Maslow's Humanistic Theory

Maslow's Humanistic Theory

A.H. Maslow propounded this theory in the context of personality development. Maslow opposed this opinion of behaviourists and psychoanalysts that human behaviour depends on external and internal stimuli. He minutely studied the process of development of man's personality development and arrived at the conclusion that the internal faculties of man functions as the drive for him. He presented these drives in the form of needs of man. According to Maslow, man arranges material means for the realization of these needs, analyzes favourable and unfavourable object, fact, activity and situation, etc. and applies them all in a systematic manner. Motivation is the most important aspect in this theory, so it is also called motivation theory. Maslow has classified the needs of human beings in a consecutive sequence, which is called ascending hierarchy. It can be displayed in the following form:

1. Physiological Needs: According to Maslow, physiological needs are the basic and most important needs of man. These chiefly include the needs related to food, water, rest and sex. His life depends on the realization of these needs. Generally he is not able to think of meeting the higher needs than these without having met them. These needs are necessary and strong for him. He makes effort for meeting them. These biological needs are so intense for man that he even overlooks social values and norms to meet these needs.

2. Safety Needs: According to Maslow, having met the physiological needs, man proceeds towards meeting safety needs. These needs include physical security, stability, dependency, protection, fear, anxiety, etc. Man thinks about the means to meet them and makes all efforts to get them. Construction of rules and laws, and abidance by them also fall under these needs.

3. Belongingness and Love Needs: The needs of the third level are belongingness and love. Belongingness motivates man to get his respect and honour in the family and society, he makes attempts to become a member of a group and become a good neighbour. Love inspires man to ove others and to get love from others. In case a man does not get belongingness and love from others he becomes maladjusted.

4. Esteem Needs: Having realized the first three types of needs. desire of self-esteem and to get esteem from others works as motive. He identifies his own ability and capability in order to get self-esteem and discovers methods of increasing it, and he develops the spirits of self- confidence, achievement, freedom, etc. in himself. He gets admiration, prestige and esteem from others due to these higher qualities. As a result, he wants to keep himself able and does productive works for the society.

5. Self-Actualization Needs: According to Maslow, the needs of self-actualization are the final motives. A man proceeds towards the realization of this level of needs only when he has attained the needs of first four levels. By self-actualization is meant such a state where an individual is fully aware of all his abilities and inner potentialities and possesses a desire to develop himself accordingly.

Characteristics of Maslow's Theory

(1) According to this theory of Maslow, human needs work as motives for him and he remains active for their realization. 

(2) According to this theory, the needs of man are met in a specified sequence. At first, man meets the needs of the lower level, then he makes effort for the realization of needs of the higher levels. 

(3) According to Maslow, the needs of the first two levels - physiological needs and safety needs are of low level needs and of the latter three levels needs are of higher level needs.

(4) According to this theory, as a man proceeds towards the realization of the needs of higher level, his personality starts to develop and on the realization of the ultimate need of self-actualization, he becomes a person with perfect personality.

(5) The concept of self-actualization assists a man to understand his inner potentialities. Maslow has described some characteristics of a self-actualized person-efficient in perception, accepts others, privacy and detachment, independent, identified with man- kind, democratic in outlook, sense of humour, creative and non- conformist.

Shortcomings of Maslow's Theory

(1) Maslow had taken only 49 subjects for his study and has pro- pounded this theory on the basis of that study. According to psychologists no theory propounded on the basis of such a less number of subjects can be scientific.

(2) The levels of needs as given by Maslow in his model cannot be separated from each other easily. Some needs can be included any two proximal levels, such as dependence with food, love with dependence, it is a difficult task to separate them.

(3) Psychologists are not in agreement with the qualities that Maslow has described about a self-actualized man.

(4) Maslow has said that a person crosses over from one level to another only when he has met the needs of one level. In practice a person takes over to the next level without having achieved the needs of the previous level. 

(5) The result of meeting the need of esteem, is generally compestion which can transform into hatred and enmity later. 

Utility of Maslow's Theory in Education

This theory of Maslow is a humanist theory of personality, it considers man, not as a machine, but as a biological organism. Different aspects of this theory put forth the following implications which can be considered as its utility in the field of education.

(1) The needs of children at different levels are different, teachers should construct the curriculum according to their needs. 

(2) The curriculum of education for any level should be related to the real life of the children of that level.

(3) Before teaching and training the children, they should be motivated for that.

(4) Needs of the children are the strongest motives, so all that which has to be taught to students, should be related to their needs.

(5) The needs of self-esteem and self-actualization should be aroused in students in order to construct their character and make then persons of higher personality.