Section 5 : The Approaches In Psychology - Humanistic Approach

Question 1

What does humanistic psychology focus on

Answer 1

• it focuses on the person as a whole

Question 2

What do humanistic psychologists believe about people

Answer 2

They believe that all people are inherently good and that they’re driven to achieve their full potential

Question 3

What does humanistic approach to psychology take into account

Answer 3

They take into account the feelings of the individual rather than just their observable behaviour

Question 4

What type of approach is the humanistic approach

Answer 4

An idiographic approach

Question 5

What does idiographic mean

Answer 5

It focuses on studying the individual rather than producing general rules which come from summarising a group of people

Question 6

What do humanistic psychology assume causes a person’s behaviour

Answer 6

Humanistic approach assumes that a person’s behaviour is caused by subjective feelings and their thoughts about themselves

Question 7

What does humanistic psychology disagree with

Answer 7

It disagrees with the strictly deterministic ideas of other approaches which assume that human behaviour occurs in cause and effect relationship

Question 8

What does humanistic psychology believe about behaviour

Answer 8

It believes that human behaviour is determined by free will. People can choose how to behave - and their behaviour isn’t caused by external or biological factors or, even the past

Question 9

Who developed the hierarchy of needs

Answer 9

Maslow

Question 10

What does humanistic psychology suggest

Answer 10

It suggests that people are motivated to use their own free will to allow them to reach their full potential

Question 11

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 11

A hierarchy to show how humans needs can be categorised and prioritised

Question 12

What is the first level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 12

• Physiological needs to survive
• at this level you source the food, water, shelter and sleep you need to stay alive (as well as sex to reproduce)

Question 13

What is the second level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 13

At this stage you strive to feel safe physically, psychologically and economically

Question 14

What is the third level in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 14

At this level you consider affection, acceptance and belonging to be the most important

Question 15

What is the fourth level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 15

At this level you’re focused on achievement and gaining respect from others

Question 16

What is the fifth and final stage of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 16

At this level you realise your fullest potential - you’ve become the best you’re capable of being. Self-actualisation

Question 17

What did Maslow believe about the hierarchy

Answer 17

He believed that we spend our whole lives trying to reach the top of the hierarchy, but hardly anyone get there. He also stated until lower levels need aren’t met, you can’t attempt to satisfy higher levels needs

Question 18

Humanistic psychology assumes everyone has the ability to self-actualise. Why may this be incorrect

Answer 18

Because self-actualisation may be limited to the most intelligent, well-educated people

Question 19

What are the list of characteristics that self-actualised person might show

Answer 19

• Strong sense of self-awareness
• a fully accepting view of themselves and others for who they are
• the ability to deal with uncertainty and the unknown
• a strong sense of creativity

Question 20

What did Maslow believe about how self actualisation is measured

Answer 20

He believed it could be measured using what he called ‘peak experiences’

Question 21

What are peak experience

Answer 21

These are times where the person feels wonder and euphoria towards the world around them. After these experiences people often feel inspired with a renewed sense of self awareness

Question 22

How much evidence is there in support of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 22

• There is little evidence or research to support the hierarchical nature of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
• Maslow supported his hierarchy with biographical evidence of famous self-actualised people
• Hierarchy doesn’t explain with the characteristics of self-actualised person deprive themselves of basic needs such as food (e.g. mother teresa)

Question 23

What is Aronoff 1967

Answer 23

A study tested whether the higher levels of the hierarchy are only satisfied once the lower levels have been satisfied

Question 24

What was the method of Aronoff 1967

Answer 24

• compared people in two jobs in the British West Indies - fishermen and cane cutters
• cane cutters got paid according to how much canes was cut by the whole group even if they were off sick, high job security although wages were low
• Fishermen worked alone, doing more challenging work, so less secure in their job although they earned more overall
• both groups of people were assessed to see which level they were at in. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Question 25

What were the results of Aronoff 1967

Answer 25

• more cane cutters were at the lower levels of the hierarchy, still trying to achieve safety and security
• Many if the fishermen had satisfied the lower levels of the hierarchy

Question 26

What was the conclusion of Aronoff 1967

Answer 26

• Only men who had satisfied lower levels of the pyramid would chose to become fishermen allowing them to develop high self-esteem
• This suggests that people cannot reach the higher levels of Maslow’s hierarchy until they have satisfied the lower levels

