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Pyramid of human physiological needs. Maslow's pyramid of needs - from physiology to self-realization

You weren't promoted at work. Of course, this upset you, but your significant other, who left you, made you worse. In addition, you missed the bus and almost turned gray while walking down a creepy dark alley. But all your troubles turned out to be negligible compared to an empty refrigerator when you really wanted to eat. Indeed, our needs replace each other in importance. And higher needs fade until the basic ones are satisfied. This fact suggests that all our desires, or rather needs, are in a clear hierarchical sequence. To understand which need can deprive us of strength, and which one we can do just fine with the help of Abraham Maslow's pyramid of needs.

Abraham Maslow's pyramid of needs

American psychologist Abraham Maslow throughout his life tried to prove the fact that people are constantly in the process of self-actualization. By this term, he meant a person's desire for self-development and constant realization of internal potential. Self-actualization is the highest step among the needs that make up several levels in the human psyche. This hierarchy, described by Maslow in the 50s of the 20th century, was called the "Theory of Motivation" or, as it is commonly called now, the pyramid of needs. Maslow's theory, that is, the pyramid of needs has a stepped structure. Myself American psychologist explained this increase in needs by the fact that a person will not be able to experience the needs of more high level until it satisfies the basic and more primitive ones. Let's take a closer look at what this hierarchy is.

Classification of needs

Maslow's pyramid of human needs is based on the thesis that human behavior is determined by basic needs that can be built in the form of steps, depending on the significance and urgency of their satisfaction for a person. Let's consider them starting from the lowest.

1. First stage - physiological needs. A person who is not rich and does not have many benefits of civilization, according to Maslow's theory, will experience needs, primarily of a physiological nature. Agree if you choose between lack of respect and hunger, first of all you will satisfy your hunger. Also physiological needs include thirst, the need for sleep and oxygen, as well as sexual desire.
2. Second step - the need for security. good example infants serve here. Still without a psyche, babies at the biological level, after satisfying thirst and hunger, seek protection and calm down, only feeling the warmth of their mother nearby. In adulthood the same thing happens. At healthy people the need for security manifests itself in a mild form. For example, in the desire to have social guarantees for employment.
3. Third step - the need for love and belonging. In Maslow's pyramid of human needs, after satisfying the needs of a physiological nature and security, a person longs for the warmth of friendly, family or love relationship. The goal of finding a social group that satisfies these needs is the most important and significant task for a person. The desire to overcome the feeling of loneliness, according to Maslow, became a prerequisite for the emergence of all kinds of circles and interest clubs. Loneliness contributes to the social maladjustment of a person, and the emergence of serious mental illnesses.
4. Fourth step - the need for recognition. Each person needs to be assessed by society for their merits. Maslow's need for recognition is divided into a person's desire for achievement and reputation. It is by achieving something in life and earning recognition and reputation that a person becomes confident in himself and in his abilities. Failure to satisfy this need, as a rule, leads to weakness, depression, a feeling of despondency, which can lead to irreversible consequences.
5. Fifth step - the need for self-actualization (aka self-realization). According to Maslow's theory, this need is the highest in the hierarchy. A person feels the need for improvement only after satisfying all lower needs.

These five points comprise the entire pyramid, that is, Maslow's hierarchy of needs. As the creator of the theory of motivation himself noted, these steps are not as stable as they seem. There are people whose order of needs is an exception to the rules of the pyramid. For example, for someone, self-affirmation is more important than love and relationships. Look at careerists and you will see how common this case is.

Maslow's pyramid of needs has been challenged by many scholars. And the point here is not only the instability of the hierarchy created by the psychologist. In non-standard situations, for example, during the war or in extreme poverty, people managed to create great works and performed heroic deeds. Thus, Maslow tried to prove that even without satisfying their basic and basic needs, people realized their potential. To all such attacks, the American psychologist responded with only one phrase: "Ask these people if they were happy."

American psychologist Abraham Maslow throughout his life tried to prove the fact that people are constantly in the process of self-actualization. By this term, he meant a person's desire for self-development and constant realization of internal potential. Self-actualization is the highest step among the needs that make up several levels in the human psyche. This hierarchy, described by Maslow in the 50s of the 20th century, was called the "Theory of Motivation" or, as it is commonly called now, the pyramid of needs. Maslow's theory, that is, the pyramid of needs has a stepped structure. The American psychologist himself explained this increase in needs by the fact that a person will not be able to experience the needs of a higher level until he satisfies the basic and more primitive ones. Let's take a closer look at what this hierarchy is.

