Humanistic approach Flashcards
Does the humanistic approach have free will?
Yes even though people are affected by external and internal influences they can still be active agents who can determine their own development.
What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
-self-actualisation
-self-esteem
-love and belonging
-safety and security
-physiological needs
What is self-actualisation?
The point where you reach your full potential. To do this you must get through the other parts of the hierarchy
What is personal growth?
Carl Rodgers said for personal growth to be achieved you must be congruent to your ideal self. However if there is too big of a gap between your current self and you ideal self, you will experience a state of incongruence and not be able to self-actualise.
What did Rodgers introduce to reduce the gap between self-concept and the ideal self?
Client-centred therapy- helps cope with problems to do with everyday problems.
Rodgers claimed that the issues we have in adulthood such as low self-esteem are a result of a lack of unconditional positive regard.
How is the humanistic approach not reductionist? (strength)
Biological psychologists reduce behaviour to its basic physiological processes. Humanist psychologists advocate holism the idea that subjective experience can only be understood if we look at the whole person
How does the humanistic approach have a positive approach?
It is optimistic- Freud saw human beings to be the prisoners of their past whereas the humanistic approach sees all people free to work towards their achievement of their potential and in control of their lives.
Why is the humanistic approach culturally biased? (limitation)
Ideas that are the centre of humanistic psychology such as autonomy and personal growth are more associated with individualistic countries whereas collectivistic countries such as China emphasise the needs of interdependence more.
