. Van Nostrand Co.,1951) .
  • Maslow, A H (1956) Personality problems and personality growth. In C. Moustakas (Ed.), The Self (New York: Harper & Row, 1956).
  • Maslow, A H (1956) Power relationships and patterns of personal development. In A. Kornbauser (Ed.), Problems of Power in American Democracy (Detroit: Wayne University Press, 1957).
  • Maslow, A H (1953) Love in Healthy People. In A. Montagu (Ed.), The Meaning of Love (New York: Julian Press, 1953), pp. 57-93.
  • Maslow, A H (1959) Creativity in self-actualizing people. In H. H. Anderson (Ed.), Creativity & Its Cultivation (New York: Harper & Row, 1959).
  • Maslow, A H (1959) Mental health and religion. In Religion, Science and Mental Health, Academy of Religion and Mental Health (New York: University Press, 1959).
  • Maslow, A H & Diaz- Guerrero, R. (1960) Juvenile delinquency as a value disturbance. In J. Peatman and E. Hartley (Eds.), Festschrift for Gardner Murphy (New York: Harper & Row, 1960).
  • Maslow, A H (1960) Resistance to being rubricized. In B. Kaplan and S. Wapner (Eds.), Perspectives in Psychological Theory (New York: International Universities Press, 1960).
  • Maslow, A H (1961) Some frontier problems in mental health. In A. Combs (Ed.), Personality Theory and Counseling Practice. Gainesville, Fla.: University of Florida Press.
  • Maslow, A H (1962) Some basic propositions of a growth and self-actualization psychology. In A. Combs (Ed.), Perceiving, Behaving, Becoming: A New Focus for Education 1962 Yearbook of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Washington, D.C.
  • Maslow, A H (1968) Toward the Study of Violence. In Ng, Larry (Ed.), Alternatives to Violence, Time-Life Books.
  • Maslow, A H (1969) A Holistic Approach to Creativity. In Taylor. C. W. (Ed.), A Climate for Creativity: Reports of the Seventh National Research Conference on Creativity, University of Utah.

Maslow, A H (1968) Human Potentialities and the Healthy Society. In Otto, Herbert (Ed.), Human Potentialities, Warren H. Green, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.

  • Maslow, A H (1968) The New Science of Man. In Papers on The Human Potential for the Twentieth Century Fund, New York.

Tests

  • Maslow, A H (1942) The Social Personality Inventory: A Test for Self-esteem in Women (with manual). (Palo Alto, Calif.: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1942).
  • Maslow, A H (1951) The S-I Test (A measure of psychological security-insecurity.) (Palo Alto, Calif.: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1951).



Papers

  • A Theory of Human Motivation (1943, originally published in Psychological Review, 50, 370-396. Available online.)
  • Maslow, A H, Harlow,HF and Uehling. (1932) Delayed reaction tests on primates from the lemur to the Orangoutan. Jour. Comparative Psychol., 13: 313-43.
  • Maslow, A H, & Harlow,HF (1932) Delayed reaction tests on primates at Bronx Park Zoo. Jour. Comparative Psychol., 14: 97-107.
  • Maslow, A H (1932) The "emotion" of disgust in dogs. Jour. Comparative Psychol., 14: 401-07.
  • Maslow, A H (1933) Food preferences of primates. Jour. of Comparative Psychol., 16: 187-97.
  • Maslow, A H & Groshong, E (1934) Influence of differential motivation on delayed reactions in monkeys. Jour. Comparative Psychol., 18: 75-83.
  • Maslow, A H (1934) The effect of varying external conditions on learning, retention and reproduction. Jour. Experimental Psychol., 17: 36-47.
  • Maslow, A H (1934) The effect of varying time intervals between acts of learning with a note on proactive inhibition. Jour. Experimental Psychol., 17: 141-44.
  • Maslow, A H (1935) Appetites and hungers in animal motivation. Jour. Comparative Psychol., 20: 75-83.
  • Maslow, A H (1935) Individual psychology and the social behavior of monkeys and apes. Int. Jour. of Individ. Psychol., 1: 47-59.
  • Maslow, A H (1936) The role of dominance in the social and sexual behavior of infrai-human primates 1. Observations at Vilas Park Zoo. Jour. Genetic Psychol., 48: 261-277.
  • Maslow, A H & Flanzbaum, S (1936) II. An experimental determination of the dominance behavior syndrome. Jour. Genetic Psychol., 48: 278-309.
  • Maslow, A H (1936) A theory of sexual behavior of infra-human primates. Jour. Genetic Psychol., 48: 310-38.
  • Maslow, A H (1936) IV. The determination of hierarchy in pairs and in groups. Jour. Genetic Psychol., 49: 161-98.

