The Humanistic Approach (AP P2)

Question 1

What is the concept of free will?

Answer 1

• Free to act in unconstrained ways
• Not determined by biological or external forces
• We have the ability to determine our own development
• Still affected by uncontrollable factors, but there’s still choice

Question 2

What is self-actualisation (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs)?

Answer 2

• Innate tendency to want to achieve our full potential and become the best we can be
• Believes we are motivated by needs beyond those of basic biological survival
• All needs must be met at each level before we can progress to the next level
• Higher level needs: later evolutionary development

Question 3

What is the focus on the self?

Answer 3

Refers to the ideas and values that characterise ‘I’ and ‘me’ and includes our perception of ‘what I am’ and ‘what I can do’

Question 4

What is congruence?

Answer 4

• Roger’s aim of therapy
• Individuals concept of self needs to be congruent with their ideal self
• Big gap leads to incongruence

Question 5

What are conditions of worth?

Answer 5

• Feelings of worthlessness and low self esteem may be due to a lack of unconditional positive regard from parents (‘I will only love you if’)
• Conditions imposed on an individual’s behaviour/development that are considered necessary to earn positive regard from significant others

Question 6

What is Rogers’ client centred therapy?

Answer 6

• Individuals strive to achieve their ideal selves as they are motivated towards self improvement
• Environment of unconditional positive regard

Question 7

What is Gestalt therapy?

Answer 7

• Help client become ‘whole’ (gestalt) person by getting them to accept every aspect of themselves (holistic)
• Techniques involve confrontation, dream analysis and role playing

Question 8

What is the order of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (top to bottom)?

Answer 8

• Self-actualisation
• Esteem
• Love/belonging
• Safety
• Physiological

Question 9

Refreshingly optimistic (evaluation of Humanistic psychology)

Answer 9

• Praised for promoting a positive image of the human condition, seeing people as in control of their lives and having freedom to change
• Gives patient some responsibility
• Holism: considers meaningful human behaviour within its real life context

Question 10

The use of free will (evaluation of Humanistic psychology)

Answer 10

• Free will is unfalsifiable, and difficult to test
• Lacks any scientific credibility
• Holistic approach (not reductionism) gives more depth of understanding at an individual level: more validity
• Idiographic (not nomothetic)
  Case studies, individual experiences

Question 11

Cultural differences in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (evaluation of Humanistic psychology)

Answer 11

• Order of needs is generalised
• May not apply to different cultures
• Cultural bias: collectivist cultures may not so easily identify with the ideas
• Western cultural bias: humanism would be more readily associated with individualist cultures (e.g UK and USA)