7. Humanistic Approach Flashcards
Background of Humanistic psychology
Emerged in the US in 1950s, largely as a result of the work of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
4 assumptions of the Humanistic approach
- Every individual is unique
- Free will
- People should be viewed holistically
- The scientific method is not appropriate to measure behaviour
Assumptions: Every individual is unique
- Humanists believe that we are all different & that we should be treated as such.
- This way of viewing ppl as unique individuals is called idiographic
Assumptions: Free will
- The humanist approach is based on the core assumption that we have free will, that we have the ability to choose what we do & we are in control of our behaviour
- Believes that humans are self-determining - we are not affected by external or internal influences
- Ultimately, meaning we are in charge of how we develop & progress through life
Does the humanistic approach acknowledge constraints on free will
Yes, the humanistic approach acknowledges some constraints on free will: social rules, laws, & morals.
Overall, if we want to do smth we have the ability to choose to do it.
What is an implication of the belief in free will
That a person is responsible for their own behaviour, social or anti-social
Free will in terms of the legal system
This places the responsibility with the individual, meaning it is solely their fault
Assumptions: People should be viewed holistically
- Humanists argue that there is no point looking at just one aspect of an individual. If only one part of them is considered, much of what could be affecting them might be missed
- Humanists do not believe in focusing on childhood during therapy - they believe the whole life should be considered
Assumptions: The scientific method is not appropriate to measure behaviour
- Humanistic psychology does not describe itself as scientific.
- It argues the scientific method tried to be too objective & yet humans are subjective in the way they think and behave
What does the scientific method entail
- State problem
- Formulate hypothesis
- Design experiment
- Collect data
- Analyse data
- Draw conclusion
What is self-actualisation
- Everyone has an innate drive to achieve their full potential. The achievement of that full potential is called self-actualisation
- ‘a growth need’ - personal growth is essential part of being human
- fulfilled, satisfied, goal-orientated
Who proposed the theory of motivation
Abraham Harold Maslow
What is Maslow’s theory of motivation
- We are motivated to use free will to reach our fullest potential
- Some needs are shared & some are individual
- Humans needs are categorised & prioritised
Who created the hierarchy of needs
Abraham Harold Maslow
What is the stages on the hierarchy of needs
(see slide 12, 15)
Self-actualisation
Esteem
Love/belonging
Safety
Physiological
Self-actualisation on the hierarchy of needs
As shown in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a persons basic needs must be met before self-actualisation can be achieved
Hierarchy of needs: Physiological
Anything you need to survive - sleep, food/water, sex, etc
Hierarchy of needs: Safety
Strive to feel safe physically, psychologically & economically - security of body, employment, resources, health, property
Hierarchy of needs: Love/belonging
Affection, acceptance, belonging - friendship, family, sexual intimacy
Hierarchy of needs: Esteem
Focused on achievement & gaining respect from others
Hierarchy of needs: Self-actualisation
Become the best you’re capable of being - morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts
A persons motivation to reach their fullest potential
What did Maslow believe based on the hierarchy of needs
- Maslow believed that we spend our lives trying to get to the top
- Until the lower levels are met, you cannot attempt to satisfy higher level needs
Quote from Maslow on self-actualisation
“If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life” - Abraham Maslow
How does attitude affect self-actualisation
- An outward, more positive attitude means that self-actualisation is more attainable
- If someone experiences a negative event, & adopts a negative attitude about it, this will affect their self-concept & prevent personal growth
What did Aronoff do
Job demands & hierarchy of needs, 1967
Method of Aronoff’s study
- Aronoff compared ppl in 2 Jobs in the British West Indies - fishermen & cane cutters
- Cane cutters got paid according to how much cane was cut by the whole group, even when they were off sick. So they had high job security, although wages were low
- Contrastingly, Fishermen worked along, doing more challenging work. So they were less secure in their jobs, although they earned more overall.
- Both groups of ppl were assessed to see which level they were at on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Results of Aronoff’s study
More cane cutters were at the lower levels of hierarchy, still trying to achieve safety & security than fishermen, many of whom had satisfied the lower levels of the hierarchy
Conclusions of Aronoff’s study
- Only those men who had satisfied lower levels of the pyramid would choose to become fishermen, allowing them to develop high self-esteem.
- This suggests that ppl cannot reach the higher levels of Maslow’s hierarchy until they have satisfied the lower levels
Evaluation of Aronoff’s study
- The study supports Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory & it has ecological validity as it studied ppl in their natural environment
- HOWEVER, it only studied ppl form our culture, so the results cannot be generalised to the wider population
What did Carl Roger do
Proposed the theory of person centred therapy, 1959
What does Carl Rogers’ work focus on
Carl Rogers’ work focuses on the self, or rather the ‘selves’, of the individual
What did Carl Rogers suggest in his theory
That we have 3 selves which need to integrate to achieve self-actualisation:
- The self-concept
- The ideal self
- The real self
Carl Rogers: What is the self-concept
- This is the self that can be described as the self you feel you are
- It is similar to self-esteem & is affected by it. So, if someone has low self-esteem, their self-concept will be poor & they will have a distorted view of how capable they are
Carl Rogers: What is the ideal self
- This is the self you wish to be. It is who you are aiming towards becoming. Or, it is possible you are already there!
- A typical way of knowing whether someone is still working towards their ideal self is when you hear someone say, “I wish I was more…” or “I wish I was able to…”
- This differs from the self-concept in that it is not who you think you are, it is who you wish you were
Carl Rogers: What is the real self
- The 3rd self is the real self, the person you actually are, not who you think you are or who you wish you were
- Is it difficult to truly know yourself?
