Esteem and recognition needs: what is this Maslow idea?

Maslow's pyramid is one of the best known and most widespread psychological models regarding the psychology of needs and motivations.

This hierarchy of needs, formulated in the middle of the 20th century, establishes a series of requirements that must be satisfied in ascending order, from the most basic to the highest, and ranging from physiological needs to self-realization. In this article we will talk about one of the intermediate levels: esteem needs.

• Related article: "Maslow's pyramid: the hierarchy of human needs"

What are esteem needs according to Maslow?

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist known especially for being one of the promoters of the so-called Humanist Psychology, a paradigm that places special emphasis on private, subjective and emotional aspects of human experience and consciousness.

This current, in addition, focused on leading people towards their power, and not so much on intervening about mental health problems or other disorders that cause a specific discomfort expressed in symptom. For this reason, it was important to know how to define the objectives and goals towards which individuals should look to achieve their personal development.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which is usually represented in the form of a triangle or pyramid, is an effort to achieve this purpose, and establishes various types of areas of the psychological and physical well-being to be covered: physiological needs, security needs, affiliation needs, esteem or recognition needs, and needs for self realisation.

As an initial summary, we can say that the estimation needs are those that have to do with having the respect of others and oneself, a good social status, the possibility that others place their trust in our hands and, in general, have a series of advantages that are expressed in personal relationships and in the treatment that others give us, even if they do not belong to our family or circle of friends anymore close.

All this has repercussions on one of the most important psychological constructs for Humanist Psychology: self-esteem, or self-assessment in terms of skills, talents, potential, etc. Let's see in a little more detail what its components are and what needs to be done to satisfy recognition needs.

• You may be interested: "Maslow's pyramid: the hierarchy of human needs"

Components of recognition needs

Although each individual experiences his personal relationships as a whole, from the point of view of psychology it is It is possible to subdivide the concept of esteem needs to see what kinds of interactions and social capital It constitutes.

A) Yes, placing the magnifying glass at this level of Maslow's pyramid, we find the following elements.

1. Respect for others and better self-esteem

Human beings are made to coexist with others in relatively large social groups, whose limits are sometimes so distant that they are difficult to define. This means, among other things, that the image we have of ourselves is largely formed by the way we perceive others to see us.

For this reason, self-esteem does not exist as something isolated and independent, but also arises from interaction with others. And, on the other hand, not having the respect of others will make it more likely that low self-esteem will develop, which which has a direct impact on the quality of life of the subject and his propensity to be exposed to social interactions.

2. Social capital

That others have a favorable attitude towards you makes it easier to count on their support, both in situations where you needs your help to avoid a harmful situation and to undertake projects jointly with which, thanks to the collaboration, you improve your standards of living.

This improvement in the quality of life is reflected in public life (relationships with a wide circle of people) and also private (private material goods), so this need is related to other

3. Greater ability to help others

When the needs for esteem and recognition are covered, it is more frequent that others spontaneously place their trust in us, which allows us to help them and orient ourselves towards new goals and motivating situations that make us feel good.

Types of esteem needs

Abraham Maslow established another small classification within the concept of esteem needs, by distinguishing between high esteem and low esteem (not to be confused with high or low self-esteem).

High estimate

High esteem has to do with self-oriented esteem: self-worth or self-esteem. Have this area of ​​our well-being well cared for makes us enjoy self-confidence, orientation towards autonomy and independence, believing that we can reach our goals, etc.

Low estimate

Low esteem is not related to self-esteem as directly as the previous category, since it is based on the respect that other people have for us (respect not in a sense intimidating). Thus, having this specific need covered implies having a good reputation and social status, which translates into numerous advantages in public and private life.

Bibliographic references:

• Deckers, L. (2018). Motivation: Biological, Psychological, and Environmental. Routledge Press.
• Rosal C., R. (1986). Personal growth (or self-realization): goal of humanistic psychotherapies. Anuario de psicología / The UB Journal of psychology. No.: 34.