The Humanistic approach Flashcards
What is the humanistic approach also known as?
Positive psychology
What is the humanistic approach?
This is a person-centred approach that focuses on the importance of the uniqueness of the individual, their own conscious, subjective view and experience of the present.
It is a holistic approach that thoughts, feelings and behaviours all need to be taken in to account if human behaviour is to be fully understood.
What is the humanistic approach not?
The humanistic approach does not aim to make assumptions or predictions about behaviour, it does not assume that one person’s experience represents another’s. It is an idiographic approach
What does humanism assume?
That we are all ‘essentially good’ - that we want the best for ourselves and for those around us.
We think, act and feel the way we do with the ultimate goal of achieving our potential.
What are the 5 levels of Maslow’s hierarchy from the bottom to the top?
Physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualisation
What are the requirements to meet the physiological level of the hierarchy?
Breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion
What are the requirements to meet the safety level of the hierarchy?
Security of body, of employment, of resources, of morality, of the family, of health, of property
What are the requirements to meet the love/belonging level of the hierarchy?
Friendship, family, sexual intimacy
What are the requirements to meet the esteem level of the hierarchy?
Self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others
What are the requirements to meet the self-actualisation level of the hierarchy?
Morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts
What did Maslow state about his hierarchy?
Maslow stated that we are constantly adjusting our behaviour to better ourselves with the goal of reaching self-actualisation.
The lowest level of the pyramid contains the basic physiological needs required for survival. Provided that these needs are met, Maslow argued that humans also have a need to be safe, a need to be loved and to belong and a need for self-esteem, in ascending order of importance. The highest level of need is self-actualisation.
What did Carl Rogers believe?
That our need for personal growth is the motivating force for all behaviour. He called this the actualising tendency.
What did Rogers say had to happen for personal growth to be achieved?
Our self-concept, self-worth, and ideal self must all be congruent (overlap). It is only at this point that we can reach our full potential
What did Rogers state would happen if there was a big gap between the two selves?
The individual will experience negative feelings of self-worth. Rogers stated that individuals here are in a state of incongruence and would be incapable of self-actualising
What did Rogers say about parents who place conditions of worth on their love for their child?
A parent who places conditions of worth on their love for their child is paving the way for psychological problems in adulthood for that child
