Humanistic Flashcards
What was the origin of the humanistic approach?
Formed by Maslow and Rogers in 1950
What are the main assumptions of the humanistic approach?
Every individual is unique (idiographic)- unlikely to generalise
Humans have free will
What does holistic mean?
Seeing humans as wholes instead of elements
What is self actualisation?
Achievement of full potential
If achieved, ultimate feeling of wellbeing and satisfaction, intensely strong feeling of completeness
How do we achieve self actualisation?
Hierarchy of needs
What are the hierarchy of needs from bottom up?
Physiological needs- food, water etc
Safety needs- security, protection, freedom of fear
Belonging and love needs- friends, intimate relationships
Self esteem needs- self respect etc
Self actualisation needs- realising full potential
How does our attitude affect self actualisation?
Positive attitude- better self concept- personal growth- self actualisation more attainable
Negative attitude- worse self concept- less personal growth- self actualisation less attainable
What are Rogers’ two selves?
Self concept- the self you feel you are- affected by self esteem
Ideal self- the person you’re aiming to become
What does congruence mean?
Self concept the same or very similar to ideal self
How does the humanistic approach influence psychology?
Rogers developed client-centred therapy, therapists must show unconditional positive regard, client must feel comfortable to be honest, allows them to realise potential
What are the strengths of the humanistic approach?
Client centred therapy
Application to education
Hierarchy of needs used in health and social work
What are the weaknesses of the humanistic approach?
Unscientific
Ethnocentric- biased toward western culture
Subjective explanations distorted by Freud’s defense mechanisms
