humanistic approach Flashcards
free will, self-actualisation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, focus on the self, congruence, the role of conditions of worth. The influence on counselling Psychology.
what is the humanistic approach?
an approach to understanding behaviour that emphasises the importance of subjective experience and each person’s capacity for self determination.
name significant humanists
Maslow
Rogers
assumptions of the humanistic approach
- rejection of the scientific method - human behaviour is too complex to use traditional methods to identify and test cause-and-effect relationships objectively
- free will - argue external causes do not set our behaviour but a personal cause does to shape our own lives through conscious decision-making
- holistic - consider all factors and their interactions e.g. genetics (bio), learned responses (behaviour), observed rewards (SLT), cognitive priming (cognitive) and unconscious drives (psycho)
- focus on non-experimental methods - case studies use detailed research to capture richness and depth of human experience
- focus of mental health - explores personal growth, self-understanding and self-actualisation
what is self-actualisation?
the process of realising your full potential
the individual deeply understands themselves, their values and their purpose
it is the highest level of psychological development according to humanists
explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Pyramid outlines sequence of human needs
certain foundational needs must be met before an individual can achieve self-actualisation
what are the different hierarchy of needs?
physiological needs - basic necessities for survival
safety and security - personal and financial security, health and well-being
love and belonging - desire for intimate relationships, friends and social connections
self-esteem - feelings of accomplishment and recognition from others and to yourself
self-actualisation - personal growth and fulfilment of personal potential
what is congruence?
the alignment between one’s perceived self (self-image) and ideal self (person you aspire to be)
congruence is essential for achieving self-actualisation according to Rogers
what is incongruence?
when there is a gap between the perceived and ideal selves
the person cannot achieve self-actualisation
how can you become congruent?
by lowering one’s conditions of worth (expectations one must meet to learn love and approval) you may adopt a more realistic ideal self as your ideal self is more attainable and genuine to be more themselves
improving your perceived self by receiving unconditional positive regard, acceptance and love from others, without conditions or expectations as it acknowledges their strengths and weaknesses without self-criticism
how has humanistic psychology influenced counselling?
Carl Rogers developed client-centred therapy
it emphasises the importance of the present and future rather than the past
it aims to assist clients in achieving congruence between their perceived and ideal selves
clients are the experts on their own lives and therapists offer support and facilitate client’s journey towards self-discovery
therapist gives unconditional positive regard that client may not receive from family and friends
strengths of the humanistic approach
+ holistic approach to explaining behaviour - captures complexity of human experience - simple explanations face criticism for overlooking multiple contributing factor e.g. diathesis-stress responses
+ humans act with free will view has face validity
+ practical applications - Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has been widely applied in client-centred therapy, improving performance in sports, enhanced employee satisfaction, motivation in the business world, better learning environment for students, improved health outcomes for patients
limitations of humanistic approach
- considered non-scientific due to reliance on qualitative methods leading to lack of empirical evidence for many of its claims
- concepts like self-actualisation are criticised for its vague definitions and lack of operationalisation (cannot be defined in measurable terms) - hard to test validity
- free will is an illusion (Skinner) - there is significant empirical evidence that behaviour is somewhat determined by biological and environmental factors
- culturally biased towards Western individualism as it emphasises self-actualisation through personal success which contrasts collectivist cultures where family is prioritised - suggests a superiority of Western individualistic norms implying people in collectivist cultures are less capable of achieving self-actualisation