What did Carl Rogers believe about self-actualisation
- Rogers felt that to be able to reach the state of self-actualisation, it is important for the person to be fully functioning.
- This means that they have the opportunity to strive for self-actualisation & are actually doing so
What did Carl Rogers believe about self-actualisation (CONGRUENCE)
Rogers believed that to achieve self-actualisation, it is necessary for a person to be congruent
Importance of congruence
See slide 25
Achieving congruence (unconditional positive regard)
- An important part of achieving congruence is ‘unconditional positive regard’.
- This means that at some point in their lives, someone has to be loved for who they are by someone else. The need to be accepted unconditionally
Who would provide unconditional regard
Parents, family, friends, partner, therapist
*essential to being able to reach full potential
What are conditions of worth
- Requirements that the individual feels they need to meet to be loved. This is also called ‘conditional positive regard’.
- Conditions of worth can be either real or perceived by the individual
A parent who limits their love of a child to a set of boundaries (eg. I will only love you if…) causes psychological problems for that child
What is client-centred therapy
Person centred therapy is a form of psychotherapy
Benefits of client-centred therapy
- ‘Client’ NOT ‘patient’ - expert of their own condition
- Non-directive
- Warm, supportive, non-judgemental
What 3 things do therapists provide
- Genuineness
- Empathy
- Unconditional positive regard
What can therapy do for an individual
Increase self-wroth, reduce incongruence & become a fully functioning person
Who carried out a study that supported person-centred therapy
Gibbard & Hanley (2008)
What did Gibbard & Hanley do
- Studied the impact of person-centred therapy on a group of patients suffering from anxiety & depression
- 700 people over 5yrs
- Questionnaire was used to measure the extent of their condition before & after therapy
RESULTS: 70% showed a significant improvement in their mental health
Support for the humanistic approach (+)
- Advocates holism: we must consider the whole person
- Validity: as it considers meaningful human behaviour within a real life context
The humanistic approach: Limited real world application (-)
- Person-centred therapy did revolutionise counselling techniques & hierarchy of needs does explain motivation in the work place
HOWEVER - Little impact in psychology until recently (positive psychology is a small but emerging field)
- Lacks scientific evidence
- Abstract concepts
The humanistic approach: Untestable concepts (-)
- Some ponder the question: can we test self-actualisation & congruence in an experiment
- Anti-scientific & lacks empirical evidence
The humanistic approach: Cultural bias (-)
- Individual freedom, autonomy & personal growth are associated w individualist cultures
- Collectivist cultures emphasise the need for group, community & interdependence
The humanistic approach - supporting research (+)
- Thought to have ‘brought the person back into Psychology’
- Optimistic alternative to Freud - ppl are basically good, free to work towards the achievements of their potential & in control of their lives
Limitation of humanistic approach (ability of everyone)
HA assumes that everyone has the ability to self-actualise - BUT this could be incorrect as self-actualisation may be limited to the most intelligent, well-educated ppl
4 characteristics of self-actualised people according to Maslow
- Strong sense of self-awareness
- A fully accepting view of themselves & others for who they are
- Ability to deal w uncertainty
- Strong sense of creativity
How did Maslow believe self-actualisation could be measured
Maslow believed self-actualisation could be measured using what he called “peak experiences’ - times where person feels wonder & euphoria towards the world around them. After these experiences, they feel inspired, w a renewed sense of self-awareness
Achieving congruence (conditions of worth)
- This is where approval & affection is given as result of behaving in a certain way
- Although this treatment can help someone learn to fit in w the rules of social life, Rogers believed that it could stop them from reaching self-actualisation. This is bc the person may focus on keeping others happy rather than developing their own personality
Rogers described 2 parts of the self
- Rogers outlined differences between how someone sees themselves (self-concept) & how they would like to be (ideal self)
- Suggested their self-concept develops in a way which depends on whether they receive unconditional positive regard or whether conditions of worth are set for them
What happens if a person has unconditional positive regard
They receive love/acceptance for their behaviour, so will experience congruence & become a fully functioning person
What happens if a person is set conditions of worth
Their ideal self becomes smth diff to the self-concept, & the person will experience incongruence
What did Rogers believe about psychological problems
That they were caused by incongruence.
His therapy (client-centred therapy) aimed to remove this incongruence by making it possible for the person to become their ideal self
What is incongruence
Where there is a mismatch between someone’s self-concept & their ideal self
What is the clients role in client-centred therapy
Theyre in charge (as the name suggests) of what is talked abt, its their responsibility to eventually resolve their own problems
What is the therapists role in client-centred therapy
To try & make the client aware of their thoughts, actions & behaviour - achieved by carefully rephrasing client’s sentences & repeating them back
STRENGTHS of humanistic approach
- Approach treats ppl as individuals, takes the whole person into account, rather than reducing individual behaviours to cause & effect responses
- Gathers qualitative data - rich in detail (Rogers recorded many therapy sessions so they could be analysed)
- Counselling techniques from HA proven to be effective
- Less determinist - free will is major part of HA, humanistic psychologists believed a deterministic approach is no good fro understanding complex nature of human behaviour
WEAKNESS of humanistic approach
- Less emphasis on factors sa role of genes (then for eg the biological approach0
- Lacks objectivity - largely based on feelings & subjective reports, so its hard to test in a scientific way
- Approach is idiographic - meaning it doesnt create generalised laws which can be applied to everyone, making it less scientific
