Motivation and Humanistic Theories - Maslow & Rogers Flashcards by Ava Cervas

Q

What are the primary assumptions of humanistic theories of personality?

A

Humanistic theories make 3 assumptions:

Humans have freedom of will and can determine the course of events in their lives; We see this contradicting many major theories
Conscious experience is the primary determinant of behaviour and personality; Seen in psychosocial theory
Humans are inherently good and innately strive for growth and improvement; Contradicted in seen through psychosexual theory

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Q

How did Maslow identify needs in his theory of self-actualization

A

described needs as motivational forces that determine behaviour

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Q

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

Physiological needs
Safety needs
Belonging needs
Esteem needs
Self-actualization needs

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Q

Physiological needs

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

biological maintenance (e.g. food, oxygen, sleep, water

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Q

Safety needs

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

physical security (e.g. law, order, predictability, protection, shelter, stability - A SOCIETY FREE FROM CHAOS

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Q

What happens when our safety needs are violated?

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

When compromised, we develop basic anxiety: persistent and outgoing sense of fear and dread

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Q

Belonging needs

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

affiliation (e.g. friendships, intimate relationships, supportive familial relationships)

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Q

Belonging needs - situations/circumstances: #1

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

Where one never had belonging needs met (EX: an abused child - never experienced fulfilment of belonging needs)
Under these circumstances, proposed these individuals lack the capacity to love
Can be related to avoidant or fearful attachment

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Q

Belonging needs - situations/circumstances: #2

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

Where one receives inconsistency (EX: inconsistent caretakers)
Under these circumstances, individual becomes overly concerned with acceptance and approval
Can be related to anxious/ambivalent attachment

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Q

Esteem needs

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

public recognition and self-esteem (e.g. prestige, status, self-respect, self-worth)
Relative to inferiority vs. ___ psychosocial stage

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Q

Self-actualization needs

Maslow distinguished between five conative (i.e. basic) needs among humans

A

Self-actualization needs: self-fulfillment (e.g. fulfillment of potential, pursuit of intrinsic motivations)

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Q

Self-actualization pyramid: Maslow noted that all levels are…

A

“instinctoid”: needs innate to us as humans; biologically based; can be readily overridden by social/culture factors in comparison to instinctive (that’s what differentiates them)

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Q

Maslow argued that which needs are universal vs specific to humans?

A

Believed that the lower needs are universal, but “esteem” and “self-actualization” needs are specific to humans

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Q

How did Maslow organize our needs by age (3 phases)

A

Physiological/safety needs: early development; infancy
Belonging/esteem: adolescence
Self-actualization: take priority in mid-life

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Q

Maslow - high needs:

A

“d”, deficiency needs

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Q

Maslow - low needs:

A

“b”, being needs

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Q

In what direction does strength, potency and priority increase?

A

Moving DOWN the pyramid

Q

In contrast to conative needs, neurotic needs

A

Perpetuate a dysfunctional lifestyle, foster stagnation, contribute to pathology
Are reactive; develop in an attempt to compensate for unsatisfied conative needs

Q

Self-actualization is associated with:

A

Time competence - live in the moment
Inner direction
Internal locus of control and higher environmental mastery
Higher agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, lower neuroticism
Lower neuroticism
Higher school/workplace satisfaction
Higher self-acceptance and self-esteem
Higher purpose in life and life satisfaction
More self-transcendent experiences

Q

Self-actualization is not associated with…

A

AGE

Q

According to Rogers’ person-centered theory, what is a fully functioning person?

Rogers maintained that all motives are subsumed by one “master motive”:

A

the actualizing tendency

Q

According to Rogers, a fully functioning person (2)

In terms of self-actualization

A

Is engaged in self-actualization (as a process, not an “end state”)
Exhibits personality characteristics that facilitate self-actualization: openness to experience, existential living, organismic trust, experiential freedom, creativity, harmoniousness in relationships with others

Q

How does an individual become a fully functioning person?

Rogers argued that humans have an innate need for…

A

positive regard: to be accepted and receive love and affection from others
An individual becomes fully functioning if they experience unconditional positive regard: acceptance, love, and affection that are given without conditions

Q

How does an individual become a fully functioning person?

