Among seven siblings of Russian immigrants of Jewish descent, Abraham Maslow was born in 1908. He had his studies in New York and Cornell colleges before proceeding to Wisconsin where he studied psychology up to PhD level in 1934.  He later returned as a lecturer in his native home town. Maslow died of cardiac arrest in 1970 following chronic debilitating disease. He is famed for working with monkeys in the psychology experiments.

Maslow looks at personality development through a stepladder kind of analysis. According to this theorist, one proceeds from one level of personality development to another without jumping a step in this ladder. These ladder steps range from basic necessities for sustenance of life to additional traits that come thereafter. According to the psychologist, one can ascend up the hierarchy (of needs) only to slip down to the bottom of the same ladder when some of the needs are withdrawn (Boeree p 3).

Thus the main concepts outlined in the psychologists’ perspective include;

1. The existence of a need for growth whether biological or character wise that must be satisfied and for which one has to strive to achieve.
2. The struggle to achieve the missing necessity in life and failure to be satisfied unless and until this necessity is met
3. The emergence of an extra more superior need and the subsequent desire to meet the same. This list lengthens with the achievement of the various needs until a certain level.
4. The reversal of the trend of the hierarchy once some of the already achieved needs are deficient.

There are several concepts that the psychologist is associated with. These concepts are engraved in two broad categories named deficit needs and being needs, the latter being higher than the former in his famous hierarchy.

Physiological needs

These needs constitute the bare minimum for life sustenance. They include food and shelter. They are intrinsically inherent within the constitution of the human body that lack of such automatically results in the body subconsciously instituting a reflex mechanism to correct the deficit. Such reflex mechanisms include the reflex of the body into shivering to generate more energy when it gets very cold and the person may not be able to maintain the necessary body temperature optimum for the normal physiological functioning.

Safety and security needs

After meeting the physiological needs, one graduate into the next level. This includes security and safety. One stops thinking of the source of supper or the chilly weather and now concentrates on his personal well being, his security and the assurance of a smooth future. One shuns estates that are considered more crime prone and opts for the safer ones.

Love and belonging and esteem needs

Once the above conditions are met, the focus of interest now shifts to a broader picture. The individual harbours romantic and affectionate feelings. He/she desires to enter into engagements and relationships. He gets interested in being a member of a society or a welfare group. All these are in an effort to get affection from those around him/her. As such a student thrives in being appreciated and performs better in class when the peers appreciate his/her success and feels better about his life.  Then there is the need for esteem, self or from others. One gets to gain respect fro what they do from others around them. As such one doe what will impress those around him. He/she avoids what they think the others will appreciate and shun what may attract rebuke.