Humanistic Approach

Question 1

Free will

Answer 1

All approaches are somewhat determinist and at least partly shaped by forces over which we have no control. Humanistic is different - people are self determining & have free will

Free will - The notion that humans can make choices and their behaviour isn’t determined by internal biological or external forces

People still affected by external influences but are also active agents who determined their own development

Question 2

Maslow’s Hierarchy

Answer 2

Psychological→Safety & Security→Love & belongingness→Self-esteem→Self-actualisation

Primary goal is self actualisation, but first the things before must be met

Question 3

Self-actualisation

Answer 3

An innate tendency/desire to reach your potential

Lower levels must be met (deficiency needs) before self-actualisation (growth need)
Humanist psychologists regard personal growth as essential to being a human

Question 4

The Self, congruence and conditions of worth

Answer 4

Self - the ideas and values that characterise ‘I’ and ‘me’ and includes perception and valuing of ‘what am’ and ‘what I can do’

Congruence - aim of Rogerian therapy, when the self-concept and ideal self match

Conditions of worth - when parent places limits or boundaries on their love of their children

Personal growth requires congruence between self and ideal self
If gap exists between 2 selves then person will experience state on congruence and self actualisation won’t be possible due to negative feelings of self worth

Question 5

Counselling

Answer 5

In order to reduce gap Rogers developed client centred therapy - counselling

Help people cope with problems of living every day life

Rogers claimed many of issues we experience (EG - low self esteem) have roots from childhood and often explained by lack of unconditional positive regard

Rogers - counsellor is genuine, empathic, unconditional positive regard

Question 6

Strengths

Answer 6

• Positive Approach
  Optimistic approach that sees people as basically good and in control
  Promotes positive image of the human condition
  Freud saw humans as slaves to their past and claimed we were all unhappy
  Suggests humanistic psychology offers refreshing & optimistic alternative to other approaches
• Not reductionist
  Approach rejects attempts to break up behaviour & experience into smaller components (reductionism)
  Behaviourists - explain human & animal learning in terms of stimulus response connections
  Cognitive - sees humans as little more than information processing machines
  Biological - reduce behaviour to its basic physiological processes
  Freud - described personality as a conflict through Id Ego & Superego
  Humanist psychology advocate holism - emphasis placed on the whole person
  Holism - Idea that subjective experience only understood by considering whole person
  Therefore this approach may have more validity that its alternatives by considering meaningful human behaviour within real world context