Humanistic School of Thought- Abraham Maslow

Humanistic School of Thought- Abraham Maslow

Abraham Maslow’s humanistic theory of personality is perhaps one of the most recognizable theories when it comes to the humanistic school of thought. This theory states that individuals achieve their optimum potential when they experience a transition from basic needs to a sense of self-actualization. Abraham Maslow’s approach when studying human psychology was based on psychology, which is aimed at providing an explanation of how individuals need change throughout their lifespan and, on the other hand, how these needs are significant. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs categorizes human needs from the most basic human needs, such as food and shelter, to the most complex needs, which incorporate self-actualization.

Ideally, according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, human needs can be classified into three categories: basic needs, psychological needs, and self-fulfillment needs. At the bottom category are basic needs, which constitute physiological needs such as food, water, and shelter, and safety needs such as security. The mid category encompasses psychological needs, which constitute love and belonging needs and self-esteem needs. The final category of self-fulfillment needs at the top of the human needs triangle constitutes the self-actualization needs of individuals.

Individuals are expected to acquire and master every level of need prior to proceeding to the next. These categories are primarily segmented and represented in a triangular manner, self-actualization being the epitome of human needs (Hergenhahn & Henley, 2013). The triangle representation ranks human needs from the most basic human needs such as food, shelter and clothing to the most complex needs such as self esteem needs that primarily lead to self-actualization. As such, every individual is expected to master each level before they can proceed to the next.

Based on Maslow’s studies on personality, the results suggested that individuals who possess self-actualization characteristics have various things in common. From this perspective, he believed that self-actualized individuals exhibit some form of coherent personality syndrome, which in turn represents optimal psychological health and functioning (Aruma & Hanachor, 2017). Although his ideas have been criticized, based o the lack of scientific authenticity, rigor, and Western bias, this theory can be used to provide an in-depth analysis of the human psychology of existence and the stages that play a critical role in crafting their identity as they would like to be, based on the stages of life being described.

The major concepts described by Abraham Maslow are primarily dependent on the hierarchy of needs. These concepts, on the other hand, relate to the development of psychological thoughts or processes in the sense that they assist in determining how an individual lives their life. Barack Obama and Donald Trump are such individuals from whom an example can be taken. Both individuals have led a life where they have been the leaders and CEOs of various political and economic setups, and their ultimate goal did not stop at that. They intended to be the President of the United States, and their dreams were unperturbed (Aruma & Hanachor, 2017). According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, their intention was to have a sense of self-actualization, and hence, despite their positions in society, they delved higher to pursue their echelon in existence, that is, being the President of the United States. Both years later, they became leaders in the country. Barrack Obama served two terms which constituted 10 years, while Donald Trump served for 5 years.

Although their leadership forms are different, a conclusion can be made that they both attained self-actualization according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. On the other hand, their psychological perspectives were crafted in the long run based on their experiences in the process of achieving the self-actualization stage.

References

Aruma, E. O., & Hanachor, M. E. (2017). Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and assessment of needs in community development. International Journal of Development and Economic Sustainability, 5(7), 15-27.

Hergenhahn, B. R., & Henley, T. (2013). An introduction to the history of psychology. Cengage Learning.

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This assignment will assess your understanding of the humanistic school of thought. You will explain the central concepts of this school of thought and provide examples showing humanism’s influence in real life.

Humanistic School of Thought- Abraham Maslow

Write a 2- to 3-page informational essay incorporating the following:

Choose a theorist from the humanistic school of thought.

UNIT 6 ASSIGNMENT: Discuss the major concepts proposed by this theorist and how these concepts relate to the development of psychological thought processes.
Provide examples in current events that illustrate the continued influence of the major concepts proposed in this school of thought on real life.