Methods

• It's subjective - based entirely on opinion
• Uses qualitative, secondary sources, interviews and observations
• Maslow used 18 biographies of probable self-actualisers from public and historical records
• The goal was to gather the individual's subjective interpretation of the world and themselves
• Validity is reduced
• No control or standardisation of materials studied
• Gender and ethnic bias in sample of biographies - limited to highly educated white males
• Unscientific, vague and open to bias