Is the Maslow pyramid of need universal?

There is some relatively recent research that purports to shed some light on the question of how human needs vary around the world. read more

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid with the largest, most fundamental needs at the bottom and the need for self-actualization and self-transcendence at the top. The most fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid contain what Maslow called "deficiency needs" or "d-needs": esteem, friendship and love, security, and physical needs. read more

As explained in more detail below, the bottom four levels of the pyramid have been supported for years by research in many different fields (though they often use slightly different terms for the same ideas). read more