Humanistic Approach

Question 1

What is in the humanistic approach

Answer 1

• free will
• self-actualisation and maslows hierarchy of needs
• focus on self
• congruence
• the role of conditions of worth
• influence on counselling psychology

Question 2

What is maslows hierarchy of needs

Answer 2

• physiological needs- air, shelter, water and food
• Saftey and security
• social needs- friends and family
• esteem- self-esteem, confidence and achievement
• self actualisation- creativity, problem solving, authenticity and spontaneity

Question 3

What is this approach

Answer 3

• came around in 1959’s
• reaction to the lack of evidence for Freudian psychology
• reaction to the dissatisfaction with what was perceived as a very deterministic behaviourist approach to psychology

Question 4

What were the key assumptions of this approach

Answer 4

• everyone is unique
• studies should be done with small sample sizes (idiographic)
• everyone has free will
• we should study people holistically- look at their whole lives rather than one aspect of it
• scientific methods are not appropriate for measuring behaviour
• all people have a drive to achieve self-actualisation

Question 5

What is the main principle of this approach

Answer 5

• everyone is searching for self actualisation
• top of maslows hierarchy of needs
• aim of approach is to let people reach this
• difficult to achieve but true happiness can only be achieved this way

Question 6

What is free will

Answer 6

• everyone has free will

- people should be punished when they commit a crime but also given the chance to take control over their own future

Question 7

What is focus on the self

Answer 7

• psychologists should focus on the self in order to help people achieve self actualisation

Question 8

What are the three categories for focus on the self

Answer 8

• self concept: how you see yourself
• I’m happy and in s stages relationship
• ideal self: his you want to see yourself
• I want to be happy and in a stable relationship
• real self: how you are actually seen
• he/she is happy and in a stable relationship

Question 9

What do humanists believe you need for self actualisation to occur

Answer 9

• congruence between the self concept and the ideal self

Question 10

What are conditions of worth

Answer 10

• to have self actualisation everyone should have someone who will love them unconditionally
• often not achieved because people do not see love as unconditional and refer to it as conditions of worth

Question 11

What is the influence on psychology

Answer 11

• the main strength of this approach
• ## practical application

Question 12

Evaluation on this approach

Answer 12

:) lead to effective counselling
- significantly effective in improving mental health then receiving no treatment at all
:) empowers people
- emphasis on free will ensures People take responsibility for their actions
:( lacks scientific rigour
- not scientific and shuns the scientific method
- ignores people looking for casual relationships
:( effectiveness treating psychotic disorders
- a lot of people with psychotic disorder like Sz struggle to embrace this approach and will instead Medicate