An individual who experiences unconditional positive regard in childhood

A

Develops unconditional positive self-regard: an ability to view the self favourably under all conditions
Accepts personal experiences, trusts their judgements, and acts in accordance with their desires and wishes
Develops personality characteristics that facilitate self-actualization

How does an individual become a fully functioning person? An individual does not become fully functioning if they experience

* **Conditional positive regard**: acceptance, love, and affection that are *given under conditions* * **Develops *conditional* positive self-regard:** **an inability to view the self favorably under all conditions** * Distorts personal experiences, disregards their judgements, and **acts in accordance with the desires and wishes of others** * Develops **personality characteristics that hinder self-actualization**

What therapeutic approach did Rogers develop to help people become fully functioning? What incongruities create anxiety?

* Rogers maintained that **"incongruities" between our self-concept and experience** generate anxiety or an "uneasiness or tension whose cause is unknown" * EX: going into university with self-concept of being a good student, but being humbled and unsuccessful; an incongruity * To minimize anxiety, we attempt to reduce the incongruities between our self-concept and experience

Handling incongruities - fully functioning person:

The fully functioning person reduces incongruities by incorporating new experiences into their self-concept

Handling incongruities - non-fully functioning person:

The non-fully functioning person reduces incongruities through the use of defense mechanisms: denial (like the denial defense mechanism) and distortion (to address, but not adjust to, the incongruity; preserve self-concept - kind of rationalizing why the incongruity happened)

What therapeutic approach did Rogers develop to help people become fully functioning?

* **client-centered therapy** * Also referred to as "nondirective therapy" because the therapy creates an environment in which the patient is able to solve their own problem

Client-centered therapy To enable the patient to solve their own problem, the therapist must fulfill 3 conditions:

1. **Therapist congruence**: authentic and genuine interaction between therapist and patient 2. **Unconditional positive regard**: noting that an individual is not fully functioning in regard to their previous years; Therapist ensures that no conditions of worth are posed upon them, acceptance, affection, approval… 3. **Empathetic understanding**; communicated by restating comments and feelings shared by the patient; We feel WITH the patient as they experience reactions

Client centered therapy is relatively ineffective for individuals who are:

a. Collectivistic b. Authoritarian c. Unable to verbalize emotions (alexithymia) d. Low in tolerance for ambiguity

Research has demonstrated that client-centered therapy is effective in the treatment of...

diverse conditions: bipolar disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder

What is happiness?

Positive psychologists study "positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions…to improve quality of live and prevent…pathologies"

Positive psychologists distinguish between two forms of happiness:

* **Hedonic happiness**: high satisfaction with life, high positive affect, low negative affect * **Eudaimonic happiness**: self-actualization (e.g. fulfillment of potential, pursuit of intrinsic motivations, experience of meaning in life) * Although theoretically distinct, hedonic happiness and edaimonic happiness are highly positively correlated

What factors predict happiness? 3 forms:

* Set point (50%) * Intentional activity (40%) * Circumstances (10%)

What factors predict happiness? 3 forms: Set Point

a habitual level of happiness that we always return to after events that increase/decrease our levels of happiness; "hedonic treadmill"

What factors predict happiness? 3 forms: Intentional Activity

connecting with others, physical activity, "savouring" learning (pausing and appreciating), giving

What factors predict happiness? 3 forms: Circumstances

income, educational attainment, marital status, parental status, religiousity, health

With respect to "positive individual traits", research has identified 3 FFM personality characteristics that are related to happiness:

* Conscientiousness * Extraversion * Neuroticism (lower levels)

3 features of positive individual traits:

* Optimism: dispositional optimism, optimistic attributional style * Success: due to **internal**, stable, and global factors * Failure: due to **external**, unstable, and specific factors

Autotelic Personality

* Characterized by pursuit of intrinsic motivations * Demonstrates curiosity, need to achieve, enjoyment of activities, persistence, narrow concentration, independence, and cooperation

Autotelic personality: FLOW

* Reports frequent experiences of "FLOW": * Intense experiential involvement in moment-to-moment activity, focused attention, optimal functioning Associated with clear goals, a sense of control, distortion of time, and balance between challenge and skill