Abraham Harold Maslow was a prominent American psychologist who played a key role in the development of humanistic psychology. He was born on April 1, 1908, in Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents from Russia. Growing up in a challenging family environment, Maslow developed a deep curiosity about human nature, personal growth, and the factors that make life meaningful. His academic journey began with a focus on law at the City College of New York, but his interests gradually shifted toward psychology. He later earned his doctorate in psychology from the University of Wisconsin, where he studied under influential psychologists like Harry Harlow.
Maslow is best known for formulating the Hierarchy of Needs, a motivational theory that organizes human needs into a structured order, often depicted as a pyramid. This model emphasizes that people must first satisfy basic physiological and safety needs before moving toward higher-level psychological needs such as love, esteem, and self-actualization. Unlike the prevailing psychological approaches of his time, which largely focused on mental illness and pathology, Maslow’s perspective highlighted the positive aspects of human behavior, creativity, and the drive for personal fulfillment.
His work laid the foundation for the humanistic school of psychology, which seeks to understand human beings as inherently good, with an innate tendency toward growth and self-improvement. Maslow’s ideas extended beyond academic psychology; they influenced education, workplace motivation, leadership strategies, and personal development practices worldwide.
How Abraham Maslow Developed His Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs did not emerge suddenly; it was the result of years of careful observation, study, and reflection on human behavior and motivation. His method was different from the experimental psychology of his time, which relied heavily on controlled laboratory research and focused mainly on mental illness or negative aspects of human nature. Instead, Maslow used a humanistic and qualitative approach to study what makes people grow, thrive, and reach their highest potential.
Maslow began shaping his theory in the late 1930s and early 1940s, during his time at Brooklyn College. His early inspiration came from several sources. He was influenced by Kurt Goldstein’s concept of self-actualization, which suggested that every organism has an inherent drive to realize its fullest potential. He also drew ideas from Gestalt psychology, which emphasized looking at people as whole beings rather than isolated parts, and from his mentor Harry Harlow, known for his research on human and animal behavior.
Instead of studying people with psychological disorders, Maslow deliberately focused on healthy, high-achieving individuals. He selected subjects who he believed embodied the best examples of human potential—figures such as Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Addams, Abraham Lincoln, and other creative, compassionate leaders. Maslow carefully studied their biographies, personal writings, achievements, and life patterns. He also observed students, colleagues, and everyday individuals who demonstrated emotional health, creativity, and strong moral values.
Through his research, Maslow began noticing a clear sequence in how human needs are prioritized. He observed that people first strive to meet basic physiological needs like food, water, and shelter. Once these are secured, they seek safety and stability. After that, they pursue social connections, love, and belonging. Only when these social needs are met do individuals focus on self-esteem—confidence, recognition, and respect. Finally, at the highest level, people aim for self-actualization, which involves fulfilling personal potential, creativity, and meaningful contribution.
Maslow organized these observations into a structured hierarchy because he found that unmet lower-level needs often dominated a person’s motivation, preventing higher-level needs from becoming the focus. In 1943, he published his initial work, “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review. This paper outlined the five levels of needs in a systematic way. Later, in his 1954 book “Motivation and Personality”, he expanded the theory with deeper explanations, real-life examples, and practical applications.
His writing style was clear and conceptual rather than purely scientific or mathematical, making the theory widely accessible. Maslow intentionally used a pyramid-shaped model to represent the hierarchy visually, showing that the base (physiological needs) must be strong before progressing upward. Over time, he also refined the theory to include ideas like self-transcendence, which goes beyond self-actualization to focus on helping others and connecting to a higher purpose.