Abraham Maslow

Abraham Maslow (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) was a psychologist. He is mostly noted today for his proposal of a hierarchy of human needs. Maslow was an instrumental player in the formation of the humanistic movement, also known as the third force in psychology. Maslow advocated for a nurturance of the "authentic self" of each individual; the authentic self is that core part of each human being that strives toward growth. Maslow criticized mainstream psychology for overusing a pathology perspective when dealing with clients.

Related Topics:
April 1 - 1908 - June 8 - 1970 - Psychologist - Hierarchy of human needs

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Born in Brooklyn, New York, Maslow was the first of seven children of Jewish Russian immigrants to the United States. His parents were uneducated, but they insisted that he study law. At first, Abraham acceded to their wishes and enrolled in the City College of New York. However, after three semesters, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin, where he received his B.A. (1930), his M.A. (1931), and his Ph.D. (1934) in psychology. He studied with Harry Harlow, who was famous for his studies of rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior. A year after graduation, he returned to New York to work with E. L. Thorndike at Columbia.

Related Topics:
Brooklyn, New York - United States - City College of New York - University of Wisconsin - B.A. - M.A. - Ph.D. - Harry Harlow - E. L. Thorndike - Columbia

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Maslow first taught at Brooklyn College. During this time he met many leading European psychologists, including Alfred Adler and Erich Fromm. In 1951, Maslow became the chairman of the psychology department at Brandeis University, where he began his theoretical work. There, he met Kurt Goldstein, who introduced him to the idea of self-actualization.

Related Topics:
Brooklyn College - Alfred Adler - Erich Fromm - Brandeis University - Kurt Goldstein

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He retired to California, where he died of a heart attack after years of ill health.

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