APPROACHES ( HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY)

Question 1

Outline the Humanistic approach

Answer 1

An approach focusing on free will , personal growth and self actualisation .

Question 2

Outline the key assumptions : free will , self actualisation , hierarchy of needs , the self and congruence and unconditional positive regard

Answer 2

Free will - behaviour is not determined by biology or past experiences alone

Self actualisation - every person has an innate tendency to achieve their full potential

Hierarchy of needs - needs must be filled in order for an individual to grow psychologically ( physiological , safety , love/belonging , esteem , self actualisation)

The self & congruence - for self actualisation to occur there should be congruence bet the ideal self , self - image and real self . If there’s a gap it leads to incongruence and low self-worth.

Conditions of worth and Unconditional Positive regard - people need unconditional positive regard to develop a healthy self - concept . When love is conditional , it leads to psychological issues.

Question 3

Outline client- centred therapy

Answer 3

A non-directive therapy providing empathy , genuineness , and unconditional positive regard to help individuals reduce incongruence and promote self -actualisation.

Question 4

EVALUATE THE HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY

Answer 4

STRENGTHS :

Holistic approach : looks at the whole person and their subjective experiences . Increases validity by considering meaningful experiences rather than reducing behaviour to components unlike bio or cognitive approaches.

Practical application : Led to development of client-centred therapy , which has been particularly effective self-esteem issues and mild mental health conditions. Influencing areas like education , business and counselling.

LIMITATIONS

Lack of scientific rigor : Self - actualisation and congruence are subjective and difficult to operationalise or test under experimental conditions. Weakens the approach’s credibility in comparison to more scientific approaches ( biological , cognitive )

Limited application to severe disorders : Humanistic therapy is less effective for severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia , where bio treatments are more successful limiting usefulness in clinical psychology.