Chapter 9 introduces the reader to Abraham Maslow whom is described as the spiritual
establisher of the humanistic psychology movement. He was not in favor of Freud’s theory to
personality. He believed that when psychologist only studied the negative sides of personalities
of the human race, that the positive sides were overlooked. Maslow’s theory came from research
of successfully thriving adults. After his research, he found that every person is born with needs
that permit them to successfully thrive in life.
Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York and was the eldest of seven children. His
parents were poor financially and educationally, also immigrants. Maslow described his
childhood as “miserable” and his mother as a” horrible creature”. He too, like some of the
previous theorists, grew up in isolation and unhappiness. His father was an alcoholic and often
deserted his family from time to time. As an adult, he forgave his father and realized that he was
