PSY405 Quiz

Maslow's Theory of Personality (Lessons 19-20) · Overview of Humanistic Psychology · Abraham Maslow: Biographical Sketch · Basic Tenets of Humanistic Psychology

Humanistic psychology is a "third force" in the field, emphasizing the positive aspects of life such as free will and personal growth. It assumes that human nature is inherently good, and aggressive or abnormal behavior is caused by society, not the individual. Abnormality is seen as a refusal to take personal responsibility for one's own actions and thoughts. Human behavior is a result of voluntary choices.

Abraham Harold Maslow was born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York, to uneducated Jewish immigrant parents from Russia. As the eldest of seven children, he was strongly encouraged by his parents to succeed academically. He initially studied psychology at the University of Wisconsin, influenced by John Watson's behaviorism. His enthusiasm for behaviorism faded after the birth of his first daughter, as he felt it was more relevant to animals than to humans. Maslow was a founding editor of both the Journal of Humanistic Psychology and the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology and was elected president of the American Psychological Association for 19671968. He was keenly interested in "growth psychology".

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

The Five Levels of the Hierarchy:

The Individual as an Integrated Whole: Each person should be studied as a unified, organized, and unique whole. Maslow's theory was developed partly in opposition to theories (like behaviorism) that focus on isolated parts of behavior rather than the entire person. Irrelevance of Animal Research: Humanistic psychologists believe there is a fundamental difference between human and animal behavior. They argue that only humans can theorize about other humans. Man's Inner Nature: The theory posits that people are not inherently evil; instead, destructive forces arise from a negative environment. Human Creative Potential: Creativity is considered the most significant concept of humanistic psychology and a universal human function. It is not limited to artists, but can be expressed in any form, such as being a creative homemaker or business executive. Emphasis on Psychological Health: Maslow criticized other theories, particularly Freud's, for focusing too much on neurotic and psychotic individuals and failing to adequately study healthy people.

Maslow's theory is a motivational theory that suggests human behavior is driven by the desire to achieve personal goals that provide meaning and reward. He proposed a hierarchy of innate human needs, arranged in order of potency or priority. The hierarchy is often represented as a pyramid, with basic needs at the broad base and self-actualization at the narrow top. Lower-level needs must be at least partially satisfied before a person can be motivated by higher-level needs. The lower a need is in the hierarchy, the greater its strength tends to be.

Why Don't All People Achieve Self-Actualization?

1. Physiological Needs: These are the most fundamental and powerful needs for physical survival, including food, water, oxygen, sleep, and sex. They must be met at a minimal level before other needs become motivating.
2. Safety Needs: Once physiological needs are met, the need for security, order, and predictability in one's environment emerges. This is most easily observed in children who are helpless and dependent.
3. Belongingness and Love Needs: This third level involves the need for affectionate relationships with others and a sense of belonging in a family or group. When these needs are not met, a person feels loneliness and rejection.
4. Self-Esteem Needs: These needs are divided into two categories: Self-respect: The desire for competence, confidence, personal strength, and achievement. Esteem from others: The desire for prestige, recognition, status, and appreciation from others.
5. Self-Actualization Needs: This is the highest level, representing the desire to become everything one is capable of becoming and to reach one's full potential. Maslow estimated that less than 1% of the population achieves self-actualization.

Maslow believed that most people have the impulse for selfactualization, but only a few—usually the gifted—ever achieve it. One reason is that many people are unaware of their potential and fear their own abilities. The social environment can also stifle self-fulfillment. Maslow's meta-motivational theory distinguishes between basic needs (e.g., hunger, security) and meta-needs (e.g., justice, beauty, order). While basic needs have a hierarchy, meta-needs do not; they are