Humanistic Approach Flashcards
(9 cards)
Key assumptions of the humanistic approach
- human beings have free will and even though we are affected by external and internal influences we are active agents who have the ability to determine our own behaviour
-it is an idiographic approach as it suggests that we are all unique therefore psychology should concern itself with the study of subjective experience rather than general laws
-Reaching self actualisation is the main motivation of the human organism
Free will
The idea that humans are free to choose their own thoughts and actions therefore having an active role in controlling their behaviour 
Mallows hierarchy of needs which explains what motivates people
A bit most basic need is for PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDSand this will be the first thing that motivates our behaviour once this is satisfied we move onto SAFETY NEEDS followed by LOVE AND BELONGINGNESS, SELF ESTEEM and finally SELF ACTUALISATION . A person is only able to progress through the hierarchy the current one has been met. 
Self actualistaion
It is the desire to grow psychologically and fulfils one potential. This is where person is creative accepting of other people and has an accurate perception of the world around them. Maslow believed that self actualisation is the aim of most people but not everyone will manage this due to important psychological barriers and that may prevent a person from reaching their true potential.
All ideas of Roger’s
The self concept- how we perceive ourselves as a person including self image this is important for good psychological health at a simple level. We might see ourselves as a good or bad person beautiful or ugly. Ideal self the person who we would like to be it consists of our goals and ambitions in life.
these are different in childhood and adulthood
Congruence- Roger’s
just believed that for a person to achieve self actualisation they must be in a state of congruence. This is when a person’s ideal self is consistent with their actual experiences and self image. Incongruence- a person‘s ideal self may not be consistent with what actually happens in life and experiences of the person.
Conditions of worth- the requirements we think we must meet for other people to accept us as worthy of their love. They are a result of receiving conditional positive regard from others as children we learn that there are certain things we do that our parents or caregiver, we strive to do those things.
As we grow up, this may result in unhappiness and a lack of self-worth as we strive to satisfy conditions that may be unrealistic. In contrast unconditional positive regard is needed to reach self actualisation no requirements need to be met for other people to accept and love us a person feels free to try things out and make mistakes even though this may lead to getting it wrong at times as there is a total acceptance by others.
One strength of the humanistic approach
It is anti-reductionist humanistic psychologists reject any attempt to break up behaviour experience in smaller components they advocate holism the idea that subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person e.g. their relationships past present and future this approach may have more validity than its alternatives by considering meaningful human behaviour within its real world context
Counter point to humanistic psychology
However humanistic psychology unlike behaviourism has a relatively few concepts that can be reduced to single variables and measured this means that humanistic psychology in general is short on empirical evidence to support its claims
 another strength to the humanistic approach
Humanistic psychologist have been praised for promoting a positive image of the human condition seeing people is in control of their lives and having the freedom to change Freud so human beings as prisoners of their past and cleaned all of us existed somewhere between, not happiness and absolute despair therefore Humanistic psychology office are refreshing and optimistic alternative
A limitation to the humanistic approach
May be guilty of cultural bias
Many humanistic ideas e.g. self actualisation would be more associated with individual culture such as the United States collectivist cultures such as India which empathies the needs of the group may not identify so easily with the ideas and values of humanistic psychology therefore it is possible that the app approach does not apply universally and is a product of the cultural context within which it was
