Humanistic approach

Question 1

How does the humanistic approach explain behaviour?

Answer 1

Emphasises the importance of subjective experience and each person’s capacity for self-determinisation

Question 2

What does the humanistic psychology claim about humans?
(what are they & what do they have?)

Answer 2

Human beings are self-determining and have free will

Question 3

What is Holism?

Answer 3

The idea that subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person

Question 4

What is meant by free will?

Answer 4

The belief that humans can make choices and are not determined by internal biological or external forces.

Question 5

How does free will operate with humans?

Answer 5

People are still affected by external and internal influences BUT are also active agents who can determine their own development.

Question 6

Why would humanists hate science?
(4 points)

Answer 6

1. Believe the client directs their self to recovery
2. Believe in free will (which can’t be studied by science)
3. Believe that everyone is different so general science materials won’t work
4. Science only studies a part whilst humanistic psychology studies the whole body (Holism)

Question 7

Who came up with the Hierarchy of needs?

Answer 7

Maslow

Question 8

What’s the aim of The Hierarchy of needs?

Answer 8

To motivate our behaviour

Question 9

What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and what are the levels?

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

What is self-actualisation?

Answer 10

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)

Question 11

Hows does Maslow’s hierarchy of needs apply to early development in babies?

Answer 11

A baby is first focussed on physiological needs and applies throughout life.

Question 12

What do humanistic psychologists believe about personal growth?

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

What did Carl Rogers argue?

Answer 13

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)

Question 14

What happens if too big a gap exists between the two ‘selves’?

Answer 14

1. If too big a gap exists between the two ‘selves’
2. The person will experience a state of incongruence
3. And self-actualisation will not be possible
4. Due to negative feelings of self-worth that arise from incongruence

Question 15

What did rogers invent to reduce the gap between self-concept and the ideal-self?

Answer 15

Client-centred therapy (also called counselling) - to help people cope with their problems of everyday living

Question 16

What did rogers claim about the reason for incongruence?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What did rogers see as one of his roles to being an effective therapist?

Answer 17

Being able to provide his clients with the unconditional love they had failed to receive as children

Question 18

What is congruence?

Answer 18

When the self-concept and ideal-self are seen to broadly match

Question 19

EVALUATION: Strength of the Humanistic approach + CA (PEEL)

Answer 19

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

Question 20

EVALUATION: Strength of the humanistic approach (PEEL)

Answer 20

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

Question 21

EVALUATION: Limitation of the humanistic approach (PEEL)

Answer 21

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