Question 27

Give the evaluations of Aronoff 1967

Answer 27

• Study supports Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory
• Has ecological validity as it studied people in their natural environment
• However, it only studied people from one culture so results can’t be generalised to the wider population

Question 28

What did Rogers believe

Answer 28

• All people try to achieve self-actualisation, claimed all people are inherently good and motivated to achieve full potential
• didn’t believe the route to self-actualisation was as strict as Maslow’s had described
• he believed that people move towards self-actualisation depending in their own thoughts about themselves and the way they’re treated by others
• believed you develop in a psychologically healthy way if your path to self-actualisation is not blocked
• believed Everyone had the need to be regarded by others in a good light and to be shown love, respect and affection

Question 29

Rogers outlined the differences between how someone….

Answer 29

• Sees themselves (their self-concept)
• how they would like to be (their ideal self)

Question 30

What did rogers suggest about how someone’s self concept is created and developed

Answer 30

He suggested it is created and develops in a way which depends on whether they receive unconditional positive regard or whether conditions of worth are set for them

Question 31

What is unconditional positive regard

Answer 31

• This is where the person gets affection and support no matter what their behaviour is like
• We need unconditional positive regard to have a positive self-concept

Question 32

What is conditions of worth

Answer 32

• This is where approval and affection is given as a result of behaving in a certain way
• although this treatment can help someone learn to fit in with the rules of social life, Rogers believed that it could stop them from reaching self-actualisation - this is because person may focus on keeping other people happy rather than developing their own personality

Question 33

What happens to someone if they have unconditional positive regard and then receive love and acceptance

Answer 33

If they have unconditional positive regard and then receive love and acceptance for their behaviour, they will experience congruence - and become a fully functioning person

Question 34

What happens to someone’s if they are set conditions of worth

Answer 34

Then their ideal self become something different to the self-concept, and the person will experience incongruence

Question 35

What did Rogers develop his ideas into

Answer 35

A form of therapy

Question 36

What did Rogers believe about the cause of psychological problems

Answer 36

Rogers believed that many people’s psychological problems were caused by incongruence

Question 37

What is incongruence

Answer 37

This is where there is a mismatch between someone’s self concept and their ideal self

Question 38

What did Rogers therapy aim to do

Answer 38

His therapy aimed to remove this incongruence by making it possible for the person to become their ideal self

Question 39

What was Rogers Therapy known as

Answer 39

Client-centred therapy

Question 40

What does the therapy focus on

Answer 40

Focuses on the client - they’re in charge of what is talked about, and it’s their responsibility to eventually solve their own problems

Question 41

What is the therapists job in Client-centred therapy

Answer 41

The therapists job is to make the client aware of their thoughts, actions, behaviours. They can do this by carefully rephrasing the clients sentences and repairing them back

Question 42

How may a conversation of client-centred therapy go

Answer 42

Client: I find my parents really annoying. They’re always going on at me and won’t let me do what o want
Therapist: So you’re feeling quite frustrated. Your parents treat you like you’re still a child and not an adult

Question 43

What is really important in client centred therapy

Answer 43

-Unconditional positive regard
- genuineness and empathy.
- The therapist is supportive of the client no matter what they do or say with the aim that the client will come to value themselves

Question 44

What evidence shows client centred therapy is effective

Answer 44

Gibbard and Hanley 2008

Question 45

What is Gibbard and Hanley

Answer 45

• studied the impact of client centred therapy on a group of patients suffering from common mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression
• they studied 700 people over 5 years
• a questionnaire was used to measure the extent of their condition before and after therapy
• It was found that nearly 70% of the participants showed a significant improvement in their mental health after taking part in client centred therapy

Question 46

What at the strengths of Humanistic psychology

Answer 46

• very positive approach, people are striving to be better
• free will is a major part, less restrictive to than more deterministic approaches
• approach trades people as individuals and takes the whole person into account rather than reducing individual behaviours to cause and effect responses
• research gathers qualitative data which is rich in detail. Rogers recorded many session so they could be analysed, making it possible to observe successes as a result of therapy
• the counselling techniques which have come from the approach have been shown to be effective

Question 47

What are the weaknesses of humanistic psychology

Answer 47

• Approach places less emphasis on factors such as the role of genetics
• the humanistic approach lacks objectivity - largely based in feelings and subjective reports
• Hard to test in a scientific way
• Features things that are hard to measure such as self-actualisation
• approach is idiographic, means it doesn’t create generalised laws which can be applied to everyone, making it a less scientific approach