Humanistic

Question 1

What are the key assumptions of humanistic approach?

Answer 1

• rejects determinism of other approaches, claiming that humans are self determinism + have free will
• don’t attempt to create general laws of human behaviour but rather subjective experience
• should not reduce human experiences into constituent parts (reductionist) but the whole person (holistic)
• thought research should be drawn from humans not animals

Question 2

What is self actualisation?

Answer 2

The highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the innate desire for personal psychological growth to reach one’s full potential

Question 3

What are the deficiency needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ?

Answer 3

physiology (food, water, shelter) —> safety + security (law + order, etc) —> love and belongingness (family + friends) —> self esteem —> self actualisation (creativity, problem solving, etc.)

Question 4

What does a person need to progress up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 4

• Only can progress up if the previous need is met
• In order to self actualise, one must meet all four deficiency needs

Question 5

What is incongruence and congruence?

Answer 5

~ congruence = consistency between perceived + ideal self
~ incongruence = difference between ideal + perceived self, which Roger’s suggested could lead to psychological problems —> may prevent self actualisation

Question 6

What is client centered therapy?

Answer 6

• not for therapist to judge, interpret or advise
• therapist listens without interruption
• aims to reduce gap between perceived self and ideal self
• therapist gives unconditional positive regard —> as Rogers claimed adult issues are rooted in childhood and lack of unconditional positive regard (unconditional love)

Question 7

What are the strengths of the humanistic approach?

Answer 7

• Holistic approach
  -Maslow based his research on people he felt had self actualised
• more concerned with the whole person and individual experience
• may have more validity as it considers behaviour in more real life context
  ! however concepts like self actualisation are unfalsifiable
• Client centred therapy
• CCT takes a more positive approach, centring around client and let them be in control
• useful in treating mild neurosis
• recognises free will + allows humans to be in control
  ! however may be unsuitable for more complex illnesses like schizophrenia

Question 8

What are limitations of the humanistic approach?

Answer 8

-Maslows hierarchy
- claims lower needs must be met before higher ones but this isn’t always true
- one of the people he studied, Van Gogh lived in poverty but was still able to self actualise
-Ethnocentric
- ideas are more applicable to individualistic cultures (UK/USA)
- collectivist cultures like India or China are more focused on group needs and may not identify as much with these ideas
- may impose Western understanding on the rest of the world —> ethnocentrism