What Maslow overlooked

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	Education Issues Topic Index A-Z Index	What Maslow Overlooked

Thom Hartman is a psychologist who proposes an anthropological model for ADD . One important element of this model is the neurology of the brain's sensory filtering mechanism. This suggests a possible addition to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The original hierarchy is as follows:

5- self actualization (God / Universe)
4- high social (Position in future social structure)
3- low social (Interaction with other individuals who are present)
2- safety (Immediate bodily safety)
1- Stasis (bodily functions - breathing, eating, etc.)

Abraham Maslow's theory is that there is a hierarchy of human needs. As each need is satisfied, the individual moves on to fulfill the next need. For example, an individual will ignore self-actualization, social needs, and even safety if he cannot get a breath of air. Once stasis is satisfied, an individual will ignore self-actualization and social needs to achieve safety... and so on.

Hartman wondered why, though, any person would violate safety when stasis is not at risk - such as people who drive too fast or ski on dangerous slopes. His conclusion is that there is another need, which Maslow overlooked, for "Alive-ness." It is located between Stasis and Safety.

6- self actualization (God / Universe)
5- high social (Position in future social structure)
4- low social (Interaction with other individuals who are present)
3- safety (Immediate bodily safety)
2- Need for alive-ness
1- Stasis (bodily functions)

In Hartman's model, a person with ADD, was born with a relatively low thalamic gain level and so compensates by constantly seeking out the stimulation to wake up his brain. These people are the decendents of hunter-gatherer ancestors whose distractability and tolerance for danger was the key to their survival.

People without ADD, whose thalamic gain level is relatively high, are aware of their alive-ness even without strong stimuli. (Hartman believes Maslow himself was such a person, which explains why he missed the "Need for Alive-ness" in his hierarchy.) These people can attend to very long processes, such as the slow emergence of crops, the passing of seasons, or the careful analysis of financial books. Hartman refers to these people as "farmers," in reference to his hunter/farmer metaphor of ADD.

People who have ADD, whose thalamic gain level is relatively low, experience brain shutdown unless external stimuli is enough to trigger to thalamus to activate the RAS, and awaken the cerebral cortex. This is the awareness of alive-ness that Hartman talks about.

The neurological aspect of this model is based on Robert Orenstein's book Roots of the Self, and holds up neatly in light of how Ritalin affects the brain. Ritalin turns up the thalamic gain level, making most stimuli more perceptable. This satisfies the Need for Alive-ness and allows the ADD person to concentrate on more low-level stimuli (such as homework or a teacher's lecture) while the influence of the medicine lasts.