Classification of needs

Maslow's pyramid of human needs is based on the thesis that human behavior is determined by basic needs that can be built in the form of steps, depending on the significance and urgency of their satisfaction for a person. Let's consider them starting from the lowest.

First stage - physiological needs. A person who is not rich and does not have many benefits of civilization, according to Maslow's theory, will experience needs, primarily of a physiological nature. Agree if you choose between lack of respect and hunger, first of all you will satisfy your hunger. Also physiological needs include thirst, the need for sleep and oxygen, as well as sexual desire.

Second step - the need for security. Infants are a good example. Still without a psyche, babies at the biological level, after satisfying thirst and hunger, seek protection and calm down, only feeling the warmth of their mother nearby. The same thing happens in adulthood. In healthy people, the need for security manifests itself in a mild form. For example, in the desire to have social guarantees for employment.

Third step - the need for love and belonging. In Maslow's pyramid of human needs, after satisfying the needs of a physiological nature and ensuring security, a person craves the warmth of friendship, family or love relationships. The goal of finding a social group that satisfies these needs is the most important and significant task for a person. The desire to overcome the feeling of loneliness, according to Maslow, became a prerequisite for the emergence of all kinds of circles and interest clubs. Loneliness contributes to the social maladjustment of a person, and the emergence of serious mental illnesses.

Fourth step - the need for recognition. Each person needs to be assessed by society for their merits. Maslow's need for recognition is divided into a person's desire for achievement and reputation. It is by achieving something in life and earning recognition and reputation that a person becomes confident in himself and in his abilities. Failure to satisfy this need, as a rule, leads to weakness, depression, a feeling of despondency, which can lead to irreversible consequences.

Fifth step - the need for self-actualization (aka self-realization). According to Maslow's theory, this need is the highest in the hierarchy. A person feels the need for improvement only after satisfying all lower needs.

These five points comprise the entire pyramid, that is, Maslow's hierarchy of needs. As the creator of the theory of motivation himself noted, these steps are not as stable as they seem. There are people whose order of needs is an exception to the rules of the pyramid. For example, for someone, self-affirmation is more important than love and relationships. Look at careerists and you will see how common this case is.

Maslow's pyramid of needs has been challenged by many scholars. And the point here is not only the instability of the hierarchy created by the psychologist. In non-standard situations, for example, during the war or in extreme poverty, people managed to create great works and performed heroic deeds. Thus, Maslow tried to prove that even without satisfying their basic and basic needs, people realized their potential. To all such attacks, the American psychologist responded with only one phrase: "Ask these people if they were happy."

4. 2-factor Gertsberg model

The two-factor theory of F. Herzberg is based on two broad categories of needs: hygiene factors and motivating factors. Hygiene factors are associated with environment in which the work is carried out, and motivating - with the nature of the work.

Herzberg called the first category of needs hygiene, using the medical meaning of the word "hygiene" (prevention), since, in his opinion, these factors describe the employee's environment and serve the primary functions, preventing job dissatisfaction. Herzberg called the second category of factors motivating or contributing, as they encourage employees to perform better.

Hygienic and motivating factors in Herzberg's theory

It should be noted that Herzberg made the paradoxical conclusion that wages are not a motivating factor. Indeed, in the table wage is in the category of factors leading to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

5. Complex system of economic conditions

conjuncture- the state of a social phenomenon at a certain point in time. Depending on what kind of phenomenon serves as the object of study, conjunctures are distinguished: economic, political, social; demographic; socio-political, etc. Each of these types of conjuncture, in turn, is the basis for a more complex typology of the states of elements within a given phenomenon. For example, economic conditions can be classified by levels of hierarchy (global economic conditions, economic conditions of a specific local market) or by coverage of the product range (general or commodity). The conjuncture can be studied only from the standpoint of a dynamic approach.

