Humanistic Psychology Flashcards
What does the humanistic approach focus on?
The conscious experience rather than on behaviour,
personal responsibility and free will rather than on determinism and on discussion of experience rather than on use of experimental methods
What does the humanistic approach emphasise about free will?
People have full conscious control over their destiny ie they have free will
Human beings are able to make significant personal choices within constraints imposed by other forces
What was Maslow’s theory (1943) ?
- Maslow wasn’t interested in what went wrong
- More interested in what could go right
- Hierarchy of needs emphasised personal growth and fulfiment
What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
Represented by a pyramid
- Most basic physiological needs represented at the bottom and more advanced needs at the top
- Each level must be fulfilled before the person can move up higher
What are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
Self actualisation: morality, creativity, spontaniety
Esteem: Self-esteem, confidence
Love/belonging: friendship, family, sexual itimacy
Safety: Security of body, employment, resources
Physiological: Breathing, food, water, sex
What does ‘the self’ refer to?
How we perceive ourselves as a person
What did Rogers (1951) claim?
People have two basic needs:
- Positive regard from other people
- A feeling of self-worth
When do feelings of self-worth develop?
In childhood as a result of interactions with parents
And interactions with significant others
What did Roger’s believe was important for determining our psychological health?
- How we thik about ourselves
- Feelings of self worth
What is a state of congruence?
When there is a similarity between a person’s ideal self and how they perceive themeselves to be in real life
What is a state of incongruence?
If there is a difference between the self and ideal self
When would congruence be at its highest?
When our-self imagine and ideal self are to each other
Highering our feelings of self worth
When may a person use defence mechanisms?
When they feel threatened by inconsistencies between how they would like to be and how they really are
What are conditions of worth?
When people experience conditional positive regard
What are the conditions for conditions of worth?
Conditions they perceive as significant to others put upon them, and which they believe have to be in place of they are to be accepted by others and see themselves positively
What influence did the humanistic approach have on councelling?
Individuals with psychological problems were a direct result of their conditions of worth and the conditional positive regard they received from other people
With councelling people would be able to solve their own problems in constructive ways
What is a positive evaluation of the humanistic approach to do with therapy?
Real World Application:
Client-centred therapy is widely used in health, social work and industry. This therapy has helped many people overcome difficulties they face in life, which is a significant contribution to improving people’s quality of life.
What is an issue with the research methods?
The approach uses non-scientific research methods. As its aim is to understand people’s subjectivity, it uses methods that yield qualitative data such as unstructured interviews or participant observations. These are difficult/ impossible to replicate and the interpretation of the data is influenced by researcher bias.
What is an issue with determinism and the humanistic approach
The approach is non-determinist as it recognises free will but its position on this topic is somewhat incoherent as on one hand it argues that people have free will but, on the other hand it argues that our behavior is determined by the way other people treat us (whether we feel that we are valued and respected without reservation by those around us).
What is an issue with culture and the humanistic apprach?
Cultural bias – Personal growth would be associated with individualist cultures as collectivist cultures such as India emphasise community and interdependence – The approach is a product of the cultural context within which it was developed and an emic approach is more appropriate.
Nature vs Nurture humanistic approach
The approach recognises both the influence of nature and nurture, nurture- the influence of experiences on a person’s ways of perceiving and understanding the world, nature- influence of biological drives and needs (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs).
Idiographic Vs nomothetic humanistic approach
As this approach views the individual as unique it does not attempt to establish universal laws about the causes of behavior, it is an idiographic approach.
