Maslow’s theory is a famous approach for measuring human needs. Abraham Maslow was born in 1908 and had a fascinating scholarly career. He studied psychology and appreciated the works of prominent philosophers such as Plato, Baruch Spinoza, and other figures. He had a lot of practical experience, including working with human cognitive activities. The theory of hierarchy needs firstly appeared in Maslow’s book Motivation and Personality, and this date is considered a foundation of the approach (Suyono & Mudjanarko, 2017). Abraham Maslow did not stick to previous behaviorists’ theories, which preceded the formation of Maslow’s Hierarchy. He had another view on behaviorism; Maslow concluded that the theory works with animals, not humans. It facilitated him to conduct research and generate the theory of mental health and motivation in people (Suyono & Mudjanarko, 2017). The theory received enormous success, and people of all ages still apply it even nowadays. It is interesting to examine how this theory is helpful to a college student.
Overall, the approach deals with five concepts of human life. It includes physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization needs (Oved, 2017). These concepts are placed from the basics of a human being (food, water) to the highest concept of need, which presents self-fulfillment needs (being a better version of self). Physiological needs are essential for human existence and include food, warmth, breathing, sleep, and other necessary things. Safety is about employment, having money, family, property, and tools for a safe life. Love includes concepts of friendship, love, and intimacy, while esteem needs to emphasize confidence, recognition, and respect in society. The last concept is self-actualization, and it involves morality, problem-solving, lack of vanity, and other moral qualities of a human. The main idea of Maslow’s theory is that the person cannot reach the next step of the pyramid until he is done with the previous.
For students, it is interesting to look at this theory as it is fully applicable to young people ready to become adults. The first step of physiological needs is essential for every human. For college students, dissatisfaction with this need might cause poor academic performance. For instance, if the student does not sleep enough, his brain works worse, and thus it is vital to satisfy this need. Another critical need is safety, as it is crucial to have a safe place for doing homework and rest. Love is necessary as well, as, in the college community, every student feels better when he has friends and may spend time with them. Esteem is crucial for self-confidence because it facilitates the student to work actively during classes and participate in college activities. It is feasible to understand the highest need for self-actualization differently. For instance, I grasp it as being a person of high moral traits; moreover, I think it involves an ability to help someone if needed or being tolerant towards other students. I believe that students should strive to achieve the highest step of the theory, as it is vital to be successful, aware, and emphatic human beings in the future.
In conclusion, the theory of Abraham Maslow applies to all humans and their needs. Maslow created the pyramid of people’s needs because he did not consider previous theories interacting with human beings. According to Maslow’s approach, the person aims to satisfy basic needs and concepts beyond physiology, which involve respect, love, and self-fulfillment. In addition, this theory is essential for students to understand their necessities except for biological needs. It might be helpful in self-realization and tracing the progress of becoming a better version of self.
References
Oved, O. (2017). Rethinking the place of love needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Society, 54(6), 537–538. Web.
Suyono, J., & Mudjanarko, S. W. (2017). Motivation engineering to the employee by employees Abraham Maslow theory. Journal of Education, Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 86-92. Web.