Approaches- Humanistic Psychology Flashcards
What does humanistic psychology focus on?
The person as a whole
What do humanistic psychologists believe?
That all people are inherently good and that they’re driven to achieve their full potential
How is humanistic psychology different from other approaches?
It take into account the feelings of the individual rather than just their observable behaviour
Why is humanistic psychology an idiographic approach?
It focuses on studying the individual rather than producing general rules which come from summarising a group of people
What does humanistic psychology assume?
That a person’s behaviour is caused by their subjective feelings and their thoughts about themselves especially about how they can become better people and learn new things
Is humanistic psychology based on determinism or free will?
Free will
How does humanistic psychology suggest that people are motivated?
To use their own free will to allow them to reach their fullest potential
What did Maslow come up with?
The hierarchy of needs
What are the levels in the hierarchy of needs?
- Physiological needs
- Safety needs
- Love and belongingness needs
- Self-esteem needs
- Self-actualisation
What is at the physiological needs level?
Basic things that you need for life
What is at the safety needs level?
Strive to feel safe physically, psychologically and economically
What is at the love and belongingness needs level?
Need to consider affection, acceptance and belonging
What is at the self-esteem needs level?
You’re focused on achievement and gaining respect from others at this level
What is at the self-actualisation level?
When you realise your fullest potential
What did Maslow claim about moving up the hierarchy?
You must satisfy lower needs before moving to the next level
What does Maslow state about self-actualisation?
We spend our lives trying to reach it but few actually get there
What is a strength of humanistic psychology?
Real life application
What is a weakness of humanistic psychology?
It is quite a westernised concept
What are 4 characteristics of self-actualisation?
- Strong sense of self-awareness
- Fully accepting view of themselves and others for who they are
- Ability to deal with uncertainty and the unknown
- Strong sense of creativity
What did Rogers claim?
All people are inherently good and they’re motivated to achieve their fullest potential
How did Rogers differ to Maslow in view of self-actualisation?
Rogers thought that people move towards self-actualisation depending on their own thoughts about themselves and the way that they’re treated by others
What is the self-concept?
How people see themselves
What is the ideal self?
How people would like to be
What is unconditional positive regard?
Where the person gets affection and support no matter what their behaviour is like
Why is unconditional positive regard important?
We need it to have a positive self-concept
What are conditions of worth?
Where approval and affection is given as a result of behaving in a certain way
When will a person experience congruence?
If they have unconditional positive regard and then receive love and acceptance for their behaviour
What did Rogers believe that people’s psychological problems were caused by?
Incongruence
What is incongruence?
When there is a mismatch between someone’s self-concept and their ideal self
What was the therapy proposed by Rogers?
Client-centred therapy
What is client-centred therapy?
The client is in charge of what is talked about and it’s their responsibility to eventually solve their own problems
What is the therapist’s job in client-centred therapy?
To try and make the client aware of their thoughts, actions and behaviours
How can the therapist make the client aware of their thoughts?
By carefully rephrasing the client’s sentences and repeating them back
How is unconditional positive regard, genuineness and empathy important in client-centred therapy?
The therapist is supportive of the client no matter what with the aim that the client will come to value themselves
What are 5 strengths of humanistic psychology?
- Very positive approach
- Free will is less restrictive than determinism
- Treats people as individuals and takes the whole person into account
- Gathers qualitative data which is rich in detail
- Counselling techniques been shown to be effective
What are 3 weaknesses of humanistic psychology?
- Places less emphasis on factors such as genetics
- Lacks objectivity so hard to measure
- Idiographic so less scientific
