Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the motivational idea that before any person, or any other organism, can fully fulfill his or her potential, of which he or she must move through the five important steps, or important motivations, of Maslow’s hierarchy. Through this AP® Psychology crash course we will go over these aspects of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in order to achieve AP® Psychology self-actualization.

Physiological Needs

The first step in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is physiological. This step means that the before a person can do anything else with life, he or she must take care of the bodily functions.

A few of these examples include breathing, eating, drinking, reproducing (in some cases), maintaining balance or homeostasis within the body, and getting rid of unwanted waste. Without completing these elements of the physiological step, then the person will not advance to the next step. If the person did not follow his or her physiological needs before all else, then the person would die of starvation, dehydration, or another type of imbalance within the body.

The reason why this is, is because if someone, we will call our example Thomas, was starving, then he would rather find food before all else. Something like painting a picture would fall lower on the priority level than food, because Thomas needs to eat before he needs to paint.

This may sometimes occur with reproduction and sex as well. Some organisms are so focused on reproducing, that they cannot move forward with any of the other needs until they have sex or reproduce.

Safety Needs

The next step in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is safety. After Thomas is satisfied that he has all of his physiological needs fulfilled, then he can focus on his safety. This safety can mean a multitude of things. Safety is predominantly that the individual knows that the world is a place that is predictable, organized, and secure. This allows the person to feel safer. When safety of body, employment, morality, health, and property are achieved, the individual’s mind is put at ease. This is why economic struggles are so detrimental to a person. People do not feel safe when they do not have a secure income, leading to this step of the hierarchy becoming troubling to many.

Thomas, for example, will not be able to focus on any of the higher levels on the hierarchy, such as love, until he feels secure in his life. If Thomas thinks that the house he lives in is unsafe or his health is not secure, then looking for love is not as important to him. When Thomas feels safe in his life and that he can overcome hardship, then he will be able to move on.

Love and Belonging Needs

After safety comes love and belonging on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which is a step where many get stuck. Love and belonging includes having and maintaining relationships. These relationships can be platonic or sexual, but a person needs to have that sense of belonging somewhere.

If Thomas goes to a new school and he feels that he cannot make friends, then he may feel that he does not belong. He could be bullied or merely ostracized, leading to his mind focusing on how alone he feels. Because of this feeling, Thomas may stay in this step until he makes a friend or finds belonging at home or somewhere else.

Let’s say that Thomas goes home and buys a puppy. He makes a friend in the puppy and he feels love and belonging. Once this happens, then he can focus on other needs.

Esteem Needs

Having respect for yourself and others sums up this next step, esteem. Self-esteem is being able to have confidence in your abilities and sense of self. The person with high self-esteem will project that confidence and others will notice.

Another important aspect of esteem is achievement. Achievement boosts that self-esteem internally, allowing the individual to feel even better about him or herself. In tandem with achievement is usually recognition, another part of esteem. Recognition is when the person is known or accepted by his or her peers. This recognition often brings pride to the individual and stronger relationships. He or she does not feel starved for attention and can move on.

Thomas by this point has made friends and has received an award for his athletic prowess. By receiving this award in front of his family and peers, his self-esteem is boosted and he feels better about himself.

However, if Thomas receives a scolding from his teacher in front of his peers instead of an award, then his self-esteem will fall. Thomas must then find other ways to raise his esteem so that he does not end up stuck in the esteem step.

Self-Actualization Needs

The last step in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the pinnacle of human development. Self-actualization is where every person wants to end up. Self-actualization is when the person has a high sense of what is right and wrong. Their morality is at an all-time high. The individual has the potential to solve problems spontaneously as well as having a high level of creativity. Facts are accepted in this person’s mind, usually causing prejudices to disappear. In short, the individual has become the best person that he or she can be.

The majority of the population does not achieve self-actualization, because many become stuck in one of the steps toward this self-actualization. Whether it be physiological, safety, love and belonging, or esteem, something stops those people from getting to be the best that they can be.

Getting from esteem to self-actualization often involves accepting oneself. Thomas, for example, may achieve self-actualization by accepting the negative aspect as well as the positive aspects of his personality. He works to become the best that he can be as a person. Sometimes people feel the need to become spiritually active to achieve self-actualization; however, this is not necessary for everyone unless spirituality is an important aspect in your life.

Why is This Important for the AP® Psychology Exam?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is essential to fully understand for the AP® Psychology exam for a number of reasons. For one, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a large portion of motivation. Motivation, or a need or desire that directs a person’s behavior, is always touched on during the multiple choice section of the exam as well as in the free response section. There are a few terms that are also going to be helpful on the exam that work to explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs such as the drive-reduction theory and the arousal theory.

The drive-reduction theory states that the physiological need that is brought up in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs creates a drive that triggers the organism to fulfill that need. This is the reason that physiological needs must be fulfilled before any of the other needs on the hierarchy.

Another theory that illustrates Maslow’s hierarchy quite well and will show up on exam day is the arousal theory. This theory states that when a physiological need is reduced, then the individual may be driven by curiosity to achieve. The arousal theory is clearly describing why people want to continue to fulfill their lives even after their basic, physiological needs are completed.

These terms are vital to the AP® Psychology exam, because Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the other theories of motivation show why people do what they do. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs often is a reoccurring topic on the AP® Psychology exam for its duality is applying knowledge to examples as well as applying important terms. The examiners want to see what you know about the psychology, but they also need to be able to see that you can apply what you know to real life. Psychology, after all, is a science and needs that practical application in order to be effective. By knowing how to apply this pyramid of motivation to real life, then you will be able to start thinking of how to apply other aspects of psychology as well. This in itself will allow you to build on your learning and raise your AP® Psychology score come test day.

Can you apply Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to your own life? What step do you think that you are in now and why?

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