Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a significant theory in psychology, which was postulated by the noted American psychologist Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation.” Even after receiving criticism for being western in nature, the theory is still relevant and a significant part of management studies. At the base of Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, we find the physiological level, which encompasses the basic, yet self-preserving needs, such as sleep, water, and shelter.
Definition of Physiological Needs
These are biological needs required to preserve human life. These needs mainly consist of oxygen, food, water, clothing, and shelter. At the foot of the five-stage model of Abraham Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs,’ we find the “physiological needs,” which are our basic and survival-ensuring needs.
Significance of Physiological Needs
Being our basic and survival-ensuring needs, physiological needs, are, in fact, the most significant needs in the five-stage model of Abraham Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs.’ According to Abraham Maslow, the motivation for other needs comes only after achieving physiological needs.
Let’s check some daily life examples of Maslow’s Physiological Needs:
1. Earning For a Living
Money is, in fact, the most significant element to satisfy physiological needs. Except for air (oxygen), all the other elements of physiological needs such as food, clothing, and shelter are money-dependent.
2. Used in Election Campaigns
In almost every election campaign, the maximum emphasis that political parties put on their manifestos is these physiological needs. Politicians try to leverage the basic requirements of a common man, i.e., food, clothing, and shelter.
3. Used in Various Social Indices
Various social institutions, whether government-funded or private, used these physiological needs to publish certain research papers on human well-being like the fulfillment of their basic needs of food, shelter, and water.
4. Used in Policy Making
Governments across the world mostly rely on the stats of these physiological needs to frame certain policies for the welfare of their citizen; whether giving subsidies to farmers or introducing affordable life-saving medicines in the market; all these policies try to satisfy the physiological needs.
5. Meeting a Student’s Cognitive Needs
Student’s cognitive needs can only be met by first fulfilling their basic physiological needs. For example, it will be difficult for a tired and hungry student to focus on learning.
6. Used in Marketing Strategies
Many Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Companies (FMCGs) focus on these physiological needs to promote their products through advertisements and commercials. They often sell their products by presenting them as the basic need of consumers like mineral water.
7. Promote the Infrastructure Sector
Search for a shelter is one of the most basic physiological needs of humans. Everyone strive in their lives for a decent shelter where they can keep themselves from the adversaries of nature such as rain, flood, heavy snowfall, etc.
8. Promote the Textile Industry
Just like the infrastructure sector, the textile industry is also directly associated with physiological needs. Everyone loves to remain well-dressed and it is this basic desire of humans that gives a boost to the textile industry.
