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Abraham Maslow believed in a hierarchy of needs. There were five basic needs involved in this in ascending order. This means that as the needs at the bottom are met we can advance to the next level. The bottom level is physiological such as hunger and sleep. The next level is safety (knowing that you are secure and protected). The middle level is love and a feeling of belonging. This means that we have a need to have family and friends. Next is esteem meaning that we have a need to feel good about ourselves as well as have others feel good about us. At the top of Maslow’s hierarchy is self actualization. This is explained as not being content until you are doing what you are capable of doing.
Human Development by John Dacey and John Travers
Introduction to Psychology by Rod Plotnik
It is important for people working in a helping environment to understand Maslow’s hierarchy because they can comprehend how to meet each individuals needs. A nurse would be able to understand that a very young child needs to feel that the environment is safe and they are protected. A junior high school teacher would be able to grasp how important it is for the students to be liked and feel like they fit in.
Jean Piaget had a theory for stages of cognitive development. There were four stages of development. Each stage was more advanced than the one before because in required new thinking abilities. The first stage was sensorimotor occurring after birth until two years of age. In this stage the babies use their bodies to form cognitive structures. The next stage is preoperational lasting from about two years until the age of seven. In this stage a child will learn to use words or mental images to solve problems and express themselves. The next stage is the concrete stage. This stage starts at around seven years of age and lasts until the child is approximately eleven. During this period the child can perform a number of mental operations on objects...