Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs breaks down human needs into 5 main categories. Take a moment to remind yourself what each of these needs are:

Self actualisation: this is about feeling fulfilled and recognising our potentials. Self actualisation encompasses all the higher needs such as hobbies, arts/creativity, ethics, sense of purpose, and so on.
Esteem needs: this is our need to feel that we are worthy, valuable and good enough. It includes self esteem and confidence.
Belonging, love and attachment: this is our need for human connection, attachment to caregivers and a general sense of belonging and feeling loved.
Safety needs: this is our need for a safe environment. It includes a need to feel safe from harm, violence, disasters and threats, and have some degree of predictability in our environment.
Physiological needs: these are the basic the needs that are vital to our survival. Examples are air, food, water, warmth, sleep and physical health.

Based on Maslow's theory, people have the capacity to attend to higher needs, only once the needs below them are satisfied.

So that means only once your needs for food, water, air and safety are satisfied, your needs for belonging, love and attachment begin to emerge.

And only once all these needs are satisfied, you would be motivated to attend to your self esteem and self image.

And only once these are all satisfied, you would begin seeking higher aspects of your being which we have named self actualisation.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Standards of Assessment