Scott Joplin fell within the fourth level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which is the need for recognition and esteem from others. Scott never gained the recognition that he searched for during his lifetime. It was not until 50 years after his death that ragtime music earned a respected place among other classical forms (http://www.ragtimers.org/artists/joplin/). In Joplin's era, ragtime was viewed as a "lower class" form of music because it was often written and performed by blacks, and was often accompanied by bawdy lyrics in the saloons and brothels it was most commonly played in (Preston, 15).
Joplin never received much recognition even for his own works. His opera Treemonisha was never performed as a full production during his lifetime (http://www.io.com/~cortese/joplin/treemonisha.html). The failure of this opera that he had invested so much in sent Joplin into a nervous breakdown that eventually led to his death in a mental institution in 1917 (http://www.incwell.com/Biographies/Joplin.html).
However, Joplin's needs were met in the three lower level of Maslow's Hierarchy. Joplin made enough money to live on for the rest of his life from his publication of "The Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899 (http://www.scottjoplin.org/bio.html). This took care of his physiological needs. Scott never had a reason to worry about his safety with his family or friends in any situation. His relatives and friends also continually supported Scott in his music. His mother supported him from the time he was a small boy (Preston, 25), and his teachers enjoyed him so much that they offered him free lessons (Preston, 27). However, for such a talented individual, Joplin did not advance to the level that might be expected of him.