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Running head: Compare and Contrast. Maslow versus Elizabeth Cohen Compare and Contrast: Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs versus author of The House on Beartown Road – Elizabeth Cohen Dina L. Rodriguez Saint Joseph College Abraham Maslow – a humanistic psychologist – â€Å"developed a theory of personality that has influenced a number of different fields, including education† (Simons, Irwin & Drinnien, 1987). A concept used in the development of a person as a whole across his/her lifespan, this theory is known as the Hierarchy of Needs. â€Å"It remains valid today for understanding human motivation† (Alan Chapman, 2001-4). Maslow’s hierarchy is relatively known today as a pyramid with 5 basic levels (see diagram), each cannot be built upon or no one person can progress in life until the previous need has been satisfied. â€Å"Humans start with a very weak disposition [infants] that is then fashioned fully as the person grows. If the environment is right, people will grow straight and beautiful, actualizing the potentials they have inherited. If the environment is not â€Å"right† (and mostly it is not) they will not grow tall and straight and beautiful† (Simons, Irwin & Drinnien). The five basic needs are: physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem and finally, the need for self-actualization. Physiological needs supersede all in a sense that if we do not have oxygen to breath, food to eat, clean water to drink, and the means for elimination , how else would we be able to grow and survive? It is without these needs that Maslow states we cannot advance to the next level or maintain quality of life (Lois White, 2001). The next level – safety and security – surrounds the need for shelter from protection from the outside environment including inclement weather, stability within the home/family life and the security of both physical and emotional factors that can affect the quality of life in either a positive or negative manner. â€Å"Illness is often a threat to safety because the stability of life is disrupted† (White). The third level – love and belonging – integrates the need for both giving and receiving love. Without this need for friendship, giving and receiving love and affection, how can one possibly develop emotion or a sense of self? This brings me to Maslow’s next level: self-esteem (White). The self-esteem needs are said to be the most influential when the first three needs are met. The need for self-esteem arises from the accomplishments and goals one achieves and the admiration he/she receives from others.