Abraham Maslow: 1908-1970
child development theorists project:
Road to becoming a theorist:
- Abraham Maslow was born in 1908 and raised in Brooklyn. he attended a city college in New York and latter went to graduate school at the university of Wisconsin to study psychology. While attending Wisconsin university he was married to his cousin Bertha and united with his chief mentor professor harry Harlow. Surprisingly, Maslow's first started his study in the investigation of primate dominance behavior and sexuality within the university of Wisconsin and latter on at Colombia university. In new York, Maslow was introduced to two more mentors, anthropologist Ruth Benedict and gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer, who served as the basis of his lifelong research and thinking about mental health and human potential ( within infants, children, and adults). His study initially revolved around taking notes on the two mentors and expanding on ideas of other psychologists such as hierarchy of needs, self-actualization and peak experience.
Maslow's hierarchy of need:
Abraham Maslow was categorized as a primarily social/emotional theorist bust also incorporated cognitive, intellectual, and physical theorist styles within his study. Maslow's theory stated that "people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled a persons seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on." His widespread theory includes 5 motivation needs/stages - physiological, safety, social esteem, and self actualization - which can be divided into basic needs and growth needs. Basic needs at the bottom of the pyramid [ see below picture ] are said to motivate people when they are unmet. The need to fulfill the need will grow stronger the longer the duration of time becomes without the need. This leads to higher amounts of motivation within the person. For example, the longer a person goes without food the more hungry they will become and the more they will do for food.
Were is this at in society?
Examples of Maslows hierarchy of needs can be seen everywhere in society. Homeless people are a prime example. In a situation of not even having shelter or food leads to them not having encouragements, friendships, or self actualization. Without their basic necessities, it is impossible for them to climb the pyramid to reach true self actualization.
"I was awfully curious to find out why I didn't go insane."- Abraham Maslow