Humanistic approach Flashcards
How does the humanistic approach explain behaviour?
Emphasises the importance of subjective experience and each person’s capacity for self-determinisation
What does the humanistic psychology claim about humans?
(what are they & what do they have?)
Human beings are self-determining and have free will
What is Holism?
The idea that subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person
What is meant by free will?
The belief that humans can make choices and are not determined by internal biological or external forces.
How does free will operate with humans?
People are still affected by external and internal influences BUT are also active agents who can determine their own development.
Why would humanists hate science?
(4 points)
- Believe the client directs their self to recovery
- Believe in free will (which can’t be studied by science)
- Believe that everyone is different so general science materials won’t work
- Science only studies a part whilst humanistic psychology studies the whole body (Holism)
Who came up with the Hierarchy of needs?
Maslow
What’s the aim of The Hierarchy of needs?
To motivate our behaviour
What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and what are the levels?
- Outlines the path that must be taken to achieve self-actualisation
Level 1: Physiological needs
Level 2: Safety & security
Level 3: Love & belongingness
Level 4: self-esteem
Level 5: self-actualisation - A person is only able to progress through the hierarchy once the current need in the sequence has been met
What is self-actualisation?
The desire to grow psychologically and fulfill one’s full-potential becoming what you are capable of.
(to become the best they can possibly be)
Hows does Maslow’s hierarchy of needs apply to early development in babies?
A baby is first focussed on physiological needs and applies throughout life.
What do humanistic psychologists believe about personal growth?
- It is an essential part of being human
- Concerned with developing and changing as a person to become fulfilled, satisfied & goal-orientated
- Not everyone will manage this
- There are important psychological barriers that may prevent a person from reaching their potential
What did Carl Rogers argue?
For personal growth to be achieved - an individual’s concept of self (how they see themselves) - must have congruence with their ideal self (the person they want to be)
What happens if too big a gap exists between the two ‘selves’?
- If too big a gap exists between the two ‘selves’
- The person will experience a state of incongruence
- And self-actualisation will not be possible
- Due to negative feelings of self-worth that arise from incongruence
What did rogers invent to reduce the gap between self-concept and the ideal-self?
Client-centred therapy (also called counselling) - to help people cope with their problems of everyday living
What did rogers claim about the reason for incongruence?
Issues experience as adults (e.g. low self-esteem) have their roots in childhood & can often be explained by a lack of unconditional love from parents
What did rogers see as one of his roles to being an effective therapist?
Being able to provide his clients with the unconditional love they had failed to receive as children
What is congruence?
When the self-concept and ideal-self are seen to broadly match
EVALUATION: Not reductionist + CA (PEEL)
POINT: Not reductionist
EVIDENCE: It rejects attempts to break up behaviour and experience into smaller components
Behaviourist= behaviour due to simple stimulus-response connections
cognitive= see humans as little more than information-processing ‘machines’
Biological= reduce behaviour to its basic psychological processes
EXPLAIN: humanistic psychologists advocated holism
LINK: So this approach may be more valid than its alternatives by considering meaningful human behaviour within its real-world context
CA:
POINT: Reductionist approaches may be more scientific
EVIDENCE: experiments reduce behaviour to independent & dependent variables
EXPLAIN: In humanistic psychology, not many concepts can be broken down to single variables and be measured
LINK: Suggests that humanistic psychology is short on empirical evidence to support its claims
EVALUATION: Strength - Positive approach (PEEL)
POINT: Positive approach
EVIDENCE: Has been praised for bringing the person back to psychology & promoting a positive image of the human condition
EXPLAIN:
- Freud (Psychodynamic) saw humans as prisoners of their past
- Whilst, humanistic psychologists see all people as basically good, free to work towards achievement of their potential & in control of their lives
LINK:
- humanistic psychology offers refreshing and optimistic alternative than other approaches
EVALUATION: Limitation - Cultural bias (PEEL)
POINT: Cultural Bias
EVIDENCE:
- Ideas central to humanistic psychology (e.g. individual freedom) = Associated more with individualist cultures (UK & US)
- Collectivist countries= emphasis on needs of the group & interdependence
EXPLAIN:
- In some countries the ideals of humanistic psychology may not be as important as in others (e.g. self-actualisation)
LINK: Possible that this approach does not apply universally
- lacks generalisability
- Product of the cultural context within the country it was developed in
