Humanistic Approach

Question 1

What is free will?

Answer 1

Everyone can consciously control and influence their own personal destiny, even within the constraints that exist in life from outside forces.

Question 2

Name the five tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy:

Answer 2

Physiological needs (e.g. breathing, sex, food)
Safety and security (employment, resources, health)
Love and belonging (friendship, family, intimacy)
Self-esteem (confidence, achievement, respect)
Self-actualisation (morality, creativity, problem-solving)

Question 3

What is self-actualisation?

Answer 3

True self-awareness. Maslow believed that when it is achieved, it takes form of peak experiences which are categorised by feelings of euphoria.

Question 4

What is focus on the self?

Answer 4

To Rogers, the two most important things were self-worth and unconditional positive regard. An individual’s self-worth has a direct impact on psychological wellbeing.

Question 5

What is the role of conditions of worth?

Answer 5

When an individual is the recipient of unconditional positive regard, they develop conditions of worth. This is a type of expectation whereby an individual feels that their approval is dependent upon meeting them in order for other people to see them favourably.

Question 6

What is congruence?

Answer 6

For Rogers, unhappiness is the outcome of a psychological gap between self-concept and the ideal self. When these two concepts are incongruent, it is necessary to use defence mechanisms to provide protection against feeling negative.

Question 7

What influence does the humanist approach have on counselling?

Answer 7

• the theory of incongruence allows an individual to recognise both their psychological limits and strengths, and achieve a realistic balance between them.
• client-centred approach to therapy, allowing the client a deeper understanding of themself.
• the therapist provides unconditional positive regard to them by expressing acceptance and empathy.

Question 8

STRENGTH OF HUMANISTIC APPROACH: COUNSELLING

Answer 8

• Contemporary therapists use Rogers’ ideas of unconditional positive regards and help clients work towards self-awareness.
• This means it is a useful theory with real-world applications.
• Impossible to imagine modern client-centred therapy without its insight and techniques.

Question 9

LIMITATIONS OF HUMANISTIC APPROACH: UNREALISTIC VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE\

Answer 9

• Focuses on “growth-orientated” behaviour whilst ignoring an individual’s capacity for self-destruction,
• Consequently, opponents to the approach argue that the focus on self development overlooks possible situational forces that may provide a more realistic explanation of everyday human behaviour.

Question 10

LIMITATION OF THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH: EVIDENCE FOR MASLOW’S HIERARCHY IS EMPIRICALLY THIN

Answer 10

• This is to be expected from an approach that disputes the validity of empirical research.
• There is some validation provided by clinical data, with confirmation from the realm of management studies (Maslow 1965; Rogers and Roethisberger, 1982).
• But the theoretical emphasis on individual achievement raises concerns about cultural bias since this is not desirable in every culture.