Humanistic Psychology

Question 1

What does the humanistic approach focus on?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

What does the humanistic approach emphasise about free will?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What was Maslow’s theory (1943) ?

Answer 3

• Maslow wasn’t interested in what went wrong
• More interested in what could go right
• Hierarchy of needs emphasised personal growth and fulfiment

Question 4

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What does ‘the self’ refer to?

Answer 6

How we perceive ourselves as a person

Question 7

What did Rogers (1951) claim?

Answer 7

People have two basic needs:

• Positive regard from other people
• A feeling of self-worth

Question 8

When do feelings of self-worth develop?

Answer 8

In childhood as a result of interactions with parents

And interactions with significant others

Question 9

What did Roger’s believe was important for determining our psychological health?

Answer 9

• How we thik about ourselves

- Feelings of self worth

Question 10

What is a state of congruence?

Answer 10

When there is a similarity between a person’s ideal self and how they perceive themeselves to be in real life

Question 11

What is a state of incongruence?

Answer 11

If there is a difference between the self and ideal self

Question 12

When would congruence be at its highest?

Answer 12

When our-self imagine and ideal self are to each other

Highering our feelings of self worth

Question 13

When may a person use defence mechanisms?

Answer 13

When they feel threatened by inconsistencies between how they would like to be and how they really are

Question 14

What are conditions of worth?

Answer 14

When people experience conditional positive regard

Question 15

What are the conditions for conditions of worth?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

What influence did the humanistic approach have on councelling?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What is a positive evaluation of the humanistic approach to do with therapy?

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

What is an issue with the research methods?

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

What is an issue with determinism and the humanistic approach

Answer 19

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).

Question 20

What is an issue with culture and the humanistic apprach?

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

Nature vs Nurture humanistic approach

Answer 21

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).

Question 22

Idiographic Vs nomothetic humanistic approach

Answer 22

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.