The economic environment is very complex system which can be studied from a variety of perspectives. It is this circumstance that was the reason that there are almost as many definitions of the economic conjuncture as there are authors who devote their works to it. scientific work. In domestic economic literature, there is a narrow and broad interpretation of the concept of economic conjuncture, however, in both cases, the term "conjuncture" means a temporary, transient, peculiar combination of specific economic, social, weather and other conditions and factors that affect the formation and interaction of supply and demand. In order to give the most acceptable definition of the economic environment, it is necessary to carefully analyze the properties and structure of the economic environment. It should immediately be noted that, despite the relative autonomy of each economic conjuncture of a separate market, it is only an element of a more complex economic conjuncture of a higher level of the hierarchy. At the same time, each element of the economic situation under study can itself be represented either as a system of a lower level of the hierarchy, or as a result of the functioning of such a system.

6. Functional structure assumes that each governing body is specialized in the performance of individual functions at all levels of management.

Compliance with the instructions of each functional body within its competence is mandatory for production units. Decisions on common issues are taken collectively. The functional specialization of the management apparatus significantly increases its efficiency, since instead of universal managers who must understand all functions, a staff of highly qualified specialists appears.

The structure is aimed at performing constantly recurring routine tasks that do not require prompt decision-making. They are used in the management of organizations with a mass or large-scale type of production, as well as with an economic mechanism of a costly type, when production is the least susceptible to scientific and technical progress.

Functional management structure

Application area: single-product enterprises; enterprises implementing complex and long-term innovative projects; medium-sized highly specialized enterprises; research and design organizations; large specialized enterprises.

The main advantages of the functional structure:

High competence of specialists responsible for the implementation of specific functions;

Releasing line managers from solving many special issues and expanding their capabilities for operational management of production;

The use of experienced specialists in the work of consultations, reducing the need for generalists;

Reducing the risk of erroneous decisions;

Elimination of duplication in the performance of managerial functions.

The disadvantages of the functional structure include:

Difficulties in maintaining constant relationships between various functional services;

Lengthy decision making process;

Lack of mutual understanding and unity of action between functional services; reducing the responsibility of performers for the work as a result of the fact that each performer receives instructions from several managers;

Excessive interest in the implementation of the goals and objectives of their units;

Reducing personal responsibility for the final result;

The complexity of monitoring the progress of the process as a whole and for individual projects;

Relatively frozen organizational form, with difficulty responding to changes.

A kind of functional structure is linear-functional structure. The linear-functional structure provides such a division of managerial labor, in which the linear management links are called upon to command, and the functional ones are called upon to advise, help in the development of specific issues and the preparation of appropriate decisions, programs, and plans.

Linear-functional management structure

Heads of functional departments (for marketing, finance, R&D, personnel) exercise influence on production departments formally. As a rule, they do not have the right to give them orders on their own. The role of functional services depends on the scale of economic activity and the management structure of the company as a whole. Functional services carry out all the technical preparation of production; prepare options for solving issues related to the management of the production process.

Advantages of a linear-functional structure:

Deeper preparation of decisions and plans related to the specialization of employees;

Release of line managers from solving many issues related to the planning of financial calculations, logistics, etc.;

Building relationships "manager - subordinate" on the hierarchical ladder, in which each employee is subordinate to only one leader.

Disadvantages of a linear-functional structure:

Each link is interested in achieving its narrow goal, and not the overall goal of the company;

Lack of close relationships and interaction at the horizontal level between production units;

Overly developed vertical interaction system;

Accumulation at the top level along with strategic operational tasks.

7. Divisional structure - an enterprise management structure in which the management of individual products and individual functions is clearly divided. The divisional structure arises when the main criterion for uniting employees in departments is the products manufactured by the organization.

A divisional structure is sometimes referred to as a product structure, a program structure, or a self-sustaining business unit structure. Each of these terms means the same thing: different departments come together to produce a single organizational result—a product, program, or service for a single customer.

The emergence of such structures is due to a sharp increase in the size of enterprises, the diversification of their activities, the complication of technological processes in a dynamically changing environment.

The main difference between a divisional structure and a functional one is that the management chain for each function converges in the divisional hierarchy at a lower level. In a divisional structure, differences of opinion between departments will be settled at the division-division level, not the head of the company.

In a divisional structure, divisions are created as autonomous units with their own functional departments for each division.

An alternative to divisional division by product line is to group the activities of companies by geographic regions or customer groups.

