The Humanistic approach Flashcards
Give some of the main assumptions of the Humanistic approach.
-Humans have free will - the ability to control and determine our behaviour.
-Self-Actualisation is the main motivation of the human organism.
-The scientific method is not an appropriate measure of behaviour - science is too objective.
What did Maslow create to explain the requirements of all humans.
Maslow created the hierarchy of needs.
Lift the 5 elements on the hierarchy of needs from the bottom to the top.
1) . Physiological needs
2) . Safety needs
3) . Love and Belonging
4) . Esteem
5) . Self-Actualisation.
Define self actualisation
The desire to grow psychologically and to achieve one’s full potential.
What is needed in order to reach self-actualisation.
Unconditional positive regard
Define the self image
How an individual perceives themselves
Define the ideal self
How an individual would like to be perceived.
Define congruence
Congruence occurs when an individual’s self image equates to their ideal self. Rarely, does this ever exist.
What are the conditions of worth?
The requirements we believe we must meet for others to accept us.
Give 2 advantages of the humanistic approach.
+Has high practical validity.
It led to various treatments, e.g. Rodger’s Client-Centered Therapy, it has been shown to compliment CBT.
+Supporting evidence for the conditions of worth from Harter.
He found that teenagers who feel they must meet certain requirements for their parents to approve them create a ‘false self’, these people are more likely to develop depression.
Give 2 disadvantages of the humanistic approach.
-The concepts are hard to test scientifically, therefore hard to support with empirical evidence.
The approach itself recognises this and rejects it because all humans are unique.
-Has low cultural validity.
Nevis found that, in China, self actualisation is defined in terms of contributing t the community rather than the indiviudual. Therefore this theory is only applicable in Western cultures.
What did Sheffield et al find?
A positive correlation between an individual’s levels of self actualisation and their psychological health.
However, he studied 185 college undergraduates (biased sample).
-(supporting evidence).
