What model is used to understand the relationships of basic human needs?

What model is used to understand the relationships of basic human needs?

• A. Erikson's psychosocial stages
• B. Piaget's stages of cognitive development
• C. Kohlberg's stages of moral development
• D. Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Answer: (D)

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is the model that explains how basic human needs relate to one another. It lays out a progression from the most fundamental requirements—physiological needs like food, water, and sleep—through safety, then love and belonging, then esteem, up to self-actualization. The core idea is that lower-level needs must be reasonably satisfied before higher-level motivations become prominent. In nursing, this helps you prioritize care: address fundamental comfort, nutrition, pain relief, and safety first, then attend to social connection, self-esteem, and personal growth as you support the patient's overall well-being. Other theories describe development in different domains—Erikson focuses on psychosocial tasks across life stages, Piaget on cognitive development, and Kohlberg on moral reasoning—so they don’t capture the orderly relationship of basic needs the way Maslow does.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is the model that explains how basic human needs relate to one another. It lays out a progression from the most fundamental requirements—physiological needs like food, water, and sleep—through safety, then love and belonging, then esteem, up to self-actualization. The core idea is that lower-level needs must be reasonably satisfied before higher-level motivations become prominent. In nursing, this helps you prioritize care: address fundamental comfort, nutrition, pain relief, and safety first, then attend to social connection, self-esteem, and personal growth as you support the patient's overall well-being. Other theories describe development in different domains—Erikson focuses on psychosocial tasks across life stages, Piaget on cognitive development, and Kohlberg on moral reasoning—so they don’t capture the orderly relationship of basic needs the way Maslow does.