Personality: Humanistic Conception

Question 1

Humanistic Conception

Answer 1

= focuses on healthy personalities & self-actualisation rather than abnormalities
main idea = sense of self at the centre of personality & outlook
Carl Rogers & Abraham Maslow

Question 2

Maslow’s Humanistic Conception

Answer 2

= we should aim for peak experiences where we feel at one with the universe and go beyond the limitations of ourselves
- hierarchy of needs to meet self-actualisation

Question 3

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 3

Deficiency Needs:
1. Physiological - hunger, thirst, comfort, health, sex
2. Safety - shelter, no fear, protection
3. Love & Belonging - being accepted, having close relationships/belonging to a group
4. Esteem - self-respect, respect from others, status, competence, achieving, gaining approval
Growth Needs:
5. Self-Actualisation - personal fulfilment & growth
a) understanding/cognition - need to know & understand
b) aesthetic - need for aesthetic beauty
c) self-actualising - realise own potential
d) transcendence - help others reach their full potential

Question 4

Maslow - Self-Actualised People

Answer 4

Qualities:

• embrace realities of the world (rather than denying/avoiding)
• spontaneous in ideas & actions
• creative
• interested in problem-solving
• feel closeness to other people
• generally appreciate life
• system of morality that is fully internalised
• judge others without prejudice

Question 5

Roger’s Humanistic Theory

Answer 5

= all people are innately good & have self-actualising qualities
- need growth-promoting environment to reach full potential, requires three conditions: genuineness (open with feelings), acceptance (unconditional positive regard), empathy (sharing & mirroring feelings)

Question 6

Roger’s Self-Concept

Answer 6

= central feature of personality

• Ideal self = who we want to be
• True self = who we really are
• Self-image = who we think we are
• if ideal self, true self, self-image are relatively consistent, a person has CONGRUENCE; INCONGRUENCE is linked to psychological problems

Question 7

Roger’s Self Development

Answer 7

• childhood experiences promote either congruence or incongruence
• early in life, if parental love seems…
  …CONDITIONAL, … incongruent, believe acceptance is conditional
  …UNCONDITIONAL, … congruent
  incongruent self-perception casues anxiety, therefore behave defensively

Question 8

Strengths of Humanistic Conception

Answer 8

• idea of self-concept adopted by other theorists

- positive approach: emergence of positive psychology movement

Question 9

Weaknesses of Humanistic Conception

Answer 9

• poor testability (difficult to measure)
• unrealistic view of human nature (2% self-actualised)
• inadequate evidence (not enough empirical research)
• small sample size
• too positive, doesn’t consider bad behaviour
• doesn’t explain why some who are missing lower levels achieve excellence