Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who was born in 1908. He was engaged in the study of human behavior and motivation. Today we will introduce you in detail to the silhouette and achievements of this scientist.
Who was Abraham Maslow?
Abraham Harold Maslow was born on April 1, 1908 in New York, in a Jewish family. His father was a butcher, and his mother was a homemaker. Abraham Maslow was the first of seven children. At the age of 5 he started going to school. At the age of 13, the family moved to Brooklyn. Abraham Maslow graduated from high school in 1925 and entered the University of the City College of New York, graduating in 1928. He then went on to study at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he earned a doctorate in psychology in 1934.
Abraham Maslow died on June 8, 1970 in Menlo Park, California. He was married to Bertha Goodman Maslow and had three children. His works and views on psychology have had a huge impact on the scientific community and the wider culture.
Abraham Maslow’s career
After graduating from college, Abraham Maslow worked as a teacher in several high schools. From 1937 to 1951, he worked as a scientist in the Yerkes laboratories at Yale University’s Institute of Psychology. During this time he began his scientific career, publishing articles and books on psychology. In 1951 Abraham Maslow moved to Brandeis University, where he worked until his death. Abraham Maslow was one of the most prominent psychologists of the 20th century. His most important works are “A Theory of Human Motivation” (1943) and “Toward a Psychology of Being” (1968).
Abraham Maslow – the most important achievements
His most famous work is“Pyramid of Needs“. – a hierarchical model of human needs, which Maslow described in 1943. According to Maslow, there are 5 main types of needs that shape human behavior:
- Physical needs – these are needs such as food, drink, shelter and safety.
- Social needs – these are needs for contact with other people, acceptance and love.
- Cognitive needs – these are the needs for personal growth, learning new things and expanding horizons.
- Aesthetic needs – these are the needs to aesthetically experience the world and create works of art.
- Self-actualization needs – these are the needs to achieve one’s full potential and fulfillment in life.
Maslow’s needs are hierarchically arranged in the form of a pyramid. The lowest needs, such as physical and social, must be satisfied in order to focus on higher needs, such as cognitive and aesthetic needs. Self-actualization is the highest need, which can only be achieved when all other needs are satisfied.
Maslow’s pyramid of needs is still considered one of the most important concepts in psychology. It helps to better understand human behavior and motivation and how they can be used in working with people.