Maslow's motivational hierarchy

Maslow's motivational hierarchy (Maslow's hierarchy of needs) A model of human motivation developed by the US psychologist Abraham Maslow (1908–70). It posits a hierarchy of human needs (or motives) with five levels: physiological needs, such as food and sleep; safety needs; love needs; esteem needs, such as competence and recognition; and meta needs, such as the needs for beauty, knowledge, and self-actualization. Essentially, the higher levels of motivation come into play after the lower needs have been satisfied. Maslow developed this model largely as a reaction against behaviouristic theories of motivation, which focus on the role of physical and material rewards. It has proved widely influential in human relations theory and other aspects of industrial and organizational psychology. See also ERG theory.