The Inner Experience Flashcards
The last way to look at personality starts from each person's point of view, from the inside out.
Define: Life Narrative
A story that we develop to explain ourselves and find meaning in our experiences.
Define: Humanist Approach
Emphasis on our unique human capacity to determine our own actions and futures.
When was the humanist approach initiated? By who?
Humanist Approach was launched in the 1960’s by:
- Abraham Maslow
- Carl Rogers
- Rollo May
Define: Peak Experience
Rare moment of life caused by attainment, excellence, or experience of beauty
Maslow thought personality development was a gradual progression towards…
Self-actualization
Define: a self-actualized person
Someone who strives for a meaningful life that is challenging and satisfying
Define: “The Fully Functioning Individual”, introduced by Carl Rogers
Fully-functioning people experience congruence and harmony between their true feelings, and the image they project to others.
What do we need in order to become fully-functional adults?
Unconditional Positive Regard-love and support for the people we are, with no strings attached
Define: Conditional Positive Regard and its ramifications
Conditional regard means a child has to do something good in order to be loved and receive positive feedback. Ramifications include:
- a child may begin to suppress or deny feelings that are unacceptable to those they love
- suppression results in inconguence
What are some results of incongruence?
- being out of touch with your feelings
- outside of yourself
- unhappiness
- low self-regard and self-esteem
- high incongruence on neuroticism can result in bitterness and negativity
Who introduced Existentialism?
Rollo May
What does Existentialism emphasize?
Existentialism emphasizes the challenges of human existence: search for the meaning of life, the need to face death, and the need to be responsible for your own actions.
What are some (scientific) criticisms of the humanist approach?
- many of its assumptions are untestable
- different views may reflect the observers more than the observed
- approaches are hard to define operationally
- unconditional positive regard is misinterpreted in our culture
Define: Positive Psychology
Positive psychology follows the footsteps of the humanist approach by enabling people to be optimistic and resilient in stress.
What is the main message of the Humanist and Existentialist views?
We have the power to choose our own destinies, even when fate delivers us into tragedy.