In such a structure, all functions in a particular country or region report to a single unit manager. The structure helps to focus the company's efforts on the needs of the local market. Competitive advantage can be achieved through the production or marketing of a product or service that is tailored to the characteristics of a given country or region.

Abraham Maslow is known as the founder of the humanistic direction in the field of psychology. In his work Motivation and Personality, he put forward the assertion that all human needs can be built into a hierarchical system. This theory is today visually represented in the form of a pyramid of 5 levels, although the psychologist himself did not create this scheme. He argued that this hierarchy cannot be strictly fixed and depends on the individual characteristics of the individual.

Needs table

Maslow's pyramid is divided into levels, from the simplest at its base to the needs higher order. According to the theory of A. Maslow, only after satisfying the lower needs a person can strive for higher ones.

1. Physiological (organic)

The most powerful and urgent. Their satisfaction is the main occupation of every person throughout life. That is why they stand at the base of the pyramid. Man, as a complex mammalian creature, has a need for sleep, oxygen, water and food. These needs help a person to survive in nature, to continue reproduction. If these needs are not met, the organism will be destroyed.

2. Existential

This includes safety, stability, comfort and protection in all manifestations. This need arises in us from infancy. For young children, stability and protection are very important. In adulthood, the majority tries to adhere to this stability in the same way, however, the need for security is maximally activated only in critical situations (wars, crises, famine), when the whole organism begins to fight the threat. IN ordinary life it manifests itself in a milder form, for example, when people save money "for a rainy day."

3. Social

All people have a need for communication, a desire to be accepted and loved.

This level of the pyramid includes three groups:

1. “For others” (willingness to make a sacrifice for the sake of another person, the ability to selflessly communicate and protect the weak);
2. "For oneself" (self-realization of a person as a person, self-affirmation, the need to have worthy place in society, power; but can only be realized through the need "for others");
3. "Together with others" (the united activity of people, the incentive for which was a weighty reason: war, revolution, natural disaster).

Satisfaction of social needs provides a person with a sense of self-worth. The inability to satisfy them contributes to the manifestation of aggression, deviant behavior.

High self-esteem, self-confidence, self-esteem - all this appears as a result of the achievement of social needs.

4. Prestigious

This point includes self-respect and respect for other "significant" people. A person wants to be recognized, achieve success and high results. Career growth, independence, status. Like social needs, prestige needs are secondary. If they are not implemented, there is no threat to human health and life. However, dissatisfaction with one's position in society entails a feeling of inferiority. Each of us fulfills this need in accordance with on their own. Someone enters the university, gains knowledge, applies it in work, achieving success and high status. And some are content with their average lifestyle, with a small salary, lack of career growth and development.
To achieve recognition and respect, a person must be confident in his abilities. This is the only way to achieve your goals.

5. Spiritual

The last step includes the need personal growth, knowledge, self-actualization. Everything that a person is capable of takes place at this level. He develops as a person, realizes his full potential. In real life this manifests itself in creative activity, attending cultural events, developing talents. Reaching the fifth degree indicates that a person begins to study the world, looking for meaning, trying to bring something of his own into this world. Attitudes and beliefs are formed.

Types of needs

All of these needs are divided into:

• congenital (biological and existential);
• acquired (social, prestigious and spiritual).

In some works, A. Maslow divided the last stage into 3 levels: cognitive, aesthetic and the need for self-actualization. Therefore, the pyramid of 7 steps is also used in psychology.

The scientist noticed a pattern that when lower needs are satisfied, a person himself begins to reach for a higher level. However, there are exceptions when an individual stops at the level of lower needs. The reason for this may be neurosis or adverse external factors.

Maslow's theory has been criticized more than once, but continues to be applied in psychology, pedagogy and even economics (the theory of motivation and consumer behavior). At the same time, the work of the psychologist itself is more of a philosophical nature, and its main goal was to form an idea of ​​the motives of human actions.

Maslow's pyramid of needs is a hierarchy of human needs, a well-known theory of motivation, based on the works of a psychologist from America, who became the founder of humanistic versification.

Used successfully in modern economy Maslow's pyramid of needs, and is considered as a model of the needs theory of motivation, the behavioral factor of the consumer.

