humanistic approach Flashcards
what is the humanistic approach?
understanding behaviour that emphasises the importance of subjective experience and each person’s capacity for self determination
who and when was the approach developed by?
Rogers and Maslow
1950
what are the key focuses of the humanistic approach?
- personal responsibility
- free will
- an individual striving for personal growth and development
what type of research methods do humanistic psychologists prefer?
qualitative methods
what was Maslow’s key theory?
hierarchy of needs - in order to achieve true happiness, certain needs must be met in a particular order
what are the 5 stages of the hierarchy of needs?
- self actualisation
- esteem
- love/belonging
- safety
- physiological
what is in the self actualisation tier?
morality
creativity
spontaneity
problem solving
lack of prejudice
acceptance of facts
what is self actualisation?
the desire to grow psychologically and fulfil ones true potential - becoming whom you are capable of
what are 5 characteristics of self actualizers?
- accept themselves and others for what they are
- spontaneous in thought and action
- unusual sense of humour
- highly creative
- need for privacy
what is Roger’s main theory?
the self is how we see ourselves and is important in determining psychological health
what are the 2 basic needs Roger’s claimed people have?
- positive regard from other people
- a feeling of self worth
what was Roger’s idea of congruence?
where the self is broadly equivalent to the ideal self
needed for personal growth to be achieved
what was Roger’s idea of incongruence?
where the self is too different from the ideal self
self actualization won’t be possible
what did Roger claimed cause many of the issues we experience as adults?
lack of unconditional positive regard from our parents
what did Roger claim can lead to a child with psychological issues?
a parent who sets boundaries and shows conditions of worth
what is conditions of worth?
when a parent places limits of boundaries on their love for a child
what is person centred therapy?
non- directive: clinet encouraged to discover their own solutions in a warm + non-judgemental atmosphere
aim is to increase the persons feelings of self worth and reduce incongruence
what should an effective therapist provide the client with?
- genuineness
- empathy
- unconditional positive regard
what is a strength of Roger’s therapy?
his work transformed psychotherapy and introduced a variety of counselling techniques used in health, industry and educational settings
what is a limitation of Roger’s therapy?
it is usually most effective for mild psychological conditions (like mild anxiety or low self esteem)
so had limited use
what are the strengths of the humanistic approach?
not reductionist - has more external validity (within real life context)
positive approach
what are the limitations of the humanistic approach?
relatively little real world application
cultural bias
untestable concepts (vague ideas)
