Approaches - The humanistic approach

Question 1

What is an outline of the humanistic approach?

Answer 1

• The approach was developed in the 1960’s in response to other psychological approaches that focused on the negative and pathological aspects of human behaviour
• Instead humanism focuses on personal growth

Question 2

What is free will?

Answer 2

-Humanistic psychology suggests that while there are laws and constraints on our behaviour, our actions are not determined by cause and effect relationships (biological or environmental)
-We ultimately, consciously choose our behaviours
freely

Question 3

What is self-actualisation?

Answer 3

• The point in which an individual has achieved their full potential
• Humanists think everyone has the capability and motivation to work towards this goal

Question 4

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 4

• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggests that before satisfying the need for self-actualisation the individual must meet more basic needs, then progress to higher needs
• The order is as follows: Physical (survival) needs, safety, Love/belonging, self-esteem (respect) needs
• Few people manage to satisfy all needs and self-actualise

Question 5

What is meant by “Focus on the self”?

Answer 5

• Rodgers suggests that each person has a self-concept (How you see yourself) and an ideal self (How you wish to be)
• Congruence is how close the self-concept and the ideal self are
• If there is a big difference (Incongruence) then self-actualisation can’t be achieved

Question 6

What are the conditions of worth?

Answer 6

• The requirements an individual feels they need to meet in order to be loved (Real or imaginary)
• Not meeting the conditions of worth stops self-actualisation

Question 7

What is humanistic counselling?

Answer 7

• Rodger’s client centred therapy attempts to help the client achieve congruence and provides unconditional positive regard (Opposite of the conditions of worth)
• The client is the “expert” responsible for solving their own problems

Question 8

What is a weakness of the humanistic approach?

Studies are unscientific and the concepts are not operationalised/measurable

Answer 8

• Concepts such as “self-actualisation” are not clearly defined (Operationalised) so are not measurable, or open to scientific study
• Humanists reject scientific methods in their studies of human behaviour, suggesting it is impossible for humans to study humans objectively

Question 9

What is a strength of the humanistic approach?

Considers all factors and aims to deeply understand individuals

Answer 9

• The humanistic approach takes a holistic view of studying humans, considering all factors when attempting to understand individuals, using ideographic methods such as case studies
• More valid but less reliable

Question 10

What is a weakness of the humanistic approach?

Cultural bias

Answer 10

• The humanistic approach could be seen as culturally bias as individualistic western cultures prioritise individual success and achievement however in collectivist cultures, group success is more important
• Humanistic psychologists may view individuals from a collectivist culture as less able to self-actualise and therefore in some way inferior to others from western cultures

Question 11

What is a strength of the humanistic approach?
(Helps with personal development and is less deterministic as it doesn’t believe behaviour is set in childhood or biology)

Answer 11

• The humanistic theory is positive, as it suggests strategies for significant personal development and positive change at any stage of life
• This differs from more deterministic approaches that see human behaviour as set in childhood or biology