Final answer:
Abraham Maslow, a humanist psychologist, believed that individuals are motivated by various needs in a hierarchical order, with the highest level being self-actualization.
Step-by-step explanation:
As a humanist, Abraham Maslow believed that people are partly motivated by a conscious desire for self-actualization, which represents the achievement of one's full potential and is the highest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy begins with fulfilling physiological needs, followed by safety, love and belonging, esteem, and finally, self-actualization. Maslow suggested that these needs must be met in order for higher-level motivations to be pursued. He differentiated between deficiency needs (motivating us to fulfill something that is missing) and growth needs (inspiring us to grow), with self-actualization being a growth need that encompasses qualities like creativity, spontaneity, and acceptance of the self.