Maslow's pyramid of needs first appeared in the form graphic image"Hierarchy of needs" in a textbook on marketing and psychology by W. Stopp in 1975, after Maslow's death five years later. In the early 80s of the 20th century, the schedule of needs was replaced by a pyramid-shaped drawing, which his students came up with to better understand Maslow's theory in a visual form.

Maslow's pyramid of needs

1st need: physiological: removal of hunger, thirst, intimacy, sleep, oxygen, clothing.

Sometimes this need is called instinctive, basic, basic. Therefore, a person gives it priority attention, otherwise he will feel uncomfortable.
According to Maslow, the lower physiological needs lay the foundation for all other needs, and without their satisfaction, a person does not move and does not develop further. Even all living organisms have these needs.

Examples:

• Waking up in the morning before work, you want to have breakfast: drink hot coffee and eat a sandwich, and not finish reading the pages of an interesting work.
• The need for a visit toilet room will be a priority, instead of finding your place in the theater hall.

The needs of the first stage are very important, but they do not always prevail over the personality. Partial satisfaction is enough to step over to the second step of Maslow's pyramid.

2nd security need: stability, defense, dependency, freedom from anxiety, fear and chaos.

Examples:

• A small child is scared, he is afraid of something, so he cries long and hard until he sees his mom or dad. The absence of parents from his field of vision, the child becomes irritable, he does not care what others think of him. He needs protection.
• A believer also needs protection. Coming to church, he feels patronage higher powers. He calms down and believes only in a good future..

Stability in work, salaries are also related to this need.

3rd need for love and belonging: friendship, family, community.

It is natural for a person to become a part of society, he strives for this. In adolescence, it is necessary to join the environment where there is a leader or an idol in order to take an example of behavior from him.

With increasing age, a person sorts out the circle of his acquaintances, and it narrows. There are a few friends, buddies with the same views on life, work, interests. In any case, people live and become a formed part of society, where they feel their importance and usefulness.

For certain individuals, there is a need to meet a new friend. Some are limited to their family and children.

After satisfying the 3rd need - social, a person strives for the 4th stage of needs: to success.

4th need for recognition and respect: respect in the team, pride in oneself, status, excellent reputation, fame, manifestation of talent.

A person cannot be content with only family, home, children. He wants more. Having received the status of a specialist, they began to respect him in the team. And if he became a businessman, he is proud of himself. And if there is fame about his company, then his reputation rises.

Work becomes more than just work. A person awakens spiritual motivation and a great desire to create, to create much more, better and better. A person automatically moves to the next stage of Maslow's needs.

5th (later 7th) need for self-realization: a person does his job, he does well. His inclinations, abilities help in work.

When everything is fine, life is good. It seems to a person that he has not yet achieved everything, he begins to engage in self-development, self-realization, spiritual needs appear, the realization of his potential. The person is ready to move forward, to fight. Gained life experience: democratic temperament, creativity helps to resist social habits, a person is ready to learn himself and teach others, form new views and convince.

Abraham Maslow's research showed that only 1-3% of humanity reach the fifth (seventh) step of the pyramid, which have an excess of ideas and internal energy.

Scientist Maslow, his research

A Little About Abraham Harold Maslow former surname Maslov), was born into a poor family of emigrants (from Tsarist Russia) in 1908 in Brooklyn. He studied well, worked hard and often visited libraries. Became President of the Association social psychology and Department of Aesthetics. The ten-year period from 1960 to 1970 was a fruitful stage in his life, where most of his works were written.

The scientist believed that the behavior of mankind is motivated only to meet their personal life goals, moving gradually from one achieved need to the next and so on.

Abraham Maslow argued that in a large number of people all needs are like animal instincts, which are either innate or acquired.

Maslow's research proved that any person experiences five (seven) mandatory needs: from simpler, lower needs to higher needs. Human existence will cease if these needs are not met, and human development will not fully develop.

Additional work on Maslow's pyramid

People heard about the "Theory of Human Motivation" in 1943, which contained Maslow's main ideas about the features in the formation of human needs of successful and creative people. More detailed research was reflected in the book Motivation and Personality in 1954.

Scientist A. Maslow worked on a biography of healthy and active people. These included: Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, who became his ideals when developing the theory of motivation and pyramids.

