Maslows Hierarchy and Consumerism

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is the theory that explains why humans are motivated and what motivates humans. According to the hierarchy of needs, the first need that motivates a human is a physiological need. The physiological need consists of basic necessities a human needs in order to sustain life, such as water, food and sleep. The second need is the safety need. The safety need is the need for a human to feel secure in their environment, such as secure in ones home, career, and financial status. Safety also refers to the security of ones health of themselves and family. The third part of the theory is the need to feel loved and belonged. The need for an individual to feel accepted in a social group, or when an individual strives to find a relationship. This need helps a person overcome anxiety and loneliness because feeling loved is a necessity for humans. The next motivational step is the esteem need. Even though an individual might feel loved, they might not recognize individual self-respect. The need of esteem is important because it allows the individual to gain confidence for themselves though hobbies, achievements and respect from other people. Finally the last step of the hierarchy is the self-actualization need. An individual needs self-actualization to comprehend subjects such as morals and problem solving. In my opinion, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is relevant to a consumer when they are shopping, however I do not believe that this is the reason why consumers shop. It is not necessary for an individual to become a consumer while satisfying the hierarchy of needs. For instance, an individual can go to a lake and drink the water; they do not have to go buy the water from the store. Another example of the physiological need would be sleeping. An individual can sleep wherever; they do not have to sleep on a bed, with blankets and pillows. Another example that represents that consumers shop based upon the hierarchy of needs is a home