- Abraham Maslow was a Humanistic Psychologist who viewed human needs as arranging themselves according to a hierarchy of needs. The hierarchy consists of five levels and is shaped like a large triangle with our basic food, clothing, and shelter needs forming the base of the triangle (see diagram below) .
Needs grouped on this first level have the greatest intensity and must be met before one can move up or even desire to move up, to a higher level of human satisfaction. These lower needs are necessary for the survival of an individual. If lower needs are unsatisfied, these needs can dominate a person's thoughts and actions. For example, a starving person may have no interest in the human need for belongingness.
There are many visual graphs on the web of Maslow's theory. Just put Maslow in any search engine and you'll see. The follow two images graphically display Maslow's theory. The first shows the hierarchy concept, and the fact that people who self-actualize (the highest level obtainable by humans according to Maslow), are smaller in number than people who fulfill their basic needs. The second graph lists the needs as associated with each tier.
