Teorie conform careia nevoile umane se afla intr-o ierarhie, iar o persoana trebuie sa satisfaca nevoile plasate ierarhic mai jos inainte sa se poata preocupa de nevoile plasate mai sus in ierarhie; totui, cand o nevoie aflata la baza piramidei este satisfacuta, ea inceteaza sa mai reprezinte o motivatie. Vezi Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs; Freudian Motivation Theory; Herzberg's Theory of Motivation.
The theory that human needs are hierarchical in nature and that a person must satisfy lower-order needs before higher-order needs can be attended to; thus, when a lower-order need is satisfied it ceases to be a motivator. See Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs; Freudian Motivation Theory; Herzberg's Theory of Motivation.