Instinctoid: hereditary component

Abraham Maslow

Instinctoid: hereditary component

• Instinctoid: hereditary component

• Activate and direct human behavior

• We are not driven by all needs at the same time

Lower (deficiency) vs. higher (being) needs

• Lower (deficiency) vs. higher (being) needs

• Strength
• Time they appear in life
• External circumstances

Bottom of hierarchy

• Bottom of hierarchy

• Basic survival needs: food, water, sex

Second from bottom of hierarchy

• Second from bottom of hierarchy

• Structure, order, stability, predictability

• More important to children than normal adults

Middle of hierarchy

• Middle of hierarchy

• Intimate and social relationships

Fourth from bottom of hierarchy

• Fourth from bottom of hierarchy

• 2 forms of esteem needs:

• From ourselves: feelings of self-worth
• From others: status, recognition, social success

Pinnacle of hierarchy

• Pinnacle of hierarchy

• Maximum realization of potentials, talents, abilities

• Fullest personality development

• Even if satisfy all other needs, person will feel restless and discontent if not self-actualizing

Free of constraints

• Free of constraints

• Not distracted by lower needs

• Secure self-image and relationships

• Realistic knowledge of strengths and weaknesses

Efficient perception of reality

• Efficient perception of reality

• Acceptance of selves, others, nature

• Spontaneity, simplicity, naturalness

• Focus on problems outside of themselves

• Social interest

• Creativeness

Peak experiences: religious, mystical experiences

• Peak experiences: religious, mystical experiences

• Profound interpersonal relationships

• Resistance to enculturation

• Extremely rare- seen in less than 1% of the population

Negative correlation between high self-actualizing scores and alcoholism, mental disorders, neuroticism

• Negative correlation between high self-actualizing scores and alcoholism, mental disorders, neuroticism

• Meeting esteem needs: greater feelings of self-worth, self-confidence, competence (similar to Badura’s self-efficacy)

Weak research methodology

• Weak research methodology

• Small sample size
• Lack of empirical methods

• Vague terms (peak experiences)

Further development of humanism in psychology

• Further development of humanism in psychology

• Applicable to variety of disciplines (teaching, religion, business)

• Very optimistic- may be more appealing to some than behavioral or psychoanalytic approaches