Humanistic Theory Flashcards
The main tenets of Humanistic theory
Belief in inherent goodness and potential for growth
Holistic view of the individual
Emphasis on reason, agency, and uniqueness
Personal meaning-making, including spirituality
Respect for others’ perspectives
Commitment to equality, human rights, democracy, and social justice
Don’t be a fake
Carl Roger’s Client Person - Centred approach.
In my relationships with persons I have found that it does not help…to act as though I were something that I am not.
Experience is, for me, the highest authority.
It has been my experience that persons have a basically positive direction.(Rogers, 1961).
Congurence, organismic valuing, self-actualisation
How to we become ourselves/The concept of ‘self’
Openness to subjective experience (organismic valuing)
Authenticity: being true to oneself (congruence)
Trust in the natural drive for positive growth (self-actualisation)
Acceptance of self enables change
Problems arise with self-alienation and prioritising others’ needs over one’s own
The concept of ‘self actualisation’
A self-actualized person realizes their potential, is open to experiences, has self-knowledge, and a sense of agency.
However, humans rely on others for early survival and are wired to consider others’ expectations. Over time, we may disconnect from our own experiences, shaping them based on others’ responses.
Unconditional positive regard
Accepting and valuing someone without conditions.
Encourages self-growth and learning from experience.
What does this lead to?
Conditional positive regard
Acceptance depends on meeting others’ expectations.
Leads to “conditions of worth”—feeling we must change to be accepted.
Conditions of worth
Feeling pressured to be someone we’re not to gain approval.
Can come from close relationships or society as a whole.
How we experience…
The real self
How we experience ourselves “i am”
The ideal self
Our sense of who we should be, shaped by external expectations and conditions of worth.
Congruence
Congruence: When our real self and our ideal self are similar we feel congruent and are genuine with others (authentic).
Incongruence
When there is a gap between our real self and our ideal self we experience incongruence and lack of genuineness with others
Congurence fosters what op and gr…and incongruence leads to def
Trying to maintain a coherent sense of self
And what were Rogers idea on defences compared to Freud?
People strive for a cohesive self-concept.
Congruence (alignment between self and experience) fosters openness and growth.
Incongruence (mismatch between real and ideal self) leads to defensiveness.
Unlike Freud, Rogers saw defenses as conscious and limited to:
- Denial – Avoiding reality (e.g., refusing to check test results).
- Perceptual Distortion – Reframing situations to protect self-image (e.g., blaming a professor for poor grades).
Think congurence and incongurence
Self worth (self-esteem)
Congruence (real self matches ideal self) → High self-worth.
Incongruence (gap between real and ideal self) → Low self-worth (e.g., “I’m not who I should be”).
How can the principles of humanistic theory inform our relationships with others
Congruence (being open to your own experience, self
acceptance, genuineness)
Empathy (listening, being open to another person’s experience,
resonating)
Respect (acceptance of others, unconditional positive regard)
Experiential freedom (to value and exercise our freedom even
within constraints.
Creativity: A broader contribution to the world and the actualization
of others.
Criticisms of Rogers’ Theory
Cultural Bias – Concepts like congruence, self-actualization, and positive regard may be Western and not universally applicable.
Too Optimistic? – Does unconditional positive regard truly prepare people for real-world challenges?
Vague Concepts – Terms like “self” and “congruence” are hard to define and measure.
Lack of Adaptability – Doesn’t fully explain how people adjust to different situations or change over time (Block & Robins, 1993).
Limited Scope – More effective for adjustment issues, but less so for severe mental health disorders.
Sampling Bias – Empirical support comes mainly from Western, educated, college samples.
Self-actualised people can…
Accept themselves and others for what they are
Can be concerned with their selves but also respond to the needs and desires of others
Respond to the uniqueness of people and situations
Spontaneous and creative
Resists conformity
Strengths of Humanism
Positive view of people - emphasis on potential
Emphasises experience
Talks about the things that matter in being human
Resist some of the reductionistic models - not a big focus on measuring
Fits well with focus on non-hierarchy and democratic principle
