Humanist Approach Flashcards
what are the assumptions for the humanist approach?
-Human beings have free will and even though we are affected by internal and external influences, we are active agents who have the ability to determine our own behaviour
-The humanistic approach is an ideographic approach as it suggests that we are all unique, therefore psychology should focus on the study of subjective experience, rather belanour than general laws. This is referred to as the person-centred approach in psychology.
• reaching self actualisation is the main motivation of the human organism
What is the main ideographic research for the humanistic approach?
Case studies and unstructured interviews
what is free will?
-idea that humans are free to choose their own thoughts and actions therefore having an active role in controlling their behaviour.
-It views humans as self-governing therefore they are not acting in response to any external or internal pressures.
what did maslow create and what does this explain?
a hierarchy of needs which explains what motivates people
What our most basic need for?
for physical survival, and this will be the first thing that motivates our behaviour.
what happens once the first need satisfied?
Once this need is satisfied we can move on to the next level.
Moving up the hierarchy, the next level is safety and security, followed by love and belongingness, self-esteem and finally self-actualisation.
When is a person only able to progress through the hierarchy?
once the current need has been met.
What is self actualisation?
-The physiological growth need and represents the uppermost level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
-it is the desire to grow physiologically and fulfil one potential
What else is in a person self actualisation?
where a person is creative, accepting of other people and has an accurate perception of the world
What did maslow believe about self actualisation?
-that self actualisation is the aim of most people and that everyone will manage this due to important physiological barriers that may prevent a person from reaching their true potential (e.g. the ability to accept themselves and other people)
what is the self? (or self concept)
Refers to how we perceive ourselves as a person
what is the self? (or self concept)
Refers to how we perceive ourselves as a person
What are the components of the self?
Self-image
Ideal self
what is self image?
-How we see ourselves
what is self image important for?
Self-image is important for good psychological health. At a simple level, we might perceive ourselves as a good or bad person, beautiful or ugly. Self-image affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves in the world.
what is ideal self and what does it consist of?
-The person who we would like to be (strive to be)
-consists of our goals and ambitions in life, and is dynamic and forever changing (i.e. the ideal self in childhood is not the ideal self as an adult).
what did Rogers believe?
that for a person to achieve self-actualisation they must be in a state of congruence.
what is congruence?
when a person’s ideal self is consistent with their actual experiences and self-image
when does a total state of congruence exist?
Rarely, if ever; everyone experiences a certain amount of incongruence.
What is incongruence?
when a person’s ideal self may not be consistent with what actually happens in life and experiences of the person.
What can incongruence do?
act as a barrier to personal growth and can explain the symptoms of depression or anxiety
What are conditions of worth?
the requirements we think we must meet for other people to accept us as worthy of their love
What are conditions of worths a result of?
are a result of receiving conditional positive regard from others
what do we learn as children? (conditions of worth)
that there are certain things we do that please our parents or caregivers, and we strive to do those things
What do we learn as we grow up?
we also learn what our teachers, friends, and society in general seem to expect from us.
What may we eventually do with the conditions of worth imposed upon us?
-Internalise them and live our life according to those conditions
-may result in unhappiness and a lack of self-worth as we strive to satisfy conditions that may be realistic
what is needed to reach actualisation?
unconditional positive regard
what is unconditional positive regard?
-No requirements need to be met for other people to accept and love us.
-A person feels free to try things out and make mistakes, even though this may lead to getting it wrong at times as there is a total acceptance by others.
what did Rogers claim?
an individual’s psychological problems were a direct result conditions of worth and the conditional positive regard they receive from other people.
What do conditions of worth cause?
causes psychological ill health as a person has to change to be someone they are not - detachment from reality
what is therefore the aim of counselling psychology (person centred therapy)?
To:
-Increase a person’s feelings of self-worth (how much value they place on themself)
• Reduce the level of incongruence (the gap) between a person’s self-image and ideal self.
• Help a person become a more fully functional individual and self-actualise.
What must a therapist do to achieve the aims of counselling psychology?
-provide empathy and unconditional positive regard by expressing their acceptance and understanding, regardless of the feelings and attitudes the client expresses.
How does counselling psychology work?
By offering an appropriately supportive environment this helps dissolve the client’s conditions of worth.
-The client can then move towards having a more realistic and true self, i.e. they are able to behave in a way that is true to the person they are, rather than what others want them to be.
