approaches: humanistic approach Flashcards
What is the humanistic approach?
an approach which emphaises the importance of subjective experience and each person’s capacity for self-determinination
What is free will?
It says people are self determining snd have free will. however, this doesn’t mean we aren’t to be affected by external or internal factors. We are active agents who have the ability to determine our own development.
What is humanistic psychology referred to?
It is referred to person-centred approach as it rejects scientific approaches. this states that each person is unique so psychology should study subjective experience.
What is self-actualisation?
Self-actualisation is acheiveing our full potential.
All four levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to be met before working towards self-actualisation. however, not everyone can achieve self-actualisation as psychological barrier may prevent people.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
bottom = physiological needs
next = safety
next = love and belonging
second to top = esteem
top = self-actualisation
what is the self?
For an individual to gain personal growth, the concept of their own ‘self’ must have congruence with their ‘ideal self”
What is incongruence and conditions of worth?
Incongruence is a big gap between the ‘self’ and ‘ideal self’.
Conditions of worth are conditions which are put on people that they feel need to be met for them to belong or feel loved.
What is client-centred therapy?
People are treated as clients, not patients. it focuses on the present, not on the past in which clients are encouraged towards the discovery of their own solutions in a therapeutic atmosphere. this means they are treated with unconditional positive regard
What are the aims of client-centred therapy?
- increase self-esteem
-reduce incongruence - helps the client become fully functioning
What is the problem with client-centred therapy?
it only helps mild psychological conditions
How is the humanistic approach, not reductionist a strength?
It advocates holism which means breaking behaviour and experience into smaller parts.
Subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person. This increases its validity as it considers meaningful human behaviour within real-life contexts.
How is the humanistic approach’s limited application a weakness?
While it has contributed to counselling techniques and the hierarchy of needs can explain motivation it has had little impact within the discipline. for example, the biological approach has had a very big impact on explaining mental health disorders.
It has a loose set of rather abstract concepts which lack an evidence base.
How is the humanistic approach’s positive approach a strength?
It is praised for being based around people as it is an optimistic approach. Unlike the psychodynamic approach which sees people as slaves to the past. Furthermore, it sees all people as good and have the ability to self-actualise.
How is the humanistic approach’s untestable concepts a weakness?
It has vague ideas which are abstract and difficult to test (self-actualisation, free will and congruence). However, Rogers tried to improve scientific rigour with the Q-Sort. However, it has a lack of empirical evidence. this is very similar to the psychodynamic approach which consists of the unconscious.
How is the humanistic approach’s cultural bias a weakness?
Concepts such as individual freedom, autonomy and personal growth are more associated with individualist cultures in a Western world.
collectivist cultures (India) emphasise the needs of the group and community which may not identify with the concepts.
This is a product of the cultural concept in which it was developed.
