Maslow, << MAS loh, >> Abraham Harold (1908-1970), was an American psychologist who pioneered humanistic psychology. This movement developed as a revolt against behaviorism and psychoanalysis, the two most popular psychological views of the mid-1900’s. Humanistic psychologists believe individuals control their own values and choices instead of being controlled by the environment, as behaviorists think, or by unconscious drives, as psychoanalysts believe. Maslow advocated the study of psychologically healthy people, rather than only disturbed people or laboratory animals.
Maslow identified several levels of human needs. The most basic levels must be satisfied before the next levels can be fulfilled. The levels are, in order, physiological needs such as hunger and thirst, safety needs, belongingness and love needs, and esteem needs. The highest needs involve fulfilling one’s unique potential, which Maslow called self-actualization.
Maslow was born on April 1, 1908, in New York City. His books include Motivation and Personality (1954), Toward a Psychology of Being (1962), and The Farther Reaches of Human Nature (1971). He died on June 8, 1970.
