Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. The five levels of the hierarchy are physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Lower-level basic needs like food, water, and safety must be met first before higher needs can be fulfilled. Few people are believed to reach the level of self-actualization, but we can all have moments of peak experiences. The order of the levels is not completely fixed. For some, esteem outweighs love, while others may self-actualize despite poverty. Our behaviors are usually motivated by multiple needs simultaneously. Applications include workplace motivation, education, counseling, and nursing. According to Maslow (1943, 1954), human needs were arranged in a hierarchy, with physiological (survival) needs at the bottom, and the more creative and intellectually oriented ‘self-actualiza...