Types of personal needs and their classification

What are needs?

Need is an internal feeling of need for certain resources, circumstances or actions. Of the entire animal world, humans have the widest range of needs: from mundane physiological to sublime spiritual. Needs include all material and intangible resources, actions, circumstances and other factors necessary for a person to feel satisfied or happy.

Human needs

appear as follows:

1. An unmet need is usually associated with a feeling of discomfort, anxiety, melancholy and other negative emotions.
2. Satisfaction of a need is accompanied by positive emotions (both directly at the moment of its satisfaction, and when realizing that it has already been satisfied).
3. There is a fixation on the subject of need. A person’s attention involuntarily concentrates on what he lacks. When we get hungry, we begin to more sensitively detect appetizing smells, and a lonely person in any circumstances looks for reasons to meet a potential “soul mate.”

Also, human needs are characterized by the following features:

• people need much more to achieve a state of satisfaction than other species;
• with age, the number of needs increases, their priorities change (a child needs much less to be happy than an adult, and for older people social and spiritual values ​​become much more important);
• there is a completely unambiguous hierarchy of needs, and those that are of great importance can “drown out” the less important ones.

Needs are the most important motivator that forces us to act and move forward. The most basic of them force us to work to ensure our existence, and the higher ones stimulate us to development, improvement and self-actualization. All existing achievements of mankind, including inventions, scientific theories, objects of art, musical and literary works, were created under the influence of human needs.

What other needs are there besides biological?

The creator of the pyramid of values, A. Maslow, considered the physiological need to be leading in something. This unique table in the form of a triangle gained great popularity, and psychologists, marketers, advertising specialists and management professionals immediately began to use it in their activities.

The basis of the pyramid is made up of biological needs, which I listed in detail above, the second step is occupied by the need for security (the presence of comfort, coziness, stable work). At the third level there are social values ​​(communication, being in the spotlight). The fourth stage consists of prestigious needs - respect, recognition, self-sufficiency and independence. And the last level is spiritual values ​​(art, creativity).

Classification of human needs

In psychology, all human needs are usually divided into three groups. This classification is quite unambiguous, since each group has very specific and obvious criteria. Let's look at each of them in detail.

Biological needs

This category includes basic needs aimed at survival, achieving physical comfort and procreation. It includes:

• delicious food (taste is important to determine freshness and nutritional value);
• clean water to quench thirst;
• comfortable living conditions;
• security and confidence in your future;
• satisfaction of sexual needs.

The listed aspirations are present in all living beings. They were formed evolutionarily to ensure the survival of the population. Essentially, they are all mechanisms that allow a person (or other creature) to survive and achieve “reproductive success” (produce offspring and ensure their survival in the future).

Social needs

Since man is a social being, he has a number of instinctive aspirations aimed at increasing his own importance in society or his group. The most illustrative examples are:

• Self-identification.
  A person associates himself with his social group, while striving to recognize himself as an individual with special personal and other qualities.
• Self-affirmation.
  It is important for any person to be proud of their own actions and achievements, as well as to feel respect from others.
• Altruism and passionarity.
  Most of us derive pleasure from doing things that benefit other people or society as a whole. At the same time, self-esteem grows even if our contribution goes unnoticed by others, since for an altruist the act itself is important, and not the approval of others.

Spiritual Needs

There is a system of universal spiritual values ​​that most people share in one way or another. We strive for moral and spiritual growth, appreciate beauty, grace of form and harmony, enjoy contemplating objects of art and listening to beautiful music. At the same time, each person has his own taste, so we all like different styles in music and styles in painting. In addition, priorities of spiritual values ​​change throughout life.

Spiritual needs include:

• Self-actualization.
  Obtaining new knowledge, expanding the range of interests and hobbies, professional growth, advanced training - these are all natural aspirations for a person who is currently not concerned with satisfying basic biological needs.
• Self improvement.
  As we grow up, we understand that we like to become better not in order to please someone, but simply to feel our progress. We give up smoking and alcohol, take up sports, begin to maintain a daily routine and control our stress levels. We just like to think that we're getting a little better every day.
• Romantic love.
  This point could be considered a manifestation of the reproductive instinct, but for us it is something much more. It is very important for us to have a loved one nearby who inspires us and gives us not only sexual but also emotional pleasure.

Spiritual needs, unlike biological and social ones, are present only in humans. Moreover, their list is not just extensive, but almost endless, since each person finds some of his own hobbies that do not have to be shared with someone else. Some people like fishing, some prefer knitting, some watch TV series, some reread The Little Prince for the hundredth time, some adore the sound of pouring rain outside the window, and some experience peace from the echoing the croaking of frogs in a nearby pond.

Why satisfy a need?

A. Maslow listed desires from bottom to top. Since only when the lowest level is satisfied can one move on to the next one. Spiritual and social needs are necessary and important, but when feeling hungry and lack of sleep, the individual will show indifference to them. In the Middle Ages, such schemes were specifically used by dominant tyrants and generals. They believed that an individual suffering from hunger was easier to control than a well-fed one.

Unsatisfied biological desires deprive the possibility of thinking, rational reasoning, striving for freedom, and achieving goals. Therefore, keeping your body in good shape, constantly paying attention to it and fulfilling all requests is an important rule for full functioning in life.

Scientific theories about human needs

Abraham Maslow's theory

This is the most famous classification of human needs, everyone who has at least once been interested in self-development knows about it. This concept was proposed and developed by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow in a number of his works on motivation. He sorted all human needs by elevation: from lower (biological) to higher (spiritual). Due to the characteristic form of the schematic image, this classification was called “Maslow’s Pyramid”.

