Abraham Maslow has said that all humans have basic needs and that these needs can be arranged in a hierarchy; that is, people do not concern themselves with higher-level needs (e.g. personal growth) until their lower-level needs (e.g feeling safe) are satisfied. His theory is still just a theory (with some pretty significant influence from indigenous people) but it is still very helpful in framing how we think about communication and personal growth.

Explanation of the needs

Physiological/biological needs and safety needs:  Physiological needs speak to the need for air, water, and food.  Safety needs speak to security and protection.  Maslow called these two levels survival needs; satisfaction of these needs is necessary for basic human existence.  During childhood years the family satisfies these needs.  The formation of street gangs might also be a response to these needs. Once survival needs are fulfilled the higher-level needs that Maslow called psychological needs – the need to belong, the need for esteem and the need for self-actualization – become more important.  These needs might affect a person’s group memberships throughout life.

Belongingness need:   people need to feel they are a part of some group.  Here again the family provides a sense of belonging for children, but as they get older they begin to look outside the family to satisfy this need.  Peer groups gain special importance during adolescence.  At that time a person’s need for affiliation is at its strongest.

Esteem need:   once a person has developed a sense of belonging, Maslow says they have a need for respect or esteem.  They need to feel not only that they are accepted, but also that they are worthwhile and valued by others.

Self-actualization:  this need differs from the other needs.  The former needs Maslow calls deficiency needs because we perceive them as a void to fill by drawing on the resources of other people.  Maslow calls self-actualization a being need; it involves people trying to be all they can be and living life to the fullest.  They are ready to be autonomous beings, operating independently in search of their own full potential.  They no longer need groups to take care of their deficiencies; instead, they need groups in which to find and express their wholeness.  While this need level is perhaps the most difficult to grasp conceptually, Maslow’s hierarchy is consistent: people need groups to satisfy interpersonal needs.  People also clearly differ from one another in their motivations for joining groups.  Their differing motivations might be reflected in their communicative behavior in the group.  Those who simply want to belong might interact differently from those who need the group’s esteem and respect.  The higher move up Maslow’s hierarchy, the greater is the importance of communication in our need satisfaction.

Watch the video for a video summary of Maslow’s theory.

Since a big part of this course is about self-awareness and personal growth, think about your own communication style, your own level of self-awareness as it relates to the Johari Window and the goals that you would like to achieve over the course of this semester. How do your own needs line up with Maslow’s theory. What needs are you still trying to secure for yourself before you can self-actualize and think about personal growth? Be sure to bring what you have learned into your reflections.

Take this SELF ACTUALIZATION TEST for fun to get you thinking about this model and how it may relate to you. (No one will have access to these results).