1937

  • Maslow, A H (1937) The comparative approach to social behavior. Social Forces, 15: 487-90.
  • Maslow, A H (1937) The influence of familiarization on preferences. Jour. Experimental Psychol., 21: 162-80.
  • Maslow, A H (1937) Dominance-feeling, behavior and status. Psychological Review, 44: 404-29.
  • Maslow, A H & Grether, W (1937) An experimental study of insight in monkeys. Jour. Comparative Psychol., 24: 127-34.
  • Maslow, A H (1939) *Maslow, A H (1932) Dominance-feeling, personality and social behavior in women. Jour. Social Psychol., 10: 3-39.
  • Maslow, A H (1940) Dominance-quality and social behavior in infra-human primates. Jour. Social Psychol., 11: 313-24.
  • Maslow, A H (1940) A test for dominance-feeling (self-esteem) in college women. Jour. Social Psychol., 12:255-70.
  • Maslow, A H (1941) Deprivation, threat and frustration. Psychol. Review , 48: 364-66.
  • Maslow, A H (1942) Liberal leadership and personality. Freedom, 2: 27-30.
  • Maslow, A H (1942) The dynamics of psychological security-insecurity. Character and Personality. 10: 331-44.
  • Maslow, A H (1942) A comparative approach to the problem of destructiveness. Psychiatry, 5, 517-22.
  • Maslow, A H (1942) Self-esteem (dominance-feeling) and sexuality in women. Jour. Social Psychol. 16, 259-94.
  • Maslow, A H (1943) A preface to motivation theory. Psychosomatic Medicine, 5, 85-92.
  • Maslow, A H (1943) A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370-96.
  • Maslow, A H (1943) Conflict, frustration and the theory of threat. Jour. of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 38, 81-86.
  • Maslow, A H (1943) The dynamics of personality organization 1. & II., Psychological Review, 50 , 514-39, 541-58.
  • Maslow, A H (1943) The authoritarian character structure. Jour. of Social Psychol. 18,401-11.
  • Maslow, A H (1944) What intelligence tests mean. Jour. of General Psych. 31: 85-93.
  • Maslow, A H , Birsh, E., Stein, M., and Honigman, I. (1945) A clinically derived test for measuring psychological security-insecurity. Jour. of General Psychology, 33: 21-41.
  • Maslow, A H (1945) A suggested improvement in semantic usage. Psychological Review , 52: 239-40.
  • Maslow, A H (1945) Experimentalizing the clinical method. Jour. of Clinical Psychology , 1: 241-43.
  • Maslow, A H & Szilagyi-Kessler, I. (1946) Security and breast-feeding. Jour. of Abnormal and Social Psychology , 41:83-85.
  • Maslow, A H (1946) Problem-centering vs. means-centering in science. Philosophy of Science, 13: 326-31.
  • Maslow, A H (1947) A symbol for holistic thinking. Persona. 1: 24-25.
  • Maslow, A H (1948) "Higher" and "lower" needs. Jour. of Psychology , 25: 433-36.
  • Maslow, A H (1948) Cognition of the particular and of the generic. Psychological Review , 55: 22-40.
  • Maslow, A H (1948) Some theoretical consequences of basic need-gratification. Jour. of Personality, 16: 402-16.
  • Maslow, A H (1949) Our maligned animal nature. Jour. of Psychology , 28: 273-78.
  • Maslow, A H (1949) The expressive component of behavior. Psychol. Review , 56: 261- 72.
  • Maslow, A H (1950) Self-actualizing people: a study of psychological health. Personality Symposia : Symposium # 1 on Values, 1950, pp. 11-34 (New York: Grune & Stratton).
  • Maslow, A H (1951) Higher needs and personality, Dialectica (University of Liege), 5, 257-65.
  • Maslow, A H (1951) Resistance to acculturation, Jour. of
  • Maslow, A H (1951) Social Issues , 1951, 7, 26-29.
  • Maslow, A H & Sakoda, J. (1951) Volunteer-error in the Kinsey study. Jour. Abnormal & Social Psychology , 1952, 47, 259-62.
  • Maslow, A H & Zimmerman, W. (1953) College teaching ability, scholarly activity and personality. J. Educ. Psychol. , 1953, 47, 185-189.
  • Maslow, A H (1954) The instinctoid nature of basic needs. Jour. of Personality, 1954, 22,326-47.
  • Maslow, A H (1954) Normality, health and values, Main Currents, 1954, 10, 75-81.
  • Maslow, A H & Mintz, N. (1956) Effects of esthetic surroundings: I. Initial effects of three esthetic conditions upon perceiving "energy" and "well-being" in faces. J. Psychol., 1956, 41, 247-54.
  • Maslow, A H (1932) Defense and growth. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 1956, 3, 36-47.
  • Maslow, A H (1956) A philosophy of psychology, Main Currents, 1956,13, 27-32.
  • Maslow, A H & Bossom, J. (1956) Security of judges as a factor in impressions of warmth in others. J. Abn. Soc. Psychol., 1957, 55, 147-8.
  • Maslow, A H (1956) Two kinds of cognition and their integration. General Semantics Bulletin, 1957, Nos. 20 & 21, 17-22. Reprinted in New Era in Home and School, 1958, 39, 202-5.
  • Maslow, A H (1958) Emotional Blocks to Creativity. Journal of Individual Psychology, 1958, 14, 51-56.
