Humanist Approach Flashcards
Basic assumptions of Humanist approach
Every individual is unique and has free will
People should be viewed holistically so scientific method not appropriate to measure behaviour (too objective)
Humans are subjective so focus on individual subjective experiences so use case studies and unstructured interviews.
Outline and evaluate the humanist approach
AO1
Free will
Self actualisation and Maslow’s heirarchy of needs
Congruence
Conditions of worth
Outline and evaluate the humanist approach
AO1 Free will
Free will is central to the humanist approach
All other approaches are deterministic to some extent that our behaviour is influenced by forces out of our control - external or internal or psychic.
Human psychology is different humans are self determining and have free will not affected by internal or external influences but we are active agents that determine our own development
Reject scientific methods about human behaviour we should use to human subjective experiences e.g. case studies and structured interviews
person centred approach
Outline and evaluate the humanist approach
AO1
Self actualisation and Maslow’s heirarchy of needs
Maslow believe humans are motivated by needs other than basic biological survival
This is as every person has the desire to become the best they can and achieve their full potential - self actualisation
Maslows hierarchy is a five step pyramid which ranges from
psychological needs
safety needs
belonging and love needs
then self esteem needs
to then self actualisation - main goal.
Self actualisation and Maslow’s heirarchy of needs
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Physiological needs
e.g food water shelter
Safety needs
Physically and emotionally
Belonging and love needs
Affection and acceptance
Self esteem needs
Focussing on gaining respect from others
Self actualisation
FULL POTENTIAL
Outline and evaluate the humanist approach
AO1
Congruence
Call Rogers argues that for PERSONAL GAOLS TO BE ACHIEVED PERSONS SELF and IDEAL SELF should have congruence if the gap is too big = incongruence and SELF ACTUALISATION is not possible
To reduce gap roger developed client centred therapy
Outline and evaluate the humanist approach
AO1
Conditions of worth
Client centred therapy helps people to cope with every day life
Rogers argued that issues we experience as adults such as WORTHLESSNESS and LOW SELF ESTEM from childhood due to a lack of unconditional love from our parents
where they develop conditions of worth
where as a result of conditions being put on them they believe they need to meet expectations to see themselves positively
this is conditional positive regard
therapist can therefore provide unconditional positive regard the field to get as children
Joyce has always wanted to be a ballroom dancer Joyce is a teacher colleague says Joyce‘s plans are ridiculous her parents are proud she is a teacher do not want her to be a dancer Joyce is feeling sad and miserable
referring to features of humanistic psychology explain how joyces situation may affect her personal growth
She can’t reach self actualisation belonging and love needs not met
the parents do not support her to become a dancer and self-esteem therefore not met
Incongruence ideal self dancer and actual self teaching to please parents incongruent
Conditional positive regard Joyce only praised if conditions of parents met
Only feels happy if she meets these expectations.
Evaluation of the humanist approach
Positive approach
anti reductionist
limited practical application
untestable concepts cultural bias
Evaluation of the humanist approach
A strength is that it is Anti reductionist
Humanists project any attempt to break up behaviour in smaller components such as learning behaviour in terms of SR or conditioning behaviourist approach
Takes holistic approach considers whole person and free will and self determining
strength as it offers a much more complex exclamation for complex human behaviour
Evaluation of the humanist approach
Practical application
Rogers believe that many of the issues we have us adults come from the lack of unconditional positive regard from parents
Aim of humanist therapy is to lessen the difference between an ideal self and actual self = congruence (healthy and fulfilling)
Strength as it has transformed psychotherapy and introduced a variety of counselling techniques . Praised for looking at present rather than past .
Evaluation of the humanist approach
Cultural bias
Many of the ideas that are Central to the humanist psychology such as personal growth would be much more readily associated with individualistic cultures in the western world e.g. US collectivist countries such as India which emphasises the need of the social group may not identify so easily with ideas and values of humanistic psychology
therefore a weakness maybe the humanist approach is a product of cultural context which can’t be applied to everyone
Evaluation of the humanist approach
Positive approach
Belief humans are self determined
Other approaches believes we are products of our environment and we have no free will. Suggests we cannot change behaviour we are doomed
However humanist approach recognises we do play an active role in our behaviour and can change
Strength - optimistic explanation more realistic considers free will - refreshingly optimistic view.
Evaluation of humanist approach
Untestable concepts
Number of vague ideas that are abstract and difficult to test
Concepts such as self actualised and congruence cannot be assessed under experimental conditions
Rogers did try make his work more scientific by developing Q sort which was an objective method of progress within the therapy
But humanist approach describe itself as anti scientific
Weakness low scientific validity
