Humanistic approach Flashcards
what is free will
Free will is the idea that we are able to have some choice in how we act and assumed that we are free to choose our behaviour
The determinist approach proposes that all behaviour is caused by preceding factors and is thus predictable
Humanists believe that we should consider the subjective experience of the individual, and in most circumstances a person will feel that they have chosen a course of action to the Humanistic approach this provided evidence of its existence
An implication of the belief in free will is that it means that a person is responsible for their own behaviour, social or anti-social. In terms of the legal system this places the responsibility with the individual, meaning it is their ‘fault’
Humanists acknowledge that there are constraints on the choices available to an individual at any point, so it is not always the case that a person behaves in the way they would have preferred – they sometimes find their choices restricted by circumstance. This is not against the concept of making a choice, merely a result of the number of options being reduced
what is self actualisation
A belief of the humanistic approach is that everyone has an innate drive to achieve their full potential, which is called self-actualisation
When self-actualisation is achieved is can be described as the ultimate feeling of well-being and satisfaction
It is a drive we all have, but we do not all achieve it
what is maslows hierarchy of needs
Maslow said that self-actualisation is achieved through a series of stages called the hierarchy of needs
Each level must be fulfilled before a person can move up to a higher need
The state of self-actualisation is not permanent, so you can move out of states until all the needs are back in place
outline the focus of the self
Carl Rogers suggested that we have three selves which need to integrate to achieve self-actualisation
ü The self-concept (how you see yourself)
ü The ideal self (the self you wish to be)
ü The real self (who you actually are)
If there is a big gap between the self-concept and the ideal self then a person will experience a state of incongruence (next slide) and self-actualisation will not be possible
outline what is congruence
Congruence is when your self-concept and ideal self are the same or very similar
Roger believed that an important part of achieving congruence is unconditioned positive regard which is like unconditioned love
How can you gain congruence?
1) Change your self concept
OR
2) Change your ideal self
e.g. if I want to be a professional footballer but I’m not good at football I could either:
1) work on my skills and get better
2) become an umpire, or coach a girls football team etc.
what are the role of conditions of worth
Conditions of worth are requirements that the individual feels they need to meet to be loved
Conditions of worth can be real or perceived by the individual
e.g. a child feels they need to achieve a high grade in school for their parents to accept and love them
how has the humanistic approach influenced pscychology
One of the major influences of the Humanistic Approach is the therapy that has developed from the theory
Rogers developed his client-centres therapy from his ideas
The influence of humanistic psychology on counselling was extensive in the 1960’s and 1970’s
Popularity declined as the focus on psychology as a science increased from the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s
However, it has gained influence again and is even influencing other therapies such as CBT, in which some forms integrate humanistic ideas of subjective experience
what are maslows hierarchy of needs - order
physiological - sex, breathing, food
safety - job, health, house
love/belonging - family, friendships, sexual intimacy
esteem - confident, respect others and are respected
self-actualisation - creativity, spontaneity, problem solving