  • Maslow, A H (1959) Cognition of being in the peak experiences. J. Genetic Psychol., 1959, J4, 43-66.
  • Maslow, A H (1959) Critique of self-actualization. I. Some dangers of Being-cogni- tion, J. Individual Psychol., 1959, 15, 24-32.
  • Maslow, A H (1960) Remarks on existentialism and psychology. Existentialist Inquiries, 1960, 1, 1-5.
  • Maslow, A H, Rand, H. and Newman, S. (1960) Some parallels between the dominance and sexual behavior of monkeys and the fantasies of patients in psychotherapy. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1960, 131, 202-212.
  • Maslow, A H (1961) Health as transcendence of the environment. Jour. Humanistic Psychology, 1961,1,1-7.
  • Maslow, A H (1961) Peak-experiences as acute identity experiences. Amer. Journ. Psychoanalysis, 1961, 21, 254-260.
  • Maslow, A H (1961) Eupsychia - The good society, Journ. Humanistic Psychology, 1961,1,1-11.
  • Maslow, A H (1961) Are our publications and conventions suitable for the Personal Sciences? Amer. Psychologist, 1961, 16, 318-19.
  • Maslow, A H (1961) Comments on Skinner's attitude to science. Daedalus, 1961, 90, 572-73.
  • Maslow, A H (1961) Notes Toward a Psychology of Being. WBSI Report No. 7.
  • Maslow, A H (1962) Lessons from the peak-experiences. Journ. Humanistic Psychology, 2, 9-18.
  • Maslow, A H (1962) Notes on Being-Psychology Journ. Humanistic Psychology, 2,47-71.
  • Maslow, A H (1962) Was Adler a disciple of Freud? A note. Journ. Individual Psychology, 18,125.
  • Maslow, A H (1963) The need to know and the fear of knowing. Journ. General Psychol., 1963, 68, 111-25.
  • Maslow, A H (1963) The creative attitude. The Structurist, No. 3, 4-10.
  • Maslow, A H (1963) Fusions of facts and values. Amer. Journ. Psychoanalysis, 23,117-31.
  • Maslow, A H (1963) Criteria for judging needs to be instinctoid. Proceedings of 1963 International Congress of Psychology (Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishers, 1964), 86-87.
  • Maslow, A H (1963) Further notes on Being-Psychology. Journ. Humanistic Psychology, 3,120-35.
  • Maslow, A H (1963) Notes on innocent cognition. In L. Schenk-Danzinger and H. Thomae (Eds.), Gegenwartsprobleme der Entwicklungs Psychologic: Festschrift fur Charlotte Buhler, Verlag fur Psyehologie, Gottingen, 1963.
  • Maslow, A H (1963) Notes on unstructured groups. Human Relations Training News, 7, 1-4.
  • Maslow, A H (1964) The superior person. Trans-action, 1964, 1, 10-13.
  • Maslow, A H & Gross, L. (1964) Synergy in society and in the individual. J. Individual Psychol., 20, 153-64.
  • Maslow, A H (1964) Further notes on the Psychology of Being, J. Humanistic Psychology, 4, 45,58.
  • Maslow, A H (1965) Observing and Reporting Education Experiments. Humanist 25: 13.
  • Maslow, A H (1965) Foreword to Andras Angyal, Neurosis & Treatment: A Holistic Theory, Wiley, v-vii.
  • Maslow, A H (1965) The Need for Creative People. Personnel Administration 28:3-5, 21-22.
  • Maslow, A H (1965) Critique and Discussion. In Money, J. (Ed.), Sex Research: New Developments. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 135-143, 144- 146.
  • Maslow, A H (1965) Humanistic Science and Transcendent Experiences. Jour. Humanistic Psychol. 5: 219-227.
  • Maslow, A H (1965) Criteria for Judging Needs to be Instinctoid. In Jones, M. R. (Ed.), Human Motivation: A Symposium, Univ. Nebraska Press, 33-47.
  • Maslow, A H (1965) Eupsychian Management: A Journal. Irwin-Dorsey.
  • Maslow, A H & R. Morant,R (1965) Art judgment and the judgment of Others: A Preliminary Study. Jour. Clinical Psychol. 21: 389-391.
  • Maslow, A H (1966) Isomorphic Interrelationships between Knower and Known. In Kepes, G. (Ed.), Sign, Image, Symbol, Braziller.
  • Maslow, A H (1966) The Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance. New York: Harper & Row.
  • Maslow, A H (1966) Toward a Psychology of Religious Awareness. Explorations 9: 23-41.
  • Maslow, A H (1966) Comments on Dr. Frankl's Paper. Jour. Humanistic Psychol. 6: 107-112.
  • Maslow, A H (1967) Neurosis as a Failure of Personal Growth. Humanitas 3: 153-169.
  • Maslow, A H (1967) Synanon and Eupsychia Jour. Humanistic Psychol. 7: 28-35.
  • Maslow, A H (1967) A Theory of Metamotivation: The Biological Rooting of the Value-life. Jour. Humanistic Psychol. 7: 93-127.
  • Maslow, A H (1967) Self-actualizing and Beyond. In Bugental, J. F. T. (Ed.), Challenges of Humanistic Psychology, McGraw-Hill.
  • Maslow, A H (1968) Music Education and Peak-experiences. Music Educators Jour. 54: 72-75, 163-171.
  • Maslow, A H (1968) The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. Jour. Transpersonal Psychol. 1: 1-9.
  • Maslow, A H (1968) Some Educational Implications of the Humanistic Psychologies. Harvard Educational Review 38: 4, 685-696.
  • Maslow, A H (1968) Goals of Humanistic Education. Esalen Papers.

