Approaches- Humanism

Question 1

What is humanism

Answer 1

An approach to understanding behaviour that emphasises the importance of subjective experience and each persons capacity for self determination

Question 2

What are the assumption of humanism

Answer 2

We are active agents who have the ability to determine our own development.

Humans have the notion to make choices that are not determined by biological or external forces - free will

We can ignore the influence of internal and external factors on behaviour.

Self actualisation is crucial part of being human

Question 3

Why do humanists reject the scientific approach

Answer 3

Science - deterministic
Humanism - free will

Each person has free will
Active agents
Unique and free to our own thoughts
Scientific method resolves around determinism
Attempt to establish general laws
Humanism - humans being self determining

Science - objectivity humanism - subjectivity

Importance of achieving self actualisation
Subjective experience one has of the world is very important when it comes to understanding the person.
Scientific approach is objective
Objectivity is important in science because facts created, free from bias
Subjectivity less important in science

Question 4

When did humanism emerge

Answer 4

In unites states in the 1950s largely as a result of the work by carl rogers and Abraham Maslow

Question 5

What is Maslow hierarchy of needs

Answer 5

A 5 levelled hierarchical sequence in which basic needs such as hunger must satisfied before higher psychological needs such as self esteem and self actualisation can be achieved

Question 6

List the 5 hierarchical sequence

Answer 6

1) physiological needs - food, water, oxygen and sleep
2) safety needs-security, protection, stability, freedom of fear
3) belonging needs- need for friends, intimate relationships, love
4) self esteem needs- self respect, perception of biliary, status and recognition
5) self actualisation needs- realising self potential

Question 7

What needs to be met before individual can work towards self actualisation

Answer 7

Meet all the four lower levels of the hierarchy - deficiency needs

Question 8

What do humanistic psychologist regard personal growth as

Answer 8

Personal growth An essential part of what it is to be human.
You develop and change to become fulfilled and satisfied

Question 9

What is self actualisation

Answer 9

The innate desire we have to become the best versions of ourselves , through personal and psychological growth

Question 10

What is the self

Answer 10

A term to describe all the ideas and values we have about ourselves including the perception and valuing of ‘what i am’ and ‘what i can do’

Question 11

What is the ideal self

Answer 11

Ideal self Describes our perception of the best versions of ourselves

Question 12

How do we achieve congruence

Answer 12

When there is little to no gap between self and the ideal self so they broadly match

Question 13

What does the ideal self being congruent with concept of self allow us to achieve

Answer 13

Personal growth

Progress-up hierarchy with goal of self actualisation

Question 14

What if too big a gap exits between the two selves ?

Answer 14

The person experiences a state of incongruence where the negative feeling of self worth prevent us from achieving self actualisation (progressing up maslows hierarchy of needs)

Question 15

What does rogers claim about feelings of low self stem and worthlessness (issues we experience as adults)

Answer 15

They have originated in childhood

Due to lack of unconditional positive regard

Question 16

What is an example of lack of unconditional positive regard

Answer 16

I will be proud of you, only if you achieve top grades at school)

Question 17

What did rogers develop therapy wise

Answer 17

Client centred therapy where clients encouraged towards the discovery of their own solutions

Question 18

What is the aim of client centred therapy

Answer 18

To reduce the gap between the self concept and the ideal self

Increase person feelings of self worth reduce the level of incongruence
Fully functioning person

Question 19

List the characteristics of client centred therapy

Answer 19

Non directive
Uses therapeutic atmosphere
Warm, supportive and non judgemental

Question 20

What is a limitation of the humanist approach (cultural bias)

Answer 20

central ideas to humanistic psychology, such as individual freedom and personal growth, would be much more associated with individualist cultures.

Collectivist cultures such as India, which emphasise the needs of the group, community and interdependence, may not identify so easily with the ideal and values of humanistic psychology.

Therefore, it is possible that this approach is a product of the cultural context within which it was developed and not generalisable to other cultures.

Question 21

What is another limitation of the humanist approach ?

Untestable

Answer 21

Humanistic psychology includes a number of vague ideas that are abstract and difficult to test.

Concepts such as ‘self- actualisation’ and ‘congruence’ may be useful therapeutic tools but would prove problematic to assess under experimental conditions.

As the approach is anti-scientific, humanistic psychology is short on empirical evidence to support its claims.

Question 22

What is a a strength of the humanist approach (holistic)

Answer 22

Humanists reject any attempt to break up behaviour and experience into smaller components.

They advocate holism the idea that subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person.

This approach may have more validity than its alternatives by considering meaningful human behaviour within its real-life contexts.

Question 23

What is a limitation of the humanistic approach ?(appliaction)

Answer 23

Humanistic psychology has relatively little real-world application.

Rogerian therapy has revolutionised counselling techniques Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has been used to explain motivation, eg in the workplace

it remains the case that the approach has limited impact within the discipline of psychology as a whole.

This may be due to the lack of evidence and the fact that the approach has been described as a loose set of abstract concepts.

Question 24

What is a strength of the humanistic approach (postivity)

Answer 24

Humanistic psychologists have been praised for ‘bringing the person back into psychology’ and promoting a positive image of the human condition.

Freud saw human beings as slaves to their past and claimed all of use existed somewhere between ‘common unhappiness’ and absolute despair’.

Humanistic psychology offers a refreshing and optimistic alternative as it sees people as basically good, free to work towards the achievement of their potential
control of their lives.