PSY 250 Week 3 Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality

PSY 250 Week 3 Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Abraham Maslow is a famous psychologist who stated that people have different levels of needs that must be fulfilled before the next, higher, level of needs can be achieved. This is called Maslow’s Hierarchy. Maslow states that one’s physiological needs are the most basic. These needs are those that we use to survive; the need for food, sleep and water. Once people have what they need for nourishment, they feel the need for safety, Maslow’s second level in his hierarchy. The next three levels have to deal with people’s social needs and their need for self-actualization. Maslow states that people must fulfill their social needs, wanting to belong and to be loved. Humans are social animals, which is why it is normal to live in family groups, in neighborhoods, and within cities, etc. Once people believe they have met their need to be social, they begin working on esteem needs. These are the desires to accomplish goals and improve self-esteem. Only after all other needs have been met are people ready to become self-actualized. This is when people are comfortable with their role in society and begin to become self-aware and concern themselves with personal growth. This may include becoming more educated, working out, or volunteering. According to Maslow, the success one may have fulfilling a certain level of needs and their desires for self-actualization are most responsible for shaping personality. Both Freud and Maslow’s work give valuable insight into what creates personality. One aspect ignored in much of their work is biological factors that can create a personality, otherwise known as genetics. Charles Darwin is known for the theory that humans have evolved from primitive species. In his studies, he also theorized that people’s genetics also have a strong