The Humanistic Approach

Question 1

What makes the humanistic approach different to the other approaches?

Answer 1

It believes in free will.

Question 2

What type of approach does the humanistic approach take? What does it favour instead?

Answer 2

• Rejects scientific approaches.
• Favours ‘person-centered’ approaches.

Question 3

Why must out understanding of human behaviour be unique?

Answer 3

Everyone is unique.

Question 4

Name the key element of the humanistic approach.

Answer 4

‘Healthy growing’.

Question 5

According to the humanistic approach, what causes mental health issues to arise?

Answer 5

When an individual is missing something in their ‘healthy growth’.

Question 6

Give the most important element of human behaviour, according to the humanistic approach.

Answer 6

Self-actualisation.

Question 7

Define ‘self-actualisation’.

Answer 7

Where every individual has an innate tendency to achieve their full potential - to become the best they possible can.

Question 8

What level does ‘self-actualisation’ come in Maslow’s heirarchy of needds?

Answer 8

Uppermost/top.

Question 9

In order to achieve self actualisation, what do individuals need to do first?

Answer 9

Meet the lower levels of Maslow’s heirarchy of needs.

Question 10

What is personal growth concerned with?

Answer 10

Developing and changing a person to become satisfied, fulfilled and goal-orientated.

Question 11

Outline what Rogers believed?

Answer 11

• We have two selves: our sense of self and our ideal self.

Question 12

What is meant by the term ‘our sense of self’?

Answer 12

How we see ourselves.

Question 13

What is meant by the term ‘our ideal self’?

Answer 13

What we would like to be.

Question 14

Outline the development of our actual self.

Answer 14

Starts to develop during childhood; continues to grow in complexity throughout our lives.

Question 15

Outline the development of our ideal self.

Answer 15

Starts to develop from our learning of what a person should be like e.g from parents, peers, the media etc.

Question 16

What is needed to achieve personal growth?

Answer 16

Congruence between the two selves.

Question 17

What does a person experience if their two selves are too different?

Answer 17

A state of incongruence - self-actualisation is not possible due to negative feelings of self worth that occur.

Question 18

According to Rogers, how can many of the issues experienced as adults be explained?

Answer 18

A lack of unconditional positive regard/unconditional love from parents.

Further developed: A parent who sets boundaries/a limit on their love for their child is causing problems for that child in the future.

Question 19

What type of counselling did Rogers create to address incongruence?

Answer 19

Client-centred therapy.

Question 20

What type of theraputic atmosphere did Rogers create?

Answer 20

• Warm
• Supportive
• Non-judgemental

Question 21

How did Rogers summarise an effective therapist?

Answer 21

Provide the client with:

• Genuineness
• Empathy
• Unconditional positive regard

Question 22

What is the aim of Rogers’ ‘person-centred’ therapy?

Answer 22

• To increase the person’s feelings of self-worth.
• To reduce the incongruence.
• To help the person bceome a more fully functioning individual.

Question 23

List the 3 strengths of the humanistic approach.

Answer 23

1. Application of Hierarchy
2. Research Support
3. Free Will

Question 24

Summarise what is meant by the evaluation point ‘application of hierarchy’.

Answer 24

• Maslow’s hierarchy can be applied more broadly to economic development of countries + personal development.
• Evidence found that in the easrly stages of economic development, priority is on physiological/safety needs e.g food/reduction in murder and crime rates.
• Once these basic needs have been met, countries then focus on esteem needs and self-actualisation.
• Evidence from 88 countries over a 34 yr period supports the hierarchy of needs; strengthens the explanation.

Question 25

Summarise the evaluation point ‘research support’.

Answer 25

• Evidence to support Rogers’ view that people who experience conditional positive regard display more ‘false self’ behaviour.
• Evidence found that teenagers who feel they have to fulfil certain conditions to gain parents’ approval frequently dislike themselves.
• Adolescents who create a ‘false self’, pretending to be the person their parents woild love, are more likely to develop depression.
• Supports ‘conditions of love/worth’.

Question 26

Summarise the evaluation point ‘free will’.

Answer 26

• Free will approach; we choose how we act and have a choice in how we behave.
• Determinism removes freedom/dignity and devalues human behaviour.
• Free will acknowleges the uniqueness of human beings/their freedom to choose their own destiny.
• Preferable expansion of human behaviour to the behaviour approach, which suggests we are merely a product of reinforcers/punishements.

Question 27

List the 3 limitations of the humanistic approach.

Answer 27

1. Unscientific Methodology
2. Unrealistic View
3. Cultural Differences

Question 28

Summarise the evaluation point ‘unscientific methodology’.

Answer 28

• Counselling cannot be tested experimentally due to the rigorous requirements of the experimental method.
• Rogers was an advocate of non-experimental reserach methods because he thought that human behaviour extended beyond the principles of science because we have free will.
• Studies have shown personal growth as a result of humanistic counselling BUT these don’t show that the therapy caused the changes.
• It’s difficult to evaluate the theories scientifically.

Question 29

Summarise the evaluation point ‘unrealistic view’.

Answer 29

• Humanistic approach has an idealised view of human nature.
• Assumes that people are inherently growth-orientated, not recognising some people’s capacity for self-destructive behaviour.
• Assumes that all problems arise from blocked self-actualisation and ignores situational forces in society.
• Does not give a full description of human behaviour and development.