Humanistic Approach

Question 1

Free will

Answer 1

• humanistic psychology is quite different, claiming that human beings are essentially self-determining and have free will
  -it doesn’t mean people are not affected by external or internal influences but we are free agents we are all unique, and psychology should concern itself with the study of subjective experience rather than general laws (person centred approach)

Question 2

self- actualisation

Answer 2

• every person has an innate tendency to achieve their full potential- to become the best they possibly can be
• self-actualisation represents the uppermost level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• humanistic psychologists regard personal growth as an essential part of what it is to be human
• personal growth is concerned with developing and changing as a person to become fulfilled, satisfied and goal-orientated
• not everyone will manage this as there are important psychological barriers that may prevent a person from reaching their potential

Question 3

Abraham Harold Maslow

Answer 3

was a psychologist who studied positive human qualities and lives the exemplary people, Maslow created the Hierarchy of human needs and expressed his theories in his book motivation and personality

Question 4

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (pyramid shape)

Answer 4

self-actualisation
esteem
love/ belonging
safety
physiological

Question 5

physiological (hierarchy of needs)

Answer 5

breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, excretion, homeostasis

Question 6

safety (hierarchy of needs)

Answer 6

security of; body, employment, resources, morality, family, health and property

Question 7

love/belonging (hierarchy of needs)

Answer 7

friendship, family, sexual intimacy

Question 8

esteem (hierarchy of needs)

Answer 8

self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others

Question 9

self- actualisation (hierarchy of needs)

Answer 9

morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts

Question 10

the self, congruence and conditions of worth

Answer 10

• Rogers argued that for a personal growth to be achieved an individual’s concept of self must be broadly equivalent to, or have congruence with their ideal self (who they want to be)
• if too big a gap exists between the two ‘selves’ then the person will experience a state of incongruence and self-actualisation will not be possible due to the negative feeling of self-worth which arise from incongruence
• to reduce the gap between the self-concept and ideal self Rogers developed client-centred therapy to help people with problems in everyday living
• Rogers claimed that many of the issues we experience aa adults have their roots in childhood and can often be explained by lack of unconditional positive regard from parents

Question 11

humanistic evaluation (+)

Answer 11

• humanistic psychologists advocate holism, the subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person
• considers meaningful human behavior in a real life context
  -client centered therapy

Question 12

humanistic evaluation (-)

Answer 12

• cultural bias where certain ideas of personal growth and individual freedom is more associated with western world countries like the USA
• not open to empirical testing, which makes it a pseudoscience