The Matrix of Needs: Reframing Maslow’s Hierarchy

Abstract

In his original article on human motivation, Abraham Maslow said “The present theory then must be considered to be a suggested program or framework for future research and must stand or fall, not so much on facts available or evidence presented, as upon researches yet to be done, researches suggested perhaps, by the questions raised in this paper” ([1], p370). This article endeavours to build on Maslow’s work, incorporating research in the neurobiological impact of childhood trauma which shows that safety is the most fundamental need for all human beings. Indigenous approaches to understanding human needs beyond the ending points of any one individual life and valuing cultural perpetuity are also integrated into this model. The methodology to synthesize this paper is the result of a transdisciplinary approach which values collaboration between disciplines that focus on the biological, social, and psychological factors that interact with each other in the dynamic dance of life. Communication is added as a core need of human beings, with Interdependent Actualization being seen as the capstone of human development. Incorporating the biological framework of the extra-cellular matrix with a visual model that shows the relationships between the parts of a whole, the Matrix of Needs restores the dynamic and interrelated nature of human needs in the same hope Maslow had, that this paper will generate ideas, launch discussions and build a framework for future researchers to better understand what it means to be human, and how to remove the barriers which impede our growth as individuals and as members of the human family.