While some
research supported Maslow's theories, most research has yet to substantiate the idea of a needs hierarchy. Wahba and
Bridwell reported that there needed to be more evidence for Maslow's ranking of
these needs and even less evidence that these needs are hierarchical.
Other
criticisms of Maslow's theory note that his definition of
self-actualization is challenging to test scientifically. His research on
self-actualization was also based on a minimal sample of
individuals, including people he knew and biographies of famous
individuals that Maslow believed to be self-actualized, such as Albert
Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt. Regardless of these criticisms, Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs represents part of a psychological shift.
Rather than focusing on abnormal behaviour and development, Maslow's
humanistic psychology focused on healthy individuals' development.
While there was relatively little research
supporting the theory, the hierarchy of needs is well-known and popular both
in and out of psychology. In a study published in 2011, researchers
from the University of Illinois set out to put the hierarchy to the
test. They discovered that while fulfilment of the needs was
strongly correlated with happiness, people from cultures all over the
reported that self-actualization and social needs were significant even
when many of the most basic needs were unfulfilled."
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