2.1 - Approaches In Psychology (Set E - Humanistic Approach)

Question 1

Outline 3 brief points about the humanistic approach?

Answer 1

• aimed to replace 2 main approaches behaviourism and psychodynamic
• concerned with human experiences, freedom and choice
• rejected psychology as a science - believed humans could not be studied in a lab (since we are all unique)

Question 2

Outline the humanistic approaches position on free will?

Answer 2

Emphasised people have full conscious control over their own destiny - but are subject to biological and societal influences

Question 3

Explain Abraham Maslow contribution to the approach?

Answer 3

• wasn’t interested with what went wrong with people but rather what could go right with them, emphasised the importance of personal growth and fulfilment
• developed hierarchy of needs - involved the most basic psychological needs represented at the bottom of the pyramid (most powerful and difficult to ignore) with the most advanced needs at the top

Question 4

Outline the levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - with examples?

Answer 4

• Psychological needs (food,water ext)
• Safety needs (security)
• Belongingness and love needs (intimate relationships, friends)
• Esteem needs - feelings of accomplishment
• self actualisation - achieving ones full potential

Maslow believed we need to obtain the basic needs before we can move up the hierarchy

Question 5

Outline Maslow’s belief and findings on self-actualisation?

Answer 5

Most of those who attained this level shared certain characteristics (eg creative, accepting of other people and an accurate perception of the world around them)

Question 6

Explain Roger’s self-concept theory?

Answer 6

• self-concept refers to how we perceive ourselves as a person
• we have 2 basic needs - positive regard and a feeling of self-worth

Feelings of self-worth develop in childhood - formed as a result of the child’s interaction with parents, and friends

closer our self-concept and our ideal self (who we feel we should be) the greater our feelings of self worth and psychological health

Question 7

Explain the significance of congruence regarding carl Rodger self-concept theory?

Answer 7

A similarity between a persons ideal self and how they perceive themselves to be in real life results in a state of congruence

• greater our feelings of self worth and greater our psychological health - because we have achieved what we wanted to do (able to self actualise)

Question 8

Explain the significance of incongruence regarding carl Rodger self-concept theory?

Answer 8

Difference between self image and ideal self leads to negative feelings of self-worth , for example if you work at Mac Donald’s and desire to be an astronaut and go to the moon you will be disappointed and upset as it is not possible

• doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try but that we should aim for realistic things

Question 9

Explain Rodger’s conditions of worth?

Answer 9

Love and acceptance given by others may be unconditional (unconditional positive regard) when they are accepted for who they are and what they do - or conditional when they are accepted only if they do what others want them to do

People develop conditions of worth when they experience conditional positive regard - conditions they perceive significant others put upon them - believe they are necessary to be accepted

Question 10

Explain the link between psychological issues and conditions of worth?

Answer 10

issues are thought to arise as a direct result of conditions of worth, which are constraints an individual believes are put upon them by significant others that they deem necessary to gain positive regard

• negative regard like criticism and blame can cause you to develop low self esteem

Question 11

Outline the influence of the humanistic approach regarding counselling psychology?

Answer 11

• significant because counselling psychology is one of the top forms of therapy

Rodger developed client centred therapy (counselling psychology) - which can help with esteem and allow us to self actualise

Rodger claimed that individual psychological problems were a direct result of their conditions of worth - counselling can help solve there own problems

Question 12

Explain the role of client centred therapy?

Answer 12

Therapist has to give unconditional positive regard (which we didn’t get growing up - due to parent placing unrealistic expectations on us - led to low self worth and low self esteem)

• Humanistic therapists act as guides - give individual support and solutions that aim at helping that specific person

Question 13

Give 4 strengths to the approach?

Answer 13

• Emphasises choice/free will, you can put yourself out and self actualise no matter what’s happening to you - largely ignored by other approaches
• values personal ideas and self-fulfilment
• Contributed to counselling therapy which has been shown to be effective in the treatment of some disorders
• has application to education - encourages children to set their own goals

Question 14

Give 4 weaknesses to the approach?

Answer 14

• approach has less impact on mainstream psychology - some people reject the idea we need a purpose in life
• Due to vagueness of terms such as ‘self actualisation’, ‘ideal self’ and ‘real self’ there is little empirical evidence and some of these things can’t be proved
• Parents an overly idealised and unrealistic view of human nature
• Basis of therapy assumes a persons problems are all about the congruence/conditions of worth but ignores biological explanations such as schizophrenia which we can not overcome by our ourselves

Question 15

Give 4 weaknesses to the approach?

Answer 15

• approach has less impact on mainstream psychology - some people reject the idea we need a purpose in life
• Due to vagueness of terms such as ‘self actualisation’, ‘ideal self’ and ‘real self’ there is little empirical evidence and some of these things can’t be proved
• Parents an overly idealised and unrealistic view of human nature
• Basis of therapy assumes a persons problems are all about the congruence/conditions of worth but ignores biological explanations such as schizophrenia which we can not overcome by our ourselves

Question 16

Outline research support for conditions of worth - mention research from Harter?

Answer 16

Individuals who experience conditional positive regard - likely to display more ‘false self behaviour’ (doing things to meet others expectations)

- Harter discovered that teenagers who feel that they have to fulfill certain conditions to gain parental approval, frequently end up not liking themselves

Question 17

Explain why the humanistic approach is considered by some to be unrealistic?

Answer 17

Some argue it represents an overly idealised and unrealistic view of human nature - assumes problems arise from blocked self-actualisation

therefore encouraging people to focus on their own self-development rather than on situational forces may be neither realistic nor appropriate in modern society

Question 18

What is the hierarchy of needs?

Answer 18

Motivational theory proposed by Abraham Maslow - often displayed as a pyramid with the most basic needs at the bottom and higher needs at the top

Question 19

Explain the humanistic approaches view on psychology as a science?

Answer 19

Largely negative - humanistic psychologists argue that scientific research methods are derived and suited for natural sciences - not appropriate for studying the complex human nature

reject use of scientific methods

Question 20

Explain the cultural differences in the hierarchy of needs?

Answer 20

In later development to the theory Maslow acknowledged that for exonerated people, needs may appear in a different order or be absent

- studies have confirmed that Europeans and Americans focus more on personal identity, in defining their self-concept - where as Chinese,Japanese and Koreans define self-concept more in terms of social relationships