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Air, food, water, shelter, clothing – these are the basic things that humans need in order to live. However, there are other needs that must be met for the complete fulfilment of human existence. In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed the Hierarchy of Needs, a five-stage model that shows the different needs that humans are motivated to achieve (McLeod, 2014). Based on this model, people are motivated to fulfil the lower level needs first before they desire to fulfill the higher level needs. This hierarchy begins with the biological and physiological needs, which includes “air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, and sleep” (McLeod, 2014). The next is the safety needs. This includes the need to be protected from danger, to gain security, to be free from fear, to be governed by law and order, and to experience stability in life (McLeod, 2014). After the need for protection is fulfilled, people will be motivated to fulfill the need for love and belongingness. The factors included in this level of needs is “friendship, intimacy, affection and love, - from work group, family, friends, romantic relationships” (McLeod, 2014). Esteem needs follows the need to belong. In order to meet the needs for esteem, one must have a sense of mastery and independence, must achieve something, and must build self-respect and gain respect from others (McLeod, 2014). The last and highest level in the hierarchy of needs is the need for self-actualization. This includes the need to realize one’s potential, the need for self-fulfillment, and the need for personal growth (McLeod, 2014). Because Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs touches on the different aspects that relate to human existence, it establishes a clear relationship with other fields of psychology, such as child psychology, social psychology, and developmental psychology.
First of all, Maslow’s hierarchy psychosocial theory, a theory often used within the field of child psychology, proposes a “of needs is relevant to child psychology. This field of psychology focuses on child development. Specifically, the psychosocial stages of development, an integral part of the field of child psychology, propose “a life-span model of human development” in which human needs plays a significant role. For instance, the fifth psychosocial stage known as “identity vs. role confusion” that occurred during adolescence stage can be related to the fourth level of need identified by Maslow. In the fifth psychosocial stage, adolescence aim to establish their own identity by seeking independence. According to Sokol (2009)“increased independence and autonomy leads to greater interactions with neighborhoods, communities, and schools.” With a certain level of independence and the ability to relate to others as brought by a level of autonomy, adolescence’s identity is built and at the same time, their need for esteem is met. Personally, I experienced the fulfillment of this same need during my teenage years as I struggle to establish my sense of self. During high school, I learned more about my skills and the things that I can do, and this gives me more independence. Somehow, my self-esteem was boosted (fulfilment of esteem) as my personal identity started to develop.
Social Psychology, the study of people’s behaviours, thoughts, and emotions, also relates to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. One of the known theories in this field is the Social Exchange Theory. According to Blau, Thibaut, and Kelly “social exchange theory portends that individuals in relationships are motivated by the goodness of outcomes they are expected to bring” (cited in Nakonezny & Denton, 2008). In other words, people are motivated to enter or keep a relationship if the benefits they get outweigh risks associated with it. When found beneficial, a relationship can help meet a person’s need to belong. This is the third level in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In my experience, I tend to avoid negative relationships or those that are complicated because the stress that comes with it is definitely not beneficial. Just like most normal human beings, I long for a positive relationship that will bring out the best in me, one that will fulfill my need for love and affection. This is how social exchange theory relates to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Lastly, this hierarchy also relates to developmental psychology, a study of human development throughout life. Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychosexual development is one of the most famous theories in this field. Based on this theory, humans go through different stages that are associated with sexual drives. The first stage known as the oral stage in which the libido or sexual drive is focused on the baby’s mouth. Babies, in other words, long for oral gratification, such as breastfeeding and sucking (Smith, 2005). In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this reflects the first level known as the biological need. When the biological need to eat and drink is met and babies are completely gratified in the process, they are less likely to get fixated on the oral stage. I personally know people who smoke, drink alcohol, and overeat, and from the psychosexual development perspective, they are considered to have oral personality. This doesn’t mean that they were not fed or given water when they were babies because these are clearly basic human needs. However, from Freud’s perspective, it is possible that they did not achieve complete gratification as their biological needs were being attended to when they were still babies.
Overall, the different fields of psychology, such as social psychology, child psychology, and developmental psychology, are intertwined with each other. This allows people to understand human development from a wide perspective. Specifically, the hierarchy of human needs that was proposed by Abraham Maslow is a concept that shows the interrelationship between psychological concepts through the social exchange theory, the psychosocial development theory, and the theory of psychosexual development.
References
McLeod, S. (2014). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
Nakonezny, P. & Denton, W. (2008). Marital relationships: A social exchange theory perspective. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36, 402-412.
Smith, G. D. (2005). Epidemiological Freudianism. International Journal of Epidemiology, 34(1), 1-2.
Sokol, J. (2009). Identity development throughout the lifetime: An examination of Eriksonian Theory. Graduate Journal of Counselling Psychology, 1(2).
