A concept studied by Psychology and intimately linked to motivation.
A fundamental concept to answer these questions is the psychological construct called ‘need’, which is closely related to motivation .
In this article we will see what the main types of human needs are according to the most influential classification systems in the world of Psychology, among which Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs stands out.
What is a need?
Briefly, a need is a biopsychological disposition by which an organism directs part of its actions to achieve an objective . The fact that this definition is so concise is not accidental, given that those goals to be achieved do not even have to be objectively good or healthy; sometimes, in fact, they clearly impair the quality of life, as is clearly seen in the case of drug addiction.
On the other hand… what does it mean for a need to be a disposition? This implies that they are not something physical, an energy emitted from a specific organ or a fluid that promotes the movement or start-up of parts of the body. It is something more abstract than this: a set of half-biological (existing in the organism) and half-psychological states (distributed between the organism and its environment) that favor the selection of certain actions and tasks over others with less priority.
For example, if a person sees an advertisement for ice cream, a very specific type of need may arise that exists because of biological conditions (it has been a long time since they ate and their stomach is empty) and contextual conditions (the advertisement shows a close-up of a very good-looking ice cream, and in that room there are no other activities available to distract us).
Having seen all this, let’s take a look at the most important types of needs .
The main types of human needs
From what we have seen, it follows that there may be an unlimited number of types of needs. After all, there are an infinity of biological and psychological situations that can be combined in different ways, giving rise to unique experiences. However, it is possible to create classification systems.
Below we will see several of the most important, with their different types of proposed needs .
According to its effects on the body
If we distinguish between classes of needs based on their implications for the integrity of the person, we can find two types: primary and secondary.
primary needs
They are those without which the body cannot exist , that is, they are needs that must be met for the body to be biologically viable in the short term. Among them, focusing on the case of the human being, we can find access to drinking water, the existence of the earth’s atmosphere around it, access to food to eat, etc.
secondary needs
This type of needs is characterized by the fact that even if they are never satisfied, they do not imply the death of the organism in the short term (although this type of situation will probably shorten its life expectancy). For example, the establishment of friendship ties, the validation of others, financial security, etc.
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
This is possibly one of the psychological models when classifying the different types of human needs.
It is a hierarchy in which a clear order can be seen in terms of the needs that must be covered most of the time and those that are only met occasionally, in order to reach higher levels of well-being and life satisfaction.
In this classification, which is also known as Maslow’s Pyramid , Abraham Maslow, a representative of Humanistic Psychology, gives great importance to the processes by which people give relevant meaning to the goals they achieve, and identifies the most important needs. abstract with those that provide a more subtle well-being, closer to the need than to the fulfillment of conditions so as not to feel discomfort.
Thus, if we begin Maslow’s hierarchy of needs by going from the lowest (less abstract) levels to the highest , the order is as follows.
1. Physiological needs
They are those that are necessary for the body to function well , such as an adequate temperature level, access to medicines, adequate and nutritious food, etc.
2. Security needs
At this second level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs appear the conditions that must be met for the person to feel stability and protection from possible dangers. For example, the fact of having a well-protected house in which to shelter from crime is a goal to which one aspires through the search for security satisfactions.
3. Membership needs
This type of human needs are those that have to do with being inserted into a social fabric , be it groups of friends, a relatively extended family, etc. The simple human factor of having allies and people who recognize our existence is something that brings us well-being and brings us closer to happiness.
4. Esteem needs
These types of needs are more subjective than the previous ones , because they have to do with feeling loved, being part of bonds of love or affection.
5. Self-actualization needs
The highest point of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is occupied by this category, which describes situations in which one knows that one’s own existence and what one does has meaning , is something that goes beyond one’s mere existence. himself and his actions.
According to Doyal and Gough
Ian Gough and Len Doyal have developed another classification of basic needs that is not as individual-focused as Maslow’s. In this case, these needs are defined as what a person requires to function correctly as part of society.
In other words, if they are not fulfilled, the individual will probably generate a series of alterations in the social dynamics around them, in their immediate environment and even in the face of collective and public institutions, and they will not be able to participate in democratic processes or they will do poorly.
These types of needs are described from the perspective of political economy, and are as follows:
- Access to drinking water and food sources with necessary nutrients.
- Access to housing.
- Safe and stable work environment.
- Access to clothing.
- Immediate environment free of dangers.
- Guarantee of medical care through Social Security.
- Special security during the childhood years.
- Possibility of developing meaningful social relationships.
- Physical security for oneself, not only in the environment.
- Economic security.
- Access to reproductive control measures.
- Access to cross-cultural education.
conclusion
The types of human needs help us to account for a very complex reality and a psychological dimension of the human being that is ultimately unpredictable, but that we can partially understand and about which we can anticipate some things in general terms.
We cannot guarantee that a specific person will be excited about a given gift because it covers one of their needs, but we can reduce uncertainty if we analyze their behavior in the light of explanatory models and theories such as the ones we have seen.
Bibliographic references
- Cacioppo, John; Freberg, Laura (2012). Discovering Psychology: The Science of Mind. Canadá: Cengage Learning.
- Deckers, L. (2018). Motivation: Biological, Psychological, and Environmental. Routledge Press.
- Goebel, B. L.; Brown, D. R. (1981). “Age differences in motivation related to Maslow’s need hierarchy”. Developmental Psychology. 17 (6): 809 – 815.
- Rosal Cortes, R. (1986). «Personal growth (or self-realization): goal of humanistic psychotherapies». Yearbook of psychology / The UB Journal of psychology. No.: 34.
- Triglia, Adrian; Regader, Bertrand; Garcia-Allen, Jonathan (2016). psychologically speaking. Paid.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.