Maslow's pyramid of 5 steps was and remains the achievement of that time. The scientist constantly improved the pyramid of needs. The works published in the 20th century were "The Psychology of Being" - 62g, and 71g "Far Limits of Nature".

In Maslow's writings, the pyramids preserved all the needs: the first four remained in their places, and the fifth moved to the seventh place. Added two steps of the pyramid:

5 need, cognitive: know-be able-to explore.
A person constantly strives to learn a lot of information from smart cognitive programs. Spends a lot of time reading. Skillfully applies his knowledge in practice.

6 need, aesthetic: harmony-order-beauty.
Visiting art exhibitions and museums develops a person's harmony of beauty and inspiration about beauty.

Final thoughts. Examples

Maslow's pyramid has seven main steps. And according to the scientist A. Maslow, the hierarchy of needs is not stable, as it seems at first. But the majority of mankind obey the order of the sequence of the pyramid of needs, depending on their abilities and motivation, as well as on age.

People are divided into different categories, some will be able to neglect the satisfaction of basic needs for the sake of their goal.

Examples:

• First he wants to become a rich businessman, and then arrange a personal life in old age.
• For others, the priority is power and its triumph.
• The third category - enough respect and love in the family.
• The fourth is happy with a piece of bread and a bowl of soup.

Subjects have learned to satisfy their desires in accordance with the necessary needs.

Maslow's pyramid is a seven-level ladder, which presents a simplified version of the idea to satisfy a human need and its successive steps.

Do you want to know what level you are on? Find yourself on the step of the pyramid, if you have not reached your goal, rise higher, accepting the recommendations of the scientist.

The pyramid of needs according to Maslow can be found in textbooks, read on websites. The pyramid reflects human needs. It benefits and teaches how to correctly accept desires and needs. The main thing depends on each person, on the goal in life and the ability to think.

It is often mentioned in various manuals on psychology and management. There is an opinion that Maslow did not create this pyramid. He only studied the biographies of the most successful people planets. On the basis of his observations, he was able to deduce curious patterns of human needs. We will return to this theory later. And now let's take a closer look at what Maslow's pyramid of human needs is. To begin with, we present a description of all its levels.

Physiological Needs

They are the foundation of the pyramid in question. These needs are inherent in all living organisms on Earth. Their satisfaction is so necessary for a person for the reason that his chances of survival depend on it. For example, people cannot do without food, water, oxygen. Not surprisingly, many call such needs instinctive. However, if they are not satisfied, then there is no aspiration for higher goals. This reflects Maslow's pyramid. Physiological needs force people to work, and spend the money received on food, clothing, and home improvement. It is unlikely that a person who is very thirsty or hungry will spend the last money on a ticket to the theater.

Pursuit of Security

Consider what Maslow's pyramid of needs includes at the second level. It will be about the desire to be protected and achieve stability. An example is babies. Toddlers, whose awareness is still at a minimum level, after satisfaction of thirst and hunger, instinctively seek protection. And in most cases, only the warmth of the mother can calm them down. We can observe the same thing with adults. If there are no deviations in the psyche of a person, the desire to protect oneself manifests itself in a rather mild form - he draws up insurance, cuts in reliable locks, etc.

Need for love, belonging

Maslow's pyramid also includes a third step. On it are social needs, manifested in the fact that people tend to enter into any team, to make friends. They want to be loved and, of course, love. The social environment provides a great opportunity to feel important and benefit others. That is why most people seek to establish relationships with acquaintances, to find a partner not only for creating a family, but also for doing business, and even for discussing issues of interest to them.

Desire to be recognized

In the case of complete satisfaction of the previous need, the impact of others on the individual is minimized. The desire for respect, prestige, recognition of one's own abilities and talents comes to the fore. An individual becomes confident in his abilities only after he receives recognition from relatives, colleagues, etc.

