Approaches: The humanistic approach Flashcards
What is the humanistic approach?
Humanistic psychology rejects scientific and objective explanations of behaviour, instead arguing that human experience is subjective and that humans have free will to choose their behaviour.
What are the main assumptions of the humanistic approach?
- Assumes that we all have free will and are ‘mistresses’ and ‘masters’ of our own development, so we can ignore the influence of internal and external factors on our behaviour.
- Sees self-actualisation, as achieved by being at the top level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as a crucial part of being human.
- Due to having free will, we also have to ability to progress through this hierarchy of needs and better ourselves.
- Each individual is unique and so psychology should focus on the experience of each individual (subjective or idiographic approach) rather than trying to identify general rules of human behaviour (objective or nomothetic approach).
What is free will?
Free will is the philosophical view that humans are able to make choices for themselves – without being controlled by the influences of biology or environment. It is a key assumption of the humanistic approach. Humanistic psychologists see humans as free to change and make decisions that lead to self-actualisation.
What is Maslow’s theory?
Maslow was not interested in what went wrong with people, but rather he was interested in finding out what could go right with him. His hierarchy of needs emphasises the importance of personal growth and fulfilment and open the door for later movements and psychology, such as positive psychology and happiness.
What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
In this theory, the hierarchy of needs is usually represented in this way. The most basic physiological needs are represented at the bottom of the pyramid and the most advanced needs are at the top. Each level must be fulfilled before passing can move up to the next need. Maslow believed that the more basic need, the more powerful it is experienced and the more difficult it is to ignore.
- Self-actualisation
- Esteem
- Love/belonging
- Safety
- Physiological
What is self actualisation?
Rogers used it as the drive to realise one’s true potential.
Maslow found that most of those who attend this level shared certain characteristics, they tended to be creative, accepting of other people and had an accurate perception of the world around them. Maslow 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.
What is focus on the self?
This refers to how we perceive ourselves as a person.
Rogers claims that people have two basic needs: positive regard for other people and a feeling of self-worth. Feelings of self-worth develop in childhood and are formed as a result of the child’s interactions with their parents. Further interactions with significant others also influence the person’s feelings of self-worth. The closer our self-concept and our ideal self are to each other, the greater our feelings of self-worth and the greater our physiological health.
What is congruence?
If there is a similarity between a person’s ideal self and self-image, a state of congruence exists. The difference represents a state of incongruence. It is rare for a complete state of congruence to existing, with most people experiencing some degree of incongruence. Because 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.
What is conditions of worth?
Conditions imposed on an individual’s behaviour and development are considered necessary to earn positive regard from significant others. These are the conditions that they perceive significant others put upon them, and which they believe have to be in place if they are to be accepted by others and see themselves positively. Individuals may experience a sense of self-acceptance only if they meet the expectations that others have set as conditions of acceptance.
What is the influence on counselling psychology?
Rogers claimed that an individual’s psychological problems were a direct result of the conditions of worth and the conditional positive regard they receive from other people. He believed that, with counselling, people would be able to solve their own problems in constructive ways and move towards becoming a more fully functioning person. Humanistic therapies regard themselves as guides and facilitators to help people understand themselves and find ways to enable their potential for self-actualisation. Therapists provide empathy and unconditional positive regard and express acceptance and understanding, regardless of the feelings and attitudes the client expresses. In doing this, the therapist is able to offer an inappropriately supportive environment to help dissolve the client’s conditions of worth. This results in the client moving towards being more authentic and more true to self.
A03: The humanistic approach
+ Links to economic development
+ It’s the only positive approach
- The humanistic approach is unrealistic
- A culture-bound explanation of behaviour
A03: Links to economic development
Research suggests that Maslow’s hierarchy may have relevant in a much larger stage than individual growth. Hagerty (1999) looked at the relationship between economic growth and measures of Maslow’s levels in 88 countries over a 34-year period. Countries in the early stages of economic development are characterised by lower levels of need. As would be predicted by Maslow’s model, it was only in the advanced stages of economic development that self-actualisation became important.
A03: Only positive approach
A strength is that it’s a positive approach and focuses on what we should be like rather than what we shouldn’t. It helps boost self-esteem ect which makes us more likely to strive for positive experiences. It helps motivate us to think better. And this can also be supported by the influence that counselling can have on our behaviour to reverse negative feelings and develop conditions of worth.
A03: The humanistic approach is unrealistic
Humanistic psychology represents an overly idolised unrealistic view of human nature. Critics argue that people are not as inherently good and great-orientated as humanistic theory suggests, and the approach doesn’t adequately recognise people’s capacity for pessimism and self-destructive behaviour. The view that personality development is directed only by any potential for growth it’s seen as an oversimplification, as is the humanistic assumption that all problems arise from blocks self-actualisation. They suggest that encouraging people to focus on their self-development rather than on the situation forces me neither to be realistic nought appropriate in modern society.
A03: A culture-bound explanation of behaviour
Maslow’s ideas of self-actualisation, the need to improve oneself, and congruence can be mostly viewed as attitudes typical of Western, individualist cultures where the needs of the individual are greater than the needs of the group. Therefore, due to this cultural bias, humanism may be more readily accepted by Western cultures and will identify more with these values, as opposed to Eastern collectivist cultures, where such a desire for personal growth may be seen as selfish considering that the needs of the group are greater than that of the individual.
