Physiological needs - What are they? examples, and more information

Physiological needs - What are they? examples, and more information
Posted on 11-03-2022

Physiological needs

Basic and mandatory needs for the survival of individuals.

What are physiological needs?

Physiological needs are those basic and mandatory needs for the survival of individuals. These correspond to all the indispensable things that are needed to live, which are fundamental for the development of man and the basis of his survival.

Physiological needs should be met in all cases because otherwise the life of man would be violated since this base is essential to continue climbing Maslow's pyramid.

Physiological needs and Maslow's pyramid

Psychologist Abraham Maslow designed Maslow's pyramid in 1943, where he hierarchized the needs of the human being into 5 levels, developing a theory that explains how human beings are motivated by certain fundamental needs.

Needs at the higher level become the motivating force for human behavior as needs at the lower level are satisfied.

Within the Maslow pyramid, the needs are ranked in 5 levels, according to the order of importance: the physiological ones correspond to the first level since these constitute the base of the pyramid as they are essential and indispensable to maintain the survival of biological life.

Physiological needs have the following characteristics:

  • They are simultaneous: because all these needs are required together.
  • They are complementary: because they must all be applied. If one fails, the others will also fail.
  • They are not tradable: since they are basic and fundamental, they cannot be part of a business.

Within the context of Maslow, the unsatisfied needs that an individual experiences serve to motivate their behavior towards the satisfaction of said needs; when he achieves it, then other much higher needs arise that, successively, make him climb through the pyramid.

Examples of Physiological Needs

The following are examples of physiological needs:

  • The need to eat and feed.
  • The need to sleep to regenerate tissues and energy.
  • The need to bathe, groom, cut nails and hair to preserve hygiene and health.
  • The sex.
  • Drink water to maintain hydration.
  • Breathe oxygen.

 

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