The author himself identified 5 levels in his classification:

1. Physiological needs.

In this group he included food, water, sleep, sexual satisfaction - all the basic needs of our body.

2. Safety.

When all physiological needs are satisfied, a person seeks to protect himself and his family. This group includes not only good protection from predators and other dangers, but also confidence in stability and order.

3. Love and belonging.

Here we are talking about good relationships, love, friendship, belonging to a certain social group.

4. Respect and recognition.

If a person is confident in his own well-being in all areas included in the first three levels of the pyramid, he has a strong need for respect and recognition. Here we are not talking about the banal “You respect me, no?!”, but about real respect for actions and achievements.

5. Self-actualization.

Abraham Maslow included in this group self-development, self-education and other ways of working on oneself, one’s skills, knowledge and abilities.

If you look closely at the 5 tiers of Maslow’s pyramid, you will notice that the first two are biological, the third and fourth are social and partially spiritual, and the fifth are purely spiritual needs.

One of the most important statements of Maslow's theory is that each level becomes important only if all the needs located at lower levels are fully satisfied. For example, hunger or unfulfilled sexual instinct (first level) makes a person forget about caution and safety (second level).

If we compare lower needs with higher ones, we can notice several characteristic differences:

• higher needs appear much later (they first appear in adolescence, after which they develop throughout life);
• higher needs are perceived by most people as less important, “optional”;
• the higher the need is in the hierarchy, the easier it is to postpone its implementation to the future in order to solve more pressing problems;
• people living at higher levels of Maslow's pyramid tend to have good health (partly because they take care of it), experience less stress and sleep better;
• a person receives much more joy and pleasure from satisfying higher needs.

The original concept proposed by Abraham Maslow had 5 tiers, which we discussed above. Later, many authors took liberties in its interpretation and introduced additions, increasing the number of levels. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see different variations of the pyramid with 7 or 10 tiers. In any case, the basic concept of Maslow's theory remains.

Read more about Maslow's Pyramid of Needs in this article.

Alderfer's ERG theory

American professor Clayton Alderfer proposed an alternative theory of motivation. It does not contradict Maslow’s theory, but it uses its own classification of needs, which includes 3 groups (the abbreviation ERG is derived from their names):

1. Existence (existence, life).
2. Relatedness (relationships, communication).
3. Growth (personal growth, development).

As you might guess, the first group is represented by physiological needs, the second by social, and the third by spiritual. At the same time, Clayton Alderfer showed that the relationship between these groups is somewhat more complex than Maslow described (priorities are influenced not only by the fact of satisfaction itself, but also by the degree of satisfaction).

In addition, he noticed that dissatisfaction with higher needs increases the desire to satisfy lower ones. For example, it is known that during any crisis the revenue of confectionery stores increases sharply. This is explained by the fact that people, losing a sense of stability, begin to buy more sweets (even those who do not like them at all and usually do not buy them).

Fromm's theory

German psychologist and sociologist Erich Fromm considered social interaction to be a key factor influencing the human psyche. This was reflected in his theory of needs. He proposed a five-point hierarchical scheme:

1. Interpersonal connections (love, friendship).
2. Creativity (any creative activity, regardless of type).
3. Feeling of strong and deep roots (stability).
4. Search for the ideal and assimilation to it (self-improvement).
5. Knowledge of the world (spiritual improvement).

As one of the founders of neo-Freudianism, Fromm believed that our basic needs are controlled by the unconscious. But since the unconscious often encounters such obstacles as taboos, stereotypes, logic, rationality, etc., needs remain unfulfilled.

McClelland's theory of acquired needs

American writer and psychologist David McClelland proposed his theory of motivation. He believed that all needs are formed in childhood. At the same time, he divided them into three groups, explaining the mechanism of formation of each of them:

1. Involvement.
   This need arises in children who were engaged in collective activities and played team games. As a result, even in adulthood, they feel the need to be part of a group, to participate in a socially significant project or movement.
2. Power.
   If in childhood one way or another is encouraged to control other children, in adulthood such a person needs a sense of power. Also, this need can be formed under the influence of the family atmosphere.
3. Success.
   If a child is taught to be independent, to achieve something, to receive prizes and certificates, as an adult he will also need success.

What relates to the needs of children and adults: a list of physiological needs

The baby’s needs are not significantly different; they also need nutritious and healthy food, regular rest, and fresh air. Daily correct diet of baby food:

• From 1 year to 4 years – 3.5 grams of protein per 1 kg (the baby’s weight is multiplied by the indicated indicator), 4 g of fat and 12 g of carbohydrates.
• From 4 to 7 years – the weight is approximately the same. 3.5 grams protein, 3 g fat. 16 g carbohydrates.
• Schoolchildren - their diet is gradually narrowing. 2.5 g protein, 2.5 g fat, 13 g carbohydrates.

Mother's milk is a balanced drink suitable for a child up to 1 year old. If breastfeeding is not possible, consult a doctor, he will suggest the best food option suitable for the child, taking into account all his needs. Recommended amount of sleep for children:

• up to 6 months – 16-20 hours a day;
• from six months to one and a half years – 14-15 hours a day;
• from 1 year to 7 years – 12-14 hours;
• from 8 to adulthood – 8-10 hours.

Also, during mental activity, the child should be given breaks of 5 to 20 minutes for rest.

The needs of an adult are not very different from those of children; they are also supplemented by the instinct for procreation. If this desire is ignored, the person may become aggressive and not control his actions. But this happens in rare cases. If a person’s psychological state is adequate, he understands that such a request is important for health, but is not given to it at any convenient opportunity. The ideal and stable manifestation of sexual desires is observed in marriage or long-term relationships with a beloved partner.

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