"*Maslow and Self-actualization" (film). Psychological Films, Santa Ana, Calif.

  • Maslow, A H (1968) Some Fundamental Questions That Face the Normative Social Psychologist. Jour. Humanistic Psychol. 8.
  • Maslow, A H (1969) Theory Z. Jour. Transpersonal Psychol. 1 (2): 31:47.
  • Maslow, A H (1969) Various Meanings of Transcendence. Jour. Transpersonal Psychol. 1: 56-66.
  • Maslow, A H (1969) Toward a Humanistic Biology. American Psychologist 24: 724-735.
  • Maslow, A H (1969) Humanistic Education vs. Professional Education. New Directions in Teaching 2: 6-8.
  • Maslow, A H (1970) Humanistic Education vs. Professional Education. New Directions in Teaching 2: 3-10.

Further reading

  • Cooke B, Mills A and Kelley E in Group and Organization Management, (2005) Vol.Situating Maslow in Cold War America, 30, No. 2, 129-152
  • Roy Jose DeCarvalho, The Founders of Humanistic Psychology
  • Edward Hoffman, The Right to be Human: a biography of Abraham Maslow, (ISBN 0-07-134-267-2)
  • Mook, D.G. (1987). Motivation: The Organization of Action, London: W.W. Norton & Company Ltd (ISBN 0-393-95474-9) Motivation:
  • Nicholson, I., (2001). Giving Up Maleness: Abraham Maslow, Masculinity, and the Boundaries of Psychology. History of Psychology, 2, 79-91
  • Jessica Valdez, Self Actualization through Humanistic Theories
  • Wahba, M.A. & Bridwell, L. G. (1976). Maslow Reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 15, 212-240
  • Wilson, Colin (1972) New Pathways in Psychology: Maslow and the post-Freudian revolution. London: Victor Gollancz (ISBN 0-575-01355-9)
  • The Right to be Human by Edward Hoffman
  • Wahba, M.A. & Bridwell, L. G. (1976). Maslow Reconsidered: A Review of Research on the Need Hierarchy Theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 15, 212-240

External links


This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).
  1. ↑ http://www.scimednet.org/bibliography/transpers_approaches.htm
  2. ↑ RIN.ru (Russian)
  3. ↑ ABRAHAM MASLOW. URL accessed on 2009-10-08.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.