The need for spiritual enrichment

Has the person won the love and respect of others? In this case, he is more likely to be able to realize his potential. Maslow's pyramid ends with the need for spiritual nourishment. People at this stage strive for creativity, visiting museums, exhibitions, theaters. Another hallmark an individual who has managed to rise to the fifth step is the search for the meaning of life, the struggle for justice and knowledge of the world around. Such needs Maslow considered the highest. Now consider two more alternative levels.

step six

People are naturally curious. Children begin to get acquainted with the world around them, crawling everywhere and everywhere. They are especially interested in things hidden away. A. Maslow described the need for understanding and cognition as follows:

The phenomenon called curiosity is also observed in some higher animals. For example, monkeys, discovering unfamiliar objects, try to disassemble them into details, stick their fingers into all possible cracks, etc. In such a situation, exploratory behavior is observed that is not associated with fear, nor with the desire for comfort, nor with physiological needs.

In the history of mankind there are many examples of a selfless search for truth, causing a misunderstanding of society, persecution and even a threat to life.

All psychologically normal individuals strive for the inexplicable, the mysterious, the enigmatic. At the same time, concepts and phenomena that are amenable to one hundred percent explanation evoke boredom.

The need for knowledge and understanding in children is expressed more clearly than in adults. Moreover, such a desire develops not as a result of external influence. It is a natural consequence of growing up.

When we begin to talk about cognition, we often forget that this process is not an absolute synonym for learning. As a result of incorrect interpretation, it is evaluated only in terms of the result. At the same time, one forgets about those feelings that arise in the process of comprehension, insight. But a person is truly happy when he manages to touch the highest truth at least for a moment.

Step seven. aesthetic needs

Some individuals really need aesthetic pleasure. If they are surrounded by ugly things or people, they get sick in the literal sense of the word. by the most effective medicine from all illnesses for them is beauty. At present, this need has been little studied. Here's what you can say about her:

Some people have a pronounced creative potential. Creative needs are dominant here. Often they become even more important than physiological ones.

Individuals with heightened aesthetic needs are ready, for the sake of their ideals and values, not only to endure torment and deprivation, but also to die.

Basic postulates of the theory

Each rung of the pyramid represents one level of needs. More pronounced needs are lower, and less pronounced ones are higher. Without satisfying (at least partially) basic needs, it is extremely difficult to move up the pyramid. Above we have discussed in detail all the steps. To list them briefly, they are physiology, safety, sociality, recognition and knowledge. Alternate levels - curiosity and aesthetics. They play an equally important role in motivating individual behavior.

It has already been mentioned that physiology is the basic step of the pyramid. As Maslow argued, a person should ideally reach the highest level by about the age of fifty.

So who is the author anyway?

Maslow's pyramid of needs, as is commonly believed, was built by the scientist himself. However, it is not. Abraham Maslow devoted his entire adult life to the consideration of questions of self-realization of people. But the pyramid in the form familiar to us was not compiled by him. The diagrammatic hierarchy of needs was first published in the Pillar edition of the textbook. This happened in 1975, and Maslow passed away five years earlier.

Do satisfied needs motivate?

Maslow's pyramid is undoubtedly built on the basis of logical reasoning. However, modern researchers have come to the following conclusion: an actual need is one that has not yet been satisfied at the moment. Agree that well-fed people are unlikely to fight for an extra piece of bread. And a person who does not strive for communication will avoid annoying interlocutors. Someone who does not need prestige will not change his behavior and habits to satisfy a need that he does not actually have.

What about in practice?

According to most modern psychologists, no matter how structured Maslow's pyramid of needs (the figure is presented in the article), it is not easy for her to find practical use. Focusing on this scheme, one can slide into extremely inappropriate generalizations. If we do not pay attention to statistics and consider each individual individually, the question arises of whether we are so hopeless, for example, in conditions of prolonged malnutrition. And is it so unbearable for someone who is not recognized by others? Maslow's pyramid doesn't take into account the fact that many people get what they want because of unmet needs. What are unrequited feelings worth!

If Maslow's pyramid of needs is taken as the basis for reasoning, then it becomes completely incomprehensible how emaciated prisoners of concentration camps could successfully organize underground anti-fascist activities. Or how, for example, some brilliant writers and artists worked in absolute poverty.

There is evidence that Maslow's pyramid was criticized by the psychologist himself. Studying his later works On the Psychology of Being (1962) and The Far Limits of Human Nature (1971, published posthumously), one can come across the author's own thoughts that he advocates a serious revision of the concept of motivation and personality.

