Week 7 - Humanistic Psychology: Why is The Self Like a Potato Flashcards
What are the key characteristics of Humanistic Psychology?
Background context:
- Developed from the mid 1950s
- Mainly through the work of Rogers &
Maslow - Response to the lack of ‘human’ elements
in psychology
Behaviourism = 1st force
Psychoanalysis & Neo Freudians = 2nd force
Humanistic Psychology = 3rd force
Humanistic key concepts – we live in our own individual realities
- Central idea – we make our own meaning and live within our individual reality
- Phenomenological reality - the importance of our own ‘experiencing’
- Conceptual focus - human desire to
grow towards their potential - Optimistic, constructive view of people
What is Phenomenological reality? - Rogers outlined his ideas in a series of 19 propositions
- Every Individual exists in a continually changing world of experience of which he is the center.
- This is a private world which can only be known in any complete sense to the individual himself. A large proportion of it is available to consciousness, depending on need, but at any
one time only a small portion may be in awareness
Perceptions are private and unique
- We react not to reality, but to the world as we perceive and experience it – our individual realit
Conceptual model of growth
Maslow 1954 / 1970
HIERARCHY OF NEEDS:
- need for self-actualization
- aesthetic needs
- need to know and understand
- esteem needs
- belongingness and love needs
- safety needs
- physiological needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy
- Needs are unconscious
- D needs and B needs (Deficiency and Becoming)
- Peak experiences – period of intense feeling of
happiness and wellbeing
More detailed version of maslows hierarchy of NEEDS
- The need to develop and pursue talents, develop knowledge and feel a sense of unity and fulfilment regarding our life mission or destiny.
- The need to feel adequate, competent, independent, confident, appreciated and
recognised by others. - The need for socialization, affection and
love, companionship, friendship and intimacy. - Security - a stable and structured, safe environment which is predictable.
- The need for basic survival – water,
food, shelter, clothing, sleep, money…
1 = top
5 = bottom, basic needs
The humanistic self –
Interactional ideas from Rogers
A person who is moving towards actualising
their potential is called a ‘fully functioning
person’.
“We can no longer think of the person as “fully
determined” where this phrase implies
“determined only by forces external to the
person.” The person, insofar as he is a real
person, is his own main determinant. Every
person is, in part, “his own project,” and
makes himself.”
(Maslow 1962 p.36)
What are the two types of humanistic self?
1. the ‘organismic self’
Essentially innate human organism which grows and realises its potential.
‘To thine own self be true’
2. the ‘self concept’
Develops over time dependent on reactions of people, becomes the person’s perception of themselves
Conditions of worth
- we learn to need positive regard from others
- parents, peers, teachers, etc. give us positive regard if we show that we are ‘worthy’ of it
- we introject this valuing process and incorporate it into our psyche
Conditions of worth and psychological difficulties
Psychological difficulties occur when a person is
highly dependent on the approval of others for a
sense of self-worth.
- People prioritise the needs to preserve the self-concept that wins approval and esteem (their ‘ideal self’)
Gap between the real self and the ideal self;
The bigger the gap the more psychological difficulties.
the real self and the ideal self
REAL SELF:
- Honesty with the
self
- Directing ones own life
- experiencing life as it is noW
- willingness to risk being open
IDEAL SELF:
- ‘Keeping up appearances’,
- acting on ‘oughts’, ‘shoulds’ & living up to
other’s expectations
Humanistic psychology specifies
a difference between a person’s
actual self and ideal self
The humanistic legacy - human potential rather than problems?
Maslow & Rogers - Psychology
- Should explore human potential
- Should help people be the best they can be
- New focus for Psychology (in the 1950s)
Positive Psychology - Seligman (1999…)
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY – phrase originally used by Maslow (1954)
- Use of scientific methods to explore a range of issues such as Happiness, Life Satisfaction, Optimism, Hope, Resilience, Creativity,
Love, and Forgiveness
What are the 3 Pillars by
Seligman, & Csikszentmihalyi, (2000)
- positive emotion,
- positive individual traits,
- positive institutions
Humanistic Research Links to Qualitative Methods
If people live by their own realities – the best way to research people is to understand their realities.
The best vantage point for understanding behavior is from the internal frame of reference of the individual himself (Rogers Prop 7.)
Humanistic Psychology does not discount experimental methods but…
The emphasis on ‘lived experiences’ and the ‘human’ aspects of life leads to qualitative research (e.g. interviews, focus groups, textual data…)
– Creativity, passion, art, literature, music…
– Major life events – birth, death, partnership…
Humanistic Psychology is nice and cuddly but…
-
Vague concepts?
– How can we talk about ‘authentic’ and ‘real‘ selves
What is the balance with individual responsibility and social context? - Critical Psychology (Fox & Prilleltensky 1997; Parker 1999) Attention to Power?)
- Prilleltensky (1992) Humanistic Psychology minimises social and political forces?
Humanistic view of human nature and the importance of understanding yourself and others
(Human agency = a person’s capacity to control and create meaning within their environment through reasoned and reflective actions)
- Human nature is intrinsically good – some things are in human nature – creativity, choice, freedom
- Humanistic psychology is empowering – People can take responsibility for themselves - humans have the capacity to be self-determining.
-
Humanistic psychology seems to emphasise
individual responsibility – risks minimising the need for social change
BUT
- In taking responsibility for ourselves – we also need to take responsibility for creating social processes and practices which facilitate the individual development of others
