AP - Humanistic approach

Question 1

How is the humanistic approach different from other approaches?

Answer 1

Because is focuses in conscious experience rather than behaviour, on personal responsibility and free will rather than on determinism, and on discussion of experience rather than on use of the experimental method.

Question 2

Who was the humanistic approach developed by?

Answer 2

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow in the 1950s.

Question 3

What does the humanistic approach emphasise?

Answer 3

The importance of the individual’s striving towards personal growth and fulfilment.

Question 4

What does the humanistic approach say about free will?

Answer 4

It emphasises that people have full conscious control over their own destiny - they have free will. Humans are able to make significant personal choices within the constraints imposed by these other forces.

Question 5

What did Maslow come up with in 1943?

Answer 5

His theory - developed a hierarchy of needs.

Question 6

Why was Maslow different from other psychoanalysts?

Answer 6

Because he wasn’t interested in what went wrong with people, but rather what could go right with them.

Question 7

What did Maslow’s hierarchy of needs emphasise?

Answer 7

The importance of personal growth and fulfilment and opened the door for later movement in psychology, such as positive psychology and happiness.

Question 8

Explain what is meant by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 8

The most basic, physiological needs are represented at the bottom of the pyramid and the most advanced needs at the top. Each level must be fulfilled before a person can move up to a higher need.

Maslow believed that the more basic the need, the more powerfully it is experienced and the more difficult it is to ignore.

Question 9

What are the levels of the hierarchy in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 9

Bottom–>Top

Physiological
Safety
Love/belonging
Esteem
Self-actualisation

Question 10

Explain the physiological need of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 10

You source the food, water, shelter and sleep you need to stay alive (as well as sex to reproduce and also breathing, homeostasis and excretion).

Question 11

Explain the safety need of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 11

You strive to feel safe physically, psychologically and economically.

Security of body, of employment, of resources, or morality, of the family, of health, of property.

Question 12

Explain the love/belonging need of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 12

You consider affection, acceptance and belonging to be most important.

Friendship, family, sexual intimacy.

Question 13

Explain the esteem need of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 13

You’re focused on achievement and gaining respect from others.

Self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others.

Question 14

Explain the self-actualisation need of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 14

Realise your fullest potential and you’ve become the best you’re capable of being.

Morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of fact.

Question 15

What did Maslow think/say about people you attained the level of self-actualisation?

Answer 15

They shared certain characteristics - they tended to be creative, accepting of other people and had an accurate perception of the world around them.

He believed that such individuals experienced self-actualisation in the form of peak experiences. These are moments of extreme inspiration and ecstasy during which they felt able to leave behind all doubts, fears and inhibitions.

Question 16

Is humanistic psychology an ‘Easternised’ or ‘Westernised’ concept?

Answer 16

Westernised.

Question 17

What is self-concept?

Answer 17

Refers to how we perceive ourselves as a person.

Question 18

What did Rogers (1951) say the 2 needs of the self are?

Answer 18

Positive regard from other people and a feeling of self-worth (what we think of ourselves).

Question 19

When does self-worth develop?

Answer 19

In childhood as a result of the child’s interactions with parents.

Question 20

What did Rogers say was the relationship was between our feelings of self-worth and our psychological health?

Answer 20

The closer our self-concept and our ideal self (i.e. who we feel we should be or would like to be) are to each other, the greater our feelings of self-worth and the greater our psychological health.

Question 21

What did Rogers say self-concept depends on?

Answer 21

Unconditional positive regard and conditions of worth.

Question 22

When does a state of congruence exist?

Answer 22

When there is similarity between a person’s ideal self and how they perceive themselves to be in real life.

Question 23

When does a state of incongruence exist?

Answer 23

When there is a difference between a person’s ideal self and how they perceive themselves to be in real life.

Question 24

What is the relationship between our state of congruence and our ideal self and self image?

Answer 24

The closer our self-image and ideal self are to each other, the greater the congruence and the higher our feelings of self worth.

Question 25

Will a person ever reach a complete state of congruence and why?

Answer 25

No because most people experience some degree of incongruence as most people prefer to see themselves in ways that are consistent with their self-image, they may use defence mechanisms in order to feel less threatened by inconsistencies between how they would like to be and how they really are.

Question 26

Did Roger think that people helped or hindered the process of self-actualisation?

Answer 26

Hindered it.

Question 27

What is unconditional positive regard?

Answer 27

When a person is accepted for who they are or what they do.

Question 28

What is conditional positive regard?

Answer 28

When a person is accepted only if they do what others want them to do.

Question 29

What happens when a person experiences conditional positive regard?

Answer 29

They develop conditions of worth.

Question 30

Are conditions of worth a good or bad thing?

Answer 30

Bad usually.

Question 31

How can conditional positive regard hinder the process of self-actualisation?

Answer 31

It could stop a person from reaching self-actualisation as they may experience a sense of self-acceptance only if they meet the expectations that others have set as conditions of acceptance.

Question 32

What did Rogers believe caused many people’s psychological problems?

Answer 32

Conditions of worth and conditional positive regard.

Question 33

How did Rogers develop his ideas into a form of therapy?

Answer 33

He believed that many people’s psychological problems were caused by conditions of worth and conditional positive regard.

He came up with client-centred therapy (i.e. person-centred therapy) which focused on the client and they were in charge of what was talked about and it was their responsibility to eventually solve their own problems.

The therapist provides the unconditional positive regard and their job is to try to make the client aware of their thoughts, actions and behaviours and they may do this by carefully rephrasing the client’s sentences and repeating them back - they help to dissolve the client’s conditions of worth.

Question 34

What are conditions of worth?

Answer 34

Conditions imposed on an individual’s behaviour and development that are considered necessary to earn positive regard from significant others.

Question 35

What is congruence?

Answer 35

If there is a similarity between a person’s ideal self and self-image, a state of congruence exists. A difference represents a state of incongruence.

Question 36

What is free will?

Answer 36

The ability to act at one’s own discretion, i.e. to choose how to behave without being influenced by external forces.

Question 37

What is the hierarchy of needs?

Answer 37

The motivational theory proposed by Abraham Maslow, often displayed as a pyramid. The most basic needs are at the bottom and higher needs at the top.

Question 38

What does humanistic mean?

Answer 38

Refers to the belief that human beings are born with the desire to grow, create and to love, and have the power to direct their own lives.

Question 39

What is the self?

Answer 39

Our personal identity, used synonymously with the terms ‘self-image’ and ‘self-concept’.

Question 40

What is self-actualisation?

Answer 40

A term used in different ways. Rogers used it as the drive to realise one’s true potential. Maslow used it to describe the final stage of his hierarchy of needs.

Question 41

In what 2 ways can love and acceptance be given by others?

Answer 41

It may be unconditional (unconditional positive regard) or conditional (conditional positive regard).