Maslow’s+Hierarchy+of+Needs

= = = Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs = =By Jen Hammond, Abby Samples, Samantha Culin =

Orginal Pyramid: Phychologist Abraham Maslow created the concept of a hierarchy of needs, first published in his paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in 1943. In this hierarchy, people must complete the first level of needs before proceeding to the next level. The first four needs in the hierarchy are termed as deficiency needs, while the highest need is called a growth need. If a lower need is threatened, a person will abandon a higher need.


 * Pysiological Needs **
 * deals with the maintenance of the human body
 * needs that are vital for human survival
 * discomfort has a proportionate effect on our rate of abandoning higher needs
 * all other needs are secondary until these needs are met
 * food, water, oxygen, warmth
 * Examples**
 * “It is difficult to explain how it happened, but I mounted the coconut tree quite fast and unexpectedly. By the time I realized what I was doing and thought about my inexperience in this particular art…” –pg. 47
 * Ishmael was so hungry that his body did whatever it took to get food.
 * “It was either take the chance and eat this fruit that might poison me or die of hunger.” – pg. 51
 * Ishmael took a risk of death in order to feed himself.
 * “One afternoon while we were searching for food in a deserted village, a crow fell out of the sky. It wasn’t dead, but it was unable to fly. We knew this was unusual, but we needed food and anything at that point would do.” -pg. 81
 * The boys ate things that they usually would not because they needed to be fed.

** Safety Needs **
 * deals with the need for shelter and safety from harm
 * often overlooked except in times of emergency
 * children display this need more often than adults
 * when threatened people usually respond in a **fight-or-flight reaction**
 * to abuse this need and distract from a higher need - a person can threaten another's safety or protect them

** Fight-or-Flight Reaction **
 * when our bodies prepare to fight to the death or flee from a clearly superior foe
 * senses sharpen
 * cardio-vascular and respiratory systems speed up
 * fat is metabolized to make more energy
 * unnecessary systems shut down
 * endorphins are released, so the body does not feel pain
 * Examples**
 * "It was unbelievable how fast and long we ran. I didn't sweat or get tired at all." - pg. 25
 * This is an example of a flight reaction.
 * "I was glad to see other faces and at the same time disappointed that the war had destroyed the enjoyment of the very experience of meeting people." - pg. 48
 * The family thought of their safety needs before socially accepting Ishmael.
 * “I found a long stick to protect myself [against the snake].” –pg. 50
 * Ishmael took precautions inorder to ensure his saftey.
 * “Even though I was lost and lonely, it was safe for the time being.”- pg.50
 * Safety was more important than the higher need of social contact.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">"I climbed a tree to be safe." - pg. 53
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Ishmael got out of the way when he sensed danger.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">"After I had cried for several hours, my feet became numb. I continuted walking but couldn't feel the soles of my feet"- pg. 60
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The group of boys had to leave the village, even though it was painful, for their saftey.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The villagers were also more concerned with their own safety than helping the boys.

** Social Needs ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">
 * deals with the desire for belonging, love, and affection
 * also known as 'tribal nature'
 * people rank their social needs within themselves
 * to abuse this need - play to the needs and values of a group or weaken the ties within a group/ threathen to exile
 * a person can more effectively influence another if they are in the same group
 * giving and recieving love and a sense of belonging
 * Examples**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">"Being in a group of six boys was not to our advantage. But we needed to stay together because we had a better chance of escaping the day-to-day troubles we faced." -pg. 37
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The boys stayed together so that they would not feel lonely
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">"The most diffucult part of being in the forest was loneliness. It became unbearable each day." - pg. 52
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Ishmael left the forest to avoid his lonliness. He had safety, so now he worried about connections with other people.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">“I knew this was going to be a problem, but I didn't want to be by myself anymore.” – pg 55
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Ishmael was in no immediate danger, so he stayed with the boys to fulfill his social needs.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">"we just hobbled around the hut and made fun of each other to avoid boredom." - pg. 62
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The boys depended on their relationships to distract them from their fears.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">During the war, children were often abandoned by their parents, therefore they felt a sense of belonging in the army.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">"We did'nt converse much as we walked" - pg. 78
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Although the boys did not interact much, they had the security and comfort of knowing there were other people around.
 * Esteem Needs **
 * deals with self-esteem, personal worth, and social recognition
 * basically feeling good about ourselves
 * search for a higher position in a group
 * to abuse this need - give complements or put another down
 * recieving respect from others
 * Examples**
 * "most of us who had been chosen were trembling and that meant we were sissies" - pg. 34
 * The RUF often insulted their captives. Esteem was one of the needs they took away.
 * They may have done this in order to easily brain wash their captives.
 * “Our innocence had been replaced by fear **and we had become monsters”** – pg. 55
 * This shows that Ishmael does not believe he has any worth.
 * "'I wish I could be that man. He is just so happy and content with his life,' Alhaji said"- pg. 64
 * The boys have lost their happiness.
 * "I was a little glad that he had called us boys and refrained from the word 'devil.'" - pg. 67
 * This name calling hurt the boys self-esteem. They knew they were not devils, yet they were often percieved as violent.
 * "While we walked, I sometimes lagged behind, thinking about these things" -pg. 69
 * Ishmael often thought about his life, and he did not know what he was going to do with his life.
 * "So I couldn't bring myself to be completely happy." - pg. 69
 * When periods of happiness come (ex. recieving food) he knew the happiness would soon end. He did not want to put himself on a emotional rollar coaster.
 * Self-Actualizing **
 * deals with self awareness and personal growth
 * become what one is capable of becoming
 * also known as nirvana or enlightenment
 * only pursued once a person has everything else figured out
 * Examples**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Because the lower needs were threatened, Ishmael did not worry about self-actualization.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Revised Pyramid :

Maslow later added three more needs to his hierarchy. Between esteem and self-actualization: ** Understanding Needs ** ** Aesthetic Needs **
 * deals with the need to know and understand the world acedemically
 * deals with the emotional need for art and beauty
 * "My eyes widened, a smile forming on my face. Even in the middle of the madness there remained that true and natural beauty, and it took my mind away from my current situation as I marveled at this sight"- pg. 59
 * Ishmael was comforted by the beauty that still remains in the world despite the horrific war.

Self-actualization was divided into: ** Transcendence **
 * Self-actualization **
 * deals with realizing one's potential
 * deals with helping others achieve their potentials

__Bibliography__ Beah, I. (2007). //A Long way gone//. New York : Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Simmons, J. A., Irwin, D. B., & Drinnien, B. A. (1987). Malsow's hierarchy of needs. Retrieved from []. Straker, D. (2009). Maslow’s hierarchy. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from []. Van Wagner, K. (2009). Hierarchy of needs. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from [].