Which need is at the base of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Which need is at the base of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

• A. physiological
• B. safety
• C. love/belonging
• D. esteem

Answer: (A)

The base of Maslow's hierarchy is physiological needs—the essentials for survival such as air, water, food, sleep, shelter, and basic bodily functions. These needs dominate our behavior first because without meeting them, the mind focuses on staying alive. Once they’re reasonably satisfied, we shift attention to the next level, safety, and then to belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. So the reason physiological needs fit at the base is that they are the fundamental, life-sustaining requirements that must be addressed before higher-level motives come into play.

The base of Maslow's hierarchy is physiological needs—the essentials for survival such as air, water, food, sleep, shelter, and basic bodily functions. These needs dominate our behavior first because without meeting them, the mind focuses on staying alive. Once they’re reasonably satisfied, we shift attention to the next level, safety, and then to belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. So the reason physiological needs fit at the base is that they are the fundamental, life-sustaining requirements that must be addressed before higher-level motives come into play.