Chapter 17: Humanistic (Third-Force) Psychology Flashcards
Ludwig Binswanger (1881–1966)
Swiss, Applied Heidegger’s existential philosophy to psychiatry and psychology. His influential work “Being-in-the-World” emphasized the importance of understanding individuals in their unique existence. For him, a prerequisite for helping an emotionally disturbed person is to determine how that person views himself or herself and the world
Franz Clemens Brentano (1838–1917)
German, He proposed the concept of “intentionality,” suggesting that consciousness is always consciousness of something. His ideas laid the groundwork for phenomenology, influencing later thinkers like Husserl.
Martin Heidegger (1889–1976)
German, Expanded Husserl’s phenomenology to include an examination of the totality of human existence by emphasizing individual experience and the idea that understanding being requires an analysis of human existence. “Being and Time” explored the nature of being and the concept of “Dasein” (existence).
Edmund Husserl (1859–1938)
German, groundbreaking work in phenomenology aimed to describe and analyze consciousness and its structures. His method involved the suspension of judgment and focusing on pure descriptions of experience. This laid the foundation for existential phenomenology. His concepts, like “intentionality” and “phenomenological epoché,” influenced a wide range of disciplines, including psychology and philosophy
George Kelly (1905–1967)
American, developed Personal Construct Theory, emphasizes individual differences in how people interpret and predict events. His major work, “A Theory of Personality,” introduced the idea of personal constructs, which are the cognitive structures individuals use to interpret their experiences
Abraham Maslow (1908–1970)
American, best known for his hierarchy of needs, presented in “A Theory of Human Motivation.” A humanistic psychologist who emphasized the innate human tendency toward self-actualization. He contended that behaviorism and psychoanalysis provided only a partial understanding of human existence and that humanistic, or third-force, psychology needed to be added to complete our understanding
Rollo May (1909–1994)
American, Psychologist who was instrumental in bringing European existential philosophy and psychology to the United States by emphasizing the role of anxiety and the search for meaning in human existence. His works include “Love and Will” and “The Courage to Be.”
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
American, A humanist psychologist whose nondirective and then client-centered psychotherapy was seen by many as the first viable alternative to psychoanalysis as a method for treating troubled individuals. His theory of personality, similar to Maslow’s, emphasized the innate tendency toward self-actualization. According to him, a person continues toward self-actualization unless his or her organismic valuing process is displaced by conditions of worth as a guide for living. The only way to avoid creating conditions of worth is to give a person unconditional positive regard. His major works include “Client-Centered Therapy” and “On Becoming a Person.”
Anxiety
The feeling that results when one confronts the unknown, as when one contemplates death or when one’s choices carry one into new life circumstances. According to existentialists, one cannot live an authentic life without experiencing anxiety
Authentic life
According to existentialists, the type of life that is freely chosen and not dictated by the values of others. In such a life, one’s own feelings, values, and interpretations act as a guide for conduct
Becoming
A characteristic of the authentic life because the authentic person is always becoming something other than what he or she was. Becoming is the normal, healthy psychological growth of a human being.
Being-beyond-the-world (Binswanger)
Binswanger’s term for becoming. The healthy individual always attempts to transcend what he or she is
Constructive alternativism (Kelly)
Kelly’s notion that it is always possible to view ourselves and the world in a variety of ways
Dasein (Heidegger)
Heidegger’s term for “being-in-the-world.” The world does not exist without humans, and humans do not exist without the world. Because humans exist in the world, it is there that they must exercise their free will. Being-in-the-world means existing in the world, and existing means interpreting and valuing one’s experiences and making choices regarding those experiences
Daseinsanalysis (Binswanger)
Binswanger’s method of psychotherapy that requires that the therapist understand the client’s worldview. It examines a person’s mode of being-in-the-world
Eigenwelt (Binswanger)
The subjective world or self-world, reflecting an individual’s unique and personal experience of reality
Existential psychology
The brand of contemporary psychology that was influenced by existential philosophy. A psychological approach that emphasizes the exploration of individual existence, freedom, choice, and the search for meaning in life.