Opponents of the theory

Maslow's pyramid of needs (see photo in the article) is often criticized by specialists of different levels. First of all, the expediency of the very idea of ​​hierarchy and the impossibility of individuals to satisfy all their needs once forever are called into question. Maslow's pyramid of needs (the pictures below reflect its essence) is most sharply criticized as follows: "According to this psychologist, people are animals who want something all the time."

Another reproach is the inability to apply the considered concept of the distribution of human needs in business and marketing. However, one can object here, recalling why Abraham Maslow thought about the concept of motivation and personality. The pyramid of needs appeared for the reason that the author sought to find answers to questions that were not covered either in behaviorism or in Freudianism. A theory developed by a scientist is not a technique, but rather a philosophy.

Advantages and disadvantages

Maslow's pyramid (examples of the five basic levels were given above) is not a simple classification of needs. It is assumed that human needs are subject to a certain hierarchy. So, basic and more sublime needs are distinguished. We go through all the levels, while the action is observed next law: basic desires dominate. Needs of a higher level come to the surface and become motives for behavior in a situation where all lower ones are already satisfied.

In this case, it is important to take into account one feature. So, the forms of manifestation of needs in different people may differ radically. This also applies to the desire to be recognized and loved. For example, it is quite enough for one person to establish a trusting relationship with children, and the other will certainly strive to become influential. politician. A similar range within one need can be observed at any level of the pyramid. In order to avoid disappointment in life, you should listen to your desires, interpret them properly and try to satisfy them in the most adequate way.

Maslow's famous theory. Pyramid of needs in practice

The aspirations of individuals are not subject to transformation. The only thing that can be different is the way they are satisfied. How to apply the scientist's theory in real life? Having considered the levels of the Maslow pyramid, the personnel manager can build the most effective motivational ladder in a particular situation. When it comes to finding a job, it's important to start by defining your own goals. Ask yourself what you want from a certain position. What factors are important? Having dealt with personal motives, you can avoid mistakes in choosing a company or even a profession.

Marketing

The pyramid of needs according to Maslow (its levels were briefly discussed above) is often used in this professional field. Some experienced marketers argue that guided by the presented hierarchy of human aspirations, it is possible to identify what level of needs are served by a particular company. It is no secret that the activity of a particular firm is directly dependent on the dynamics and state of the needs markets that are satisfied. For example, when the economy is in crisis, the needs of consumers rapidly drop by lower levels notorious pyramid.

As for the needs for food, they are eternal. The same can be said about medical services. And here is the desire to follow fashion trends flattens out as income falls. Basic principle strategic planning any type of activity - the need to keep abreast of the needs of the market. If there is a trend in the development of one of the needs, it makes sense to tune in to its service.

As John Sheildreck pointed out, the levels of Maslow's pyramid of needs are relevant only to humans. Apply the postulates of this theory to large companies is meaningless, since the behavior of organizations is particularly complex, and for its analysis it is necessary to arm ourselves with other theoretical tools.

Planning

Maslow's reasoning about human needs, according to experts, can be useful in the process of making long-term forecasts or plans. Taking into account the degree of satisfaction of the needs of different social groups, it is easier to predict which desires will be dominant in the long term (in a year, five or even more years). Based on the received data, it is possible to develop and bring certain services and goods to the market in an effective way.

Theory of needs. Modern version

Do you believe that children are the meaning of life? If the answer is yes, then you will undoubtedly be close to the idea of ​​​​the existence of an alternative pyramid of needs. During scientific research psychologists have established that caring for children, caring for them, teaching, feeding, and the like is a need that is located in the depths of the subconscious. Her satisfaction is considered a natural component of human essence.

American psychologists have proposed their own version of the considered pyramid. As the researchers noted, although implementation is undoubtedly a significant motive, it cannot be considered leading from the point of view of evolutionary theory. The vast majority of the actions listed by Maslow in his theory reflect the basic biological needs based on obtaining a status in order to attract a partner and then continue their own kind. As noted by one of the participants in the ongoing experiments - Douglas Kenrick - among the fundamental aspirations of people, the main thing is the desire to have offspring. That is why the upbringing of children can be considered the basic level in the pyramid of needs of the modern type.

Conclusion

Aspirations to a large extent determine the behavior of people. To understand human nature, it is important to consider the needs of different levels. In this case, it will be possible to find an explanation for most of the actions of people.