Humanistic approach (app) Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the humanistic approach?
a psychological perspective that emphasises the individual’s personal worth, the centrality of human values, and the creative, active nature of human beings.
What is free will?
the notion that humans can make choices and are not determined by internal biological or external forces
What is self actualisation?
the desire to grow psychologically and fulfil one’s full potential - becoming what you are capable of.
What is the hierarchy of needs?
a five levelled hierarchical sequence in which basic physiological needs (like hunger) must be satisfied before higher psychological needs (such as self-esteem and self-actualisation)
What is self?
the ideas and values that characterise ‘I’ and ‘me’ and includes perception and valuing of ‘what I am’ and ‘what I can do’
What is congruence?
The aim of Rogerian therapy, when the self-concept and ideal self are seen to broadly accord or match
What are conditions of worth?
when a parent places limits or boundaries on their love of their children. For instance, a parent saying to a child, ‘I will only love you if you study medicine’ or ‘if you split up with that boy’
What does the humanistic approach emphasise?
the importance of subjective experiences, feelings and thoughts of a person. Rogers and Maslow reject scientific models that attempt to establish general principles of human behaviour. It is often referred to as a person-centred approach.
And also the importance of personal growth (developing and changing as a person to become fulfilled, satisfied and goal-oriented) and fulfilment.
What does the humanistic approach argue our behaviour is down to?
Behaviour is our choice
It claims that humans are self-determining and have free will – we have full conscious control and can make choices that are not determined by biological or external forces
What does the humanistic approach say everyone has?
an innate tendency to fulfil their potential and become what they are capable of. This is known as self-actualisation.
What does self actualisation represent (Maslow)
The uppermost level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This means that you have fulfilled your desire to grow psychologically and fulfil your full potential – becoming what you are capable of. These people tend to be creative, accepting of others and have an accurate perception of the world around them.
What are the 7 stages of the hierarchy of needs? (with examples)
Self actualisation - personal growth
Aesthetic needs - appreciation of ‘prettiness’
Cognitive needs - able to solve problems and think for ourselves
Esteem needs - self esteem, confidence
Belonging and love needs - family, work groups, sexual intimacy
Safety and security needs - employment, morality, family property
Physiological needs - breathing, water, food
Everyone has an innate tendency to want to fulfil their potential so they are motivated to progress through the levels of the hierarchy
All the needs below self-actualisation = psychological barriers to us fulfilling our potential
What did Rogers argue?
Rogers argued that for personal growth to be achieved an individual’s concept of self (the way they see themselves) must be broadly equivalent to, or have congruence with, their ideal self (the person they want to be).
If too big a gap exists between the two ‘selves’ the person will experience a state of incongruence and self-actualisation will not be possible due to the negative feelings of self-worth that arise from the incongruence.
congruence is the comparability between the perceived self (how you see yourself) and the ideal self (the self you would like to be).
How do you close the gap between perceived self and ideal self?
an individual can develop a more healthy view of themselves, or have a more achievable and realistic ideal self.
Rogers developed client-centred therapy to help people cope with such problems of everyday living.
Why are conditions of worth detrimental?
Rogers claimed that many of the issues we experience as adults, such as worthlessness and low self-esteem, have their roots in childhood and can sometimes be explained by a lack of unconditional positive regard (or lack of unconditional love) from our parents.
A parent who sets boundaries or limits on their love for their child (conditions of worth) by claiming “I will only love you if……” is storing up psychological problems for that child in the future. Therefore, conditions of worth is withholding of positive regard/love/affection/esteem.
Rogers saw one of his roles as an effective therapist as being able to provide his clients with the unconditional positive regard that they failed to receive as children. Additionally, they should provide the client with genuineness and empathy.
Strength of the humanistic approach
Each person can exercise free will - where science focuses on determinism
brings the human experience back into psychology as we’re attempting to understand each individual’s behaviour based on their own subjective experiences and unique context
Weakness of the humanistic approach
Each person is unique – science focuses on developing general and universal laws.
means that it doesn’t give psychology great credibility as a science
Weakness of the humanistic approach (culture)
Many of the ideas that are central to the humanistic approach e.g. autonomy, freedom and personal growth, would be more readily associated with individualistic cultures in the Western world. Collectivist cultures such as India, which emphasise the needs of the group, community and interdependence, may not identify so easily with the ideals and values of the humanistic approach.
Therefore, it is possible that this approach would not travel well and is a product of cultural context within which is was developed.
Weakness of the humanistic approach (unrealistic)
Humanistic psychology represents an overly idealised and unrealistic view of human nature. Critics argue that people are not as inherently good and ‘growth-oriented’ as humanistic theorists suggest, and the approach does not adequately recognise people’s capacity for pessimism and self-destructive behaviour. The view that personality development is directed only by an innate potential for growth is seen as an oversimplification, as is the humanistic assumption that all problems arise from blocked self-actualisation.
Encouraging people to focus on their own self-development rather than on situational forces may be neither realistic nor appropriate in modern society.
Assumptions of the humanistic approach
Behaviour is due to our choice - subjective experiences, thoughts and emotions are important
Study humans only
Maslow and Rogers’ ideas
A positive approach because all humans are innately good and have an innate tendency to want to fulfil their potential
Focuses on the present and future as focuses on subjective experiences in the present and how we can achieve congruence and self-actualisation in the future
