Humanistic Approach Flashcards
What does free will imply in the humanistic approach?
Human beings are self-determining and have free will
People are active agents who can determine their own development despite external or internal influences.
Who are the main proponents of the humanistic approach?
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
They reject the idea of establishing general principles of human behavior.
What is the person-centred approach in psychology?
Focuses on the study of subjective experience rather than general laws
It emphasizes individual uniqueness.
What is self-actualisation?
The innate tendency to achieve one’s full potential
It represents the uppermost level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
What must be fulfilled before an individual can work towards self-actualisation?
All four lower levels of Maslow’s hierarchy (‘deficiency needs’)
These include physiological, safety, love/belonging, and esteem needs.
How do humanistic psychologists view personal growth?
As an essential part of what it is to be human
It involves developing and changing to become fulfilled, satisfied, and goal-oriented.
Can be achieved through an individuals concept of self to have congruence with their ideal self.
What is incongruence in the context of the self?
A significant gap between an individual’s concept of self and their ideal self
It leads to negative feelings of self-worth, making self-actualisation impossible.
What is client-centred therapy?
A therapeutic approach developed by Rogers to help reduce incongruence
It aims to help individuals cope with everyday problems.
What are conditions of worth according to Rogers?
Limits set by parents on their love for their child
For example, a parent might say, ‘I will only love you if…’
How can conditions of worth lead to issues in adulthood?
Rooted in childhood and can often be explained by a lack of unconditional positive regard from our parents
Can lead to worthlessness or low self esteem for example
What is a strength of the humanistic approach?
It is not reductionist; it advocates holism
This means understanding subjective experience by considering the whole person.
- Approach may have more validity than its alternative by considering meaningful human behaviour within its real life content
What is a positive aspect of the humanistic approach?
It offers an optimistic view, seeing all people as basically good
It reinstates free will and conscious decision-making.
Sees all people as good, free to work towards the achievement of their potential
What is a limitation of humanistic psychology regarding its application?
Limited impact within the discipline of psychology
This may be due to a lack of proper evidence and abstract concepts.
What is a criticism concerning the testability of concepts in humanistic psychology?
It contains vague ideas that are difficult to test
Short on empirical evidence to support
Concepts like ‘self-actualisation’ and ‘congruence’ are problematic to assess experimentally.
How does humanistic psychology demonstrate cultural bias?
Its ideas may not apply to collectivist cultures
The approach emphasizes individualism, reflecting the cultural context of its development.
