What does Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs illustrate?

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs illustrates a five-level framework that categorizes human needs into a hierarchy. This model suggests that individuals must satisfy basic needs—such as physiological needs for food, water, and shelter—before they can pursue higher-level psychological needs like safety, love and belonging, esteem, and eventually self-actualization.

The concept emphasizes that lower-level needs must be addressed for individuals to progress to fulfilling higher-level needs. For instance, a person who is struggling with hunger may find it difficult to focus on building relationships or achieving personal goals. This hierarchical structure effectively highlights the idea that human motivation is fundamentally driven by the necessity to meet these sequentially organized needs.

Understanding this hierarchy allows psychologists and educators to identify the requirements for personal development and motivation, leading to improved interventions and support practices.