What are the 4 core assumptions?
- People should all have free will
- Everyone is unique
- People should be viewed ‘holistically’
- The scientific method is not appropriate to measure behaviour
Explain the assumption ‘people should all have free will’
The approach acknowledges there are constraints on our free will - social rules, laws and morals
If we want to do something we should be able to do it
What is free will?
The freedom to chose what we do and we’re in control of our behaviour. We are in charge of our own development and progress through life
Explain the assumption ‘everyone is unique’
Humanists believe we are all different and should be treated as such
No point trying to generalise groups since there will still be too many differences
What does idiographic mean?
Viewing people as unique individuals
Explain the assumption ‘people should be viewed holistically’
- Humanists agree there’s no point in focusing at a single aspect of a person - otherwise you may miss something
- Do not agree with looking at childhood in therapy - whole life course should be considered
- Seeing someone as elements rather than whole means that much of what is important is lost
Explain the assumption ‘the scientific method is not appropriate to measure behaviour’
- Humanistic psychology not described as scientific
- Argues Scientific method is too objective since humans are subjective in the way they think and behave
- Humanistic approach thinks other methods for measuring behaviour are inappropriate as they don’t take into account the subjective experience of the individual
Is the humanistic approach determinist?
No, it’s different from the other approaches in which it claims human beings are self-determining and have free will
We are active agents who have the ability to determine our own development
What is self-actualisation?
When one has fulfilled their desire to grow psychologically and fulfilled one’s full potential - becoming what you are capable of
What did Maslow develop in 1940-1950?
Hierarchy of needs
What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in order?
From bottom to top
Psychological needs Safety Love and belonging Esteem Self actualisation
How do you reach self-actualisation in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
All lower levels of hierarchy need to be met before an individual can work towards self-actualisation and fulfilling their potential
How do humanist psychologists regard personal growth?
As an essential part of what it is to be human. It is concerned with the developing and changing of as a person to be fulfilled, satisfied and goal-orientated
What is the self-concept?
The self you feel you are
What is the ideal self?
The self you wish to be
What is the real self?
The person you actually are
What is congruence?
The aim of Rogerian therapy when your self concept and ideal self match
What is unconditional positive regard?
No requirements that an individual feels they need to meet in order to be loved
e.g. i’ll love you no matter what
What are conditions of worth?
Requirements that the individual feels the need to meet to be loved
What did Carl Rogers do?
He suggested that we have 3 selves which need to integrate in order to reach self-actualisation
Came up with congruence
What is client centred therapy?
Aims to address issues with worthlessness and low self-esteem which Rogers claimed have their roots in childhood
How can worthlessness and low self-esteem by explained by Rogers?
By a lack of unconditional positive regard by parents. Parents place conditions of worth on the child leading to incongruence of the selves
What does client centred therapy aim to provide?
Provides genuineness, empathy and unconditional positive regard.
It is non-directive as clients are seen by experts in their condition and are encouraged towards discovery of own solutions
How does the therapist act in client centred therapy?
As a mirror, reflecting the client’s subjective thoughts
What are the strengths of this approach
- Not reductionist = humanistic psychologists advocate holism as they assume subjective experiences can only be understood by considering the whole person. May provide a more complete, valid and meaningful picture of an individual’s behaviour and experiences.
It does not ignore the complexity of human behaviour unlike other approaches - Positive approach as it’s optimistic , sees all people as being good, free to work towards the achievements of their potential and in control of their lives. It promotes positive image of the human condition
- Allows for personal change and development throughout life and acknowledges change as a consequence from the environment
- Subjective experience difficult to test but a strength as it acknowledges the effect on behaviour
- The argument that everyone is unique supported by evidence that often finds that in group differences are greater than between group differences. E.g. Hyde 2005 showed difference between men and women as a group is greater than the differences between men and women
What are the limitations of this approach?
- Holistic explanations may be unhelpful in psychology as the degree to which an answer influences a behaviour may be lost. It’s hard to test scientifically and casual explanations may be lost. Can only gain subjective evidence and there’s no manipulation of variables
- Limited application as some illnesses cannot be treated by client centred therapy if people aren’t aware of reality and cannot help solve their problems as they are not rational e.g. schizophrenia
- Cultural bias, some ideas central to humanistic psychology may not apply in different countries as it’s been designed on western cultures like USA. Many cultures generalise actions and behaviours so humanists cannot be applied to single people.
- Concepts are vague, which makes them difficult to measure and falsify so we can’t measure the effects on individuals
What is humanistic psychology?
An approach to understanding behaviour that emphasises the importance of subjective experience and each persons capacity for self-determination