Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist and leader of the humanist movement. Maslow rejected psychoanalysim and behaviorism, and took a very optimistic approach to human behavior. He believed in developing one's full potential. Unlike many psychologists of his time, Maslow studied people that were intelligent and successful, rather than people with emotional and mental problems. He studied such historical figures as Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Maslow was a very important figure in humanist psychology. He believed that people acted on behalf of their own free will. He popularized peak experience, a moment of extreme joy, serenity, beauty, or wonder. He also served as the president of the American Psychological Association from 1967-1968. He died of a heart attack in 1969.
Click here to see Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.