The Humanism approach

Question 1

What does the humanism approach look at the importance of?

Answer 1

Unique aspects of individuals

Question 2

What does the approach focus on?

Answer 2

Subjective feelings and conscious thoughts in individuals

Question 3

What is the approach known as? Why?

Answer 3

The third force in psychology

It rejects what both behaviourist and the psychodynamic approach say about behaviour

Question 4

Why does the approach reject behaviourism?

Answer 4

They say its too deterministic

Question 5

What are the assumptions of the approach?

Answer 5

People have free will and control over what we feel and how we behave - we make rational, conscious decisions
Subjective view - the experience of the world as a person has a greater importance to understanding people than the objective view

Question 6

Is the humanism approach idiographic or nomothetic?

Answer 6

idiographic

Question 7

What did Rogers develop?

Answer 7

Person centred therapy

Question 8

What ideas did Rogers develop his person centred therapy from?

Answer 8

individuals knowing self worth, accept positive regard and give it to others, have a good idea about their self concept

Question 9

What is self-actualisation?

Answer 9

A fully functioning person aware of subjective experiences and feelings whist being able to grow and change

Question 10

What are some qualities of a fully functioning person?

Answer 10

• Open to experience
• Existential living - wholly focused life - not focused on material things
• Trust own feelings
• Creative
• Feel happy about life

Question 11

What type of people are considered fully functioning?

Answer 11

Well adjusted people

Question 12

What does an individual who has self concept have?

Answer 12

Positive feelings about themselves and are able to take on challenges

Question 13

When does self-worth develop?

Answer 13

Develops in childhood and comes from interaction from parents in childhood

Question 14

What needs does Rogers believe children need?

Answer 14

Positive self regard from mothers

Positive self worth

Question 15

What is unconditional positive regard?

Answer 15

Significant others love you and don’t withdraw the love if wrong doing occurs

Question 16

What is conditional positive regard?

Answer 16

If a child is acting in the correct manner, they will only be loved if they behave in the correct way

Question 17

What is negative regard?

Answer 17

Feeling that you can do nothing right

Question 18

What is incongruence?

Answer 18

Self image is different to the ideal self with only a slight overlap.
Hard to adjust to a normal life which links to mental illnesses

Question 19

What is congruence?

Answer 19

Ideal self and self image are closer, self actualisation is able to occur

Question 20

What are some characteristics of client centred therapy?

Answer 20

• Therapist is congruent with the patient
• Provides client with unconditional positive self-regard
• Therapist is empathetic to client

Question 21

What 3 things does Rogers believe need to be present in client centred therapy in order for it to be successful?

Answer 21

1) Genuineness
2) Empathy
3) unconditional positive regard

Question 22

What does client centred therapy focus on?

Answer 22

Present rather than the past

Question 23

What did Sexton and Whinston find?

Answer 23

Effectiveness of Rogerian therapy
Effective short term, unsuccessful long term
Effectiveness is measured by the patient, its not objective

Question 24

What did Maslow propose?

Answer 24

Hierarchy of needs

Question 25

What did Maslow believe there was fulfilment through?

Answer 25

Personal growth

Question 26

What is the first need in the hierarchy?

Answer 26

Physiological needs - food, water

Question 27

What is the second need in the hierarchy?

Answer 27

Safety needs - need for security, protection, stability

Question 28

What is the third need in the hierarchy?

Answer 28

Belongingness/love - humans are a social species

Question 29

What is the 4th need in the hierarchy?

Answer 29

Self esteem needs

Question 30

What is the 5th need in the hierarchy?

Answer 30

Self actualisation - reached full potential

Question 31

How is the 5th need reached in the hierarchy?

Answer 31

all needs underneath need to be satisfied before the individual can move up the hierarchy

Question 32

What is criticism for Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Answer 32

It over simplifies human needs and behaviour

Question 33

Why do some people fear self actualisation?

Answer 33

It brings duties and responsibilities

Question 34

According to Maslow, what are the growth needs?

Answer 34

Striving for goodness Helping other people Seeking truth and justice Striving to create beauty and order

Question 35

What are the three conditions of self actualisation?

Answer 35

- Absence of restraints - Little or no distraction from deficiency needs - Good knowledge of self

Question 36

What type of people are self-actualisers?

Answer 36

- Assessive - Creative - Automonous - Private people

Question 37

What is a peak experience?

Answer 37

Feelings of ecstasy and self-fulfillment, happen spontaneously and aren't frequent

Question 38

Where are Maslow's ideas influential?

Answer 38

Organisational psychology, eg. business

Question 39

What is a limitation of Maslow's methods to gain information?

Answer 39

He interviewed people who he thought were self-actualisers Self report Subjective Didn't include people with mental disorders so couldnt say what was stopping them from researching SA

Question 40

What did Shostrum find?

Answer 40

Used a set questionnaire to measure self-actualisation. Those with low self actualisation had poor relationships with others and those with high were creative

Question 41

Which culture is the idea of self actualisation specific to? Limitation of this?

Answer 41

Western cultures | Can't generalise to other cultures

Question 42

Who did Maslow pay too much attention to?

Answer 42

Unhealthy people

Question 43

What does the humanism approach reject and why is this a limitation?

Answer 43

Rejects scientific approach Objective reality is less important Less use of science and testing doesn't have any scientific value

Question 44

Does the approach believe in reductionism or holism?

Answer 44

Holism

Question 45

What important quote is linked to holism?

Answer 45

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts"

Question 46

Why is the lack of scientific testing a strength of the approach?

Answer 46

Normal scientific psychology is unable to capture the richness of human experience whereas the humanistic approach does and it is more empathetic because of this

Question 47

What does the humanistic approach promote?

Answer 47

A positive view of human beings with each individual being in control of their own life

Question 48

What did Goldstein 1939 say?

Answer 48

Organismic theory for holism - the mind and body are a unified whole

Question 49

What does the humanistic approach lack?

Answer 49

Empirical research to back up theories

Question 50

What does the humanistic approach have too much emphasis on and therefore reject?

Answer 50

Too much focus on self-actualisation and rejects the influence of biology on behaviour

Question 51

What criticism is there to be made about the concepts in the humanistic approach?

Answer 51

They are vague and hard to define

Question 52

What point can you include in a conclusion?

Answer 52

Emphasis on the importance of the humanistic approach to therapy, counselling, education and business

Question 53

What do the ideas in the approach reflect?

Answer 53

An individualistic self-obsessed outlook that is a part of the problem in society