Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs:
Human needs are endless as they keep on increasing as an individual keeps on satisfying them. A psychologist by the name of Abraham Maslow developed a theory concerning a hierarchy of human needs. Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Need’s theory is often represented as a pyramid with the lower levels representing the lower needs and the tip representing the top level. The Hierarchy has five levels and the main objective is reaching the top. In order, they consist of physiological needs, safety need, the needs for love/affection, the needs for esteem and the needs for self-actualisation (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). Within the five levels, the second level is not completed until the demands of the first level have been achieved and so on until the last level has being achieved or satisfied.
Physiological Needs:
Physiological needs are biological needs which consist of the essentials for human survival. These include oxygen, food, water and a relatively constant body temperature (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). This is the strongest need as the end result of a person deprived of all essential needs would be the absence of survival. Participation in physical activities can fulfil some primary physiological needs as an individual can develop the capacities to enhance the efficiency of oxygen use and metabolise energy derived from the food that they eat (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). It is important to keep our body hydrated and fuelled by nutritional foods as it will lead to performances which are consistent and effective. These needs have personally been fulfilled as I have all the essentials for human survival such as oxygen, food and water.
Safety Needs:
When all physiological needs are satisfied and are no longer controlling the individual’s thoughts and behaviours, the needs for security can be enabled (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). When participating in sport, it becomes an objective to find safe circumstances and the ability to develop a sense of stability and protection (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). Safe circumstances may consist of a harmless environment with instructors and teachers that assure safety, a sport with all the same gender (not mixed) and or a non-contact sport. It is essential that these needs are met otherwise safety issues such as attaining an injury will become barriers for access and equity in physical activity (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). These needs have also been satisfied as I am in a safe school environment with instructors and teachers helping make sure that mine and other student’s safety needs are met.
Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness:
Maslow states that people seek to overcome feelings of loneliness and alienation. Such issues for an individual trying to achieve this level may include race, class, religion, physical characteristics and or even gender (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). In order to help overcome such issues, it is important to both give and receive love and affection and the sense of belonging. These needs can be obtained through positive experiences in physical activities. Ultimately, this will complete the level which will lead to the need for esteem to become dominant (Amezdroz, et al. 2010).
Needs for Esteem:
This level involves the needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem an individual gains from the people they are surrounded by. Humans have a need for a stable, firmly based, high level of self-respect and respect from others (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). The advantage to this level being fulfilled is that the individual will have high self-confidence and will feel valued in the environment they are placed in. The negative implication of this level not being achieved is that the individual will feel weak, helpless and worthless which will decrease future participation which is an enormous negative as exercise and physical activity play a huge role in regards to the importance of human needs (Amezdroz, et al. 2010).
Needs for Self Actualisation:
When all of these needs are satisfied, then and only then is the need for self-actualisation achieved. Maslow described self-actualisation as a person’s need to be and do what they were born to do (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). The negative implication of this need not being met will result in signs of restlessness, the individual feeling on edge, tense and the feeling of lacking something (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). Overall, an individual needs to identify barriers that prevent the accomplishment of each one of the levels in order to achieve self-actualisation (Amezdroz, et al. 2010).
In the video clip below is a more detailed explanation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs. Please feel free to watch it if anything is unclear or hasn't being explained in a comprehensive way.
Physiological Needs:
Physiological needs are biological needs which consist of the essentials for human survival. These include oxygen, food, water and a relatively constant body temperature (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). This is the strongest need as the end result of a person deprived of all essential needs would be the absence of survival. Participation in physical activities can fulfil some primary physiological needs as an individual can develop the capacities to enhance the efficiency of oxygen use and metabolise energy derived from the food that they eat (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). It is important to keep our body hydrated and fuelled by nutritional foods as it will lead to performances which are consistent and effective. These needs have personally been fulfilled as I have all the essentials for human survival such as oxygen, food and water.
Safety Needs:
When all physiological needs are satisfied and are no longer controlling the individual’s thoughts and behaviours, the needs for security can be enabled (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). When participating in sport, it becomes an objective to find safe circumstances and the ability to develop a sense of stability and protection (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). Safe circumstances may consist of a harmless environment with instructors and teachers that assure safety, a sport with all the same gender (not mixed) and or a non-contact sport. It is essential that these needs are met otherwise safety issues such as attaining an injury will become barriers for access and equity in physical activity (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). These needs have also been satisfied as I am in a safe school environment with instructors and teachers helping make sure that mine and other student’s safety needs are met.
Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness:
Maslow states that people seek to overcome feelings of loneliness and alienation. Such issues for an individual trying to achieve this level may include race, class, religion, physical characteristics and or even gender (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). In order to help overcome such issues, it is important to both give and receive love and affection and the sense of belonging. These needs can be obtained through positive experiences in physical activities. Ultimately, this will complete the level which will lead to the need for esteem to become dominant (Amezdroz, et al. 2010).
Needs for Esteem:
This level involves the needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem an individual gains from the people they are surrounded by. Humans have a need for a stable, firmly based, high level of self-respect and respect from others (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). The advantage to this level being fulfilled is that the individual will have high self-confidence and will feel valued in the environment they are placed in. The negative implication of this level not being achieved is that the individual will feel weak, helpless and worthless which will decrease future participation which is an enormous negative as exercise and physical activity play a huge role in regards to the importance of human needs (Amezdroz, et al. 2010).
Needs for Self Actualisation:
When all of these needs are satisfied, then and only then is the need for self-actualisation achieved. Maslow described self-actualisation as a person’s need to be and do what they were born to do (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). The negative implication of this need not being met will result in signs of restlessness, the individual feeling on edge, tense and the feeling of lacking something (Amezdroz, et al. 2010). Overall, an individual needs to identify barriers that prevent the accomplishment of each one of the levels in order to achieve self-actualisation (Amezdroz, et al. 2010).
In the video clip below is a more detailed explanation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs. Please feel free to watch it if anything is unclear or hasn't being explained in a comprehensive way.