The Humansitic Approach Flashcards
What is the basis of the humanistic approach ?
Humanistic psychologists see humans as affected by external and internal influences but self-determining (have free will). Psychology should concern itself with subjective experience rather than general laws as we are all unique - a person-centred approach
What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ?
In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs the four lower levels must be met before the individual can work towards self-actualisation. The levels are :physiological needs , safety + security , love + belongingness , self esteem , self-actualisation
What is self-actualisation?
Refers to the innate tendency that each of us has to want to achieve our full potential and become the best we can possibly be.
What is the focus on the self in the humanistic approach ?
The self refers to the ideas and values that characterise ‘I’ and ‘me’ and includes perceptions of ‘what I am’ and ‘what I can do’
What is the aim of the therapy?
Aim of the therapy is to establish congruence. Rogers argued that personal growth requires an individuals concepts of self to be congruent with their ideal self.
What is the concept of self ?
To achieve personal growth you must become congruent with there sense of self. There is three selfs : self concept - the way in which you see yourself
Ideal self - the person you would like to be
Real self - the person you actually are
What are conditions of worth ?
Many psychological problems are due to experience of worthlessness and low self-esteem which is a result of lack of positive regard from mothers. E.g. being raised in an environment where you only get praise when you adhere to their conditions.
What are conditions of worth ?
Many psychological problems are due to experience of worthlessness and low self-esteem which is a result of lack of positive regard from mothers. E.g. being raised in an environment where you only get praise when you adhere to their conditions.
What is the steps of the hierarchy?
1 - Physiological 2 - Safety 3 - Social 4 - Self-esteem 5 - Self-actualisation
What is one strength of the humanistic approach ?
P - one strength is that the humanistic psychology is holistic
E - humanistic psychologist reject any attempts to break up behaviour and experience into smaller components - they advocate holism - the idea that subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person
E - this approach may have more validity than its alternatives by considering meaningful human behaviour within its real-world application
Are another strength of the humanistic approach ?
P - another strength is the approach is a positive one
E - humanistic psychologists have been praised for promoting a positive image of the human condition - seeing people as in control of their life and having the freedom to change - Freud saw people as prisoners of their past
E - therefore humanistic psychology offered a refreshing and optimistic alternative
Name one limitation of the humanistic approach ?
P - one limitation is that the approach may be guilty of a cultural bias
E - many humanistic ideas would be associated with individualist cultures such as the United States - collectivist cultures such as India , which emphasise the needs of groups may not identify so easily with the ideals and values of humanistic psychology
E - therefore it is possible that the approach does not apply universally and is a product of the cultural context within which it was developed
Name another limitation of the humanistic approach ?
P - it has limited application
E - Rogerian therapy revolutionised counselling techniques and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has been used to explain motivation particularly in the workplace - however, it has limited impact to todays psychology or practical application in the real world
E - this suggests that the approach lacks value in the real world
