Final answer:
At the base of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is physiological needs, essential for survival. These include food, water, and shelter and must be met before ascending to higher levels of the pyramid like safety, belonging, esteem, self-actualization, and ultimately, self-transcendence.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Abraham Maslow's self-actualization theory, the need that is placed at the base or bottom of the hierarchy of needs pyramid is physiological needs. These encompass basic necessities for survival such as food, water, and shelter. As the foundation of Maslow's pyramid, these needs must be satisfied first before higher-level needs can be addressed, like safety, love and belonging, esteem, and ultimately self-actualization, which is the fulfillment of one's full potential.
It's important to note that Maslow's hierarchy also includes other levels such as safety needs and social needs, which contribute to our overall motivation and behavior. Moreover, Maslow later introduced the concept of self-transcendence as a level above self-actualization to account for motives that go beyond the self, such as the pursuit of altruistic goals and the realization of personal meaning.
However, despite its initial acceptance, Maslow's hierarchy has been critiqued for its lack of empirical support and inability to account for cultural differences and real-world scenarios that may defy the clear-cut hierarchy of needs.