Humanistic Approach

Question 1

What is Humanistic Psychology focused on?

Answer 1

• Conscious experience
• Personal responsibility & free will
• Discussion of experience rather than use of experimental methods.

Question 2

State the definition of Free Will.

Answer 2

Humanistic theories emphasise people have full conscious control over their own destiny.

Question 3

What is the researcher involved with this Humanistic approach?

Answer 3

Maslow (1943)

Question 4

What is the researchers involvement with this Humanistic approach’s theory?

Answer 4

• Wasn’t interested in what went wrong
• Interested in what went right
• Hierarchy of needs emphasised importance of personal growth & fulfilment

Question 5

State the structure of Hierarchy of needs.

Answer 5

Self-Actualisation:
 - Achieving ones true potential
Esteem needs: 
 - Prestige & feeling of accomplishment
Love/Belonging needs:
 - Friendship, family, sexual intimacy
Safety needs:
 - Security, safety
Physiological needs:
 - Food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis

Question 6

Elaborate on the Hierarchy of needs.

Answer 6

• Each level must be fulfilled before a person can move up to a higher need
• More basic the need = more powerfully experienced and more difficult to ignore

Question 7

State what Self-Actualisation is.

Answer 7

• People who attained this level tends to be:
  
  • Creative
  • Accepting of others
  • Have an accurate perception of world around them

Question 8

What is meant by Focus on ‘The Self’

Answer 8

• Refers to how we perceive ourselves as a person
• Rogers (1951) claims people have two basic needs:
  > Positive regard
  > Feeling of self-worth:
  • Developed in childhood
  • Formed as a result of child’s interactions with
    parents & significant others

Question 9

What are the pros of our self-concept being closer to our ideal self?

Answer 9

Results in greater self-worth and psychological health

Question 10

What is meant by Congruence and Incongruence?

Answer 10

• Similarity between a person’s ideal self & how they perceive themselves in real life
• If there is a difference with the self & ideal self = incongruence state
• Closer our self-image & ideal self = greater congruence

Question 11

What is the Conditions of worth?

Answer 11

• People experience conditional positive regard = develop conditions of worth
• Individual experience a sense of self-acceptance only if expectations set by others is met

Question 12

What happens if a person receives Unconditional positive regard?

Answer 12

• When a person is raised with unconditional affection = greater sense of self goals = self-actualisation easier reached.

Question 13

Name 1st strength of the Humanistic Approach.

Answer 13

1. Positive Approach:
   > Offers a refreshing and optimistic alternative
   > See all people as good
   > People are free to work towards the achievement of their potential & in control of their lives

Question 14

Name 1st limitation of the Humanistic Approach.

Answer 14

1. Limited application:
   > Has little real-world application
   > Humanistic approach has little impact in psychology as a whole
   > Due to:
   - Lacks a sound evidence base
   - Approach described more as loose sets of abstract concepts as opposed to a comprehensive story

Question 15

Name 2nd strength of the Humanistic Approach.

Answer 15

2. Research support:
   > Harter et al (1996) discovered teenager feel they need to fulfil conditions for parental approval
   > Therefore frequently end up not liking themselves

Question 16

Name 2nd limitation of Humanistic Approach.

Answer 16

2. Untestable concepts:
   > Self-Actualisation & congruence = problematic to asses under experimental conditions
   > Short on empirical evidence to support its claims