Fixed-role therapy (Kelly)
Kelly’s brand of therapy whereby he would assign a role for his clients to play that was distinctly different from the client’s self-characterization to challenge fixed patterns of thinking. With this type of therapy, the therapist acts much like a supporting actor
Ground of existence (Binswanger)
Binswanger’s term for the circumstances into which a person is thrown and according to which he or she must make choices.
Guilt (Heidegger)
Not just a moral concept but signifies an existential feeling of falling short of one’s authentic possibilities
Hierarchy of needs (Maslow)
Maslow’s contention that human needs are arranged in a hierarchy and that lower needs in the hierarchy must be adequately satisfied before attention can be focused on higher needs. The most basic
and powerful needs in the hierarchy are physiological needs, and then come safety needs, needs for belonging and love, and the need for self-esteem. When all lower needs in the hierarchy are adequately satisfied, a person becomes self-actualizing
Human dilemma (May)
According to May, the paradox that results from the dual nature of humans as objects, the existential challenge of balancing the need for security and freedom, reflecting the inherent tensions in human existence
Humanistic psychology
The branch of psychology that is closely aligned with existential psychology. Unlike existential psychology, however, it assumes that humans are basically good. That is, if negative environmental factors do not stifle human development, humans will live humane lives. It is concerned with examining the more positive aspects of human nature that behaviorism and psychoanalysis had neglected
Inauthentic life
Not being true to oneself, conforming to external expectations, and suppressing one’s genuine values and beliefs
Incongruent person (Rogers)
Someone whose self-concept does not align with their actual experiences, leading to inner conflict and psychological distress
Intentionality (Brentano)
Brentano’s contention that every mental act refers to something external to the act
Mitwelt (Binswanger)
Binswanger’s term for social interaction, the shared world of interpersonal relationships and the influence of others on one’s own existence
Narrative therapy
An approach that views individuals as storytellers, examines the stories by which people live and understand their lives and, where necessary, encourages the replacement of ineffective stories with effective ones
Need-directed perception (Kelly)
Perception is influenced by an individual’s needs and expectations
Need for positive regard (Rogers)
The innate human desire for acceptance, love, and approval from others
Neurotic anxiety
Irrational fears and apprehensions that hinder an individual’s well-being, often rooted in unresolved conflicts. The abnormal fear of freedom that results in a person living a life that minimizes personal choice
Normal anxiety
A natural and proportionate response to stressors, motivating adaptive behaviors without causing significant distress
Ontology
The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of being, existence, and reality
Organismic valuing process (Rogers)
According to Rogers, the innate, internal guidance system that a person can use to “stay on the track” toward self-actualization
Positive psychology
Focuses on studying human strengths, virtues, and optimal functioning, emphasizing well-being beyond the absence of mental illness
Propositional thinking (Kelly)
According to Kelly, the experimentation with hypotheses and predictions about the world to see where they lead
Pure phenomenology (Husserl)
A methodological approach emphasizing the description of conscious experience without presuppositions to discover the essence of those mental acts and processes by which we gain all knowledge
Self-actualization (Maslow) (hierarchy of needs)
Represents the realization of one’s full potential and the pursuit of personal growth and fulfillment
Self-alienation
According to existentialists, the condition that results when people accept values other than those that they attained freely and personally as guides for living resulting in a disconnect to one’s authentic self
Self-characterization (Kelly)
The development and definition of one’s identity, reflecting how individuals perceive and describe themselves. Kelly required a self-description of his clients before beginning their therapeutic programs
Shut-upness
Kierkegaard’s term for the type of life lived by a defensive, inauthentic person
Third-force psychology
Refers to humanistic psychology, emphasizing the subjective and experiential aspects of human nature, in contrast to behaviorism and psychoanalysis
Thrownness (Heidegger and Binswanger)
According to Heidegger and Binswanger, the circumstances that characterize a person’s existence that are beyond the person’s control
Transpersonal psychology (Maslow)
Maslow’s proposed fourth force in psychology that stresses the relationship between the individual and the cosmos (universe) and in so doing focuses on the mystical and spiritual aspects of human nature
Umwelt (Binswanger)
Binswanger’s term for the physical world
Unconditional positive regard (Rogers)
The acceptance and support provided by others without judgment or conditions. It fosters a positive and non-judgmental environment for personal growth
World design (also called Weltanschauung) (Binswanger)
Binswanger’s term for a person’s basic orientation toward the world and life
