The Humanistic Approach Flashcards
(18 cards)
How does humanistic psychology differ from other approaches regarding free will?
It emphasizes that humans are self-determining active agents with free will, unlike deterministic views in other approaches.
What is the humanistic approach’s view on scientific models?
It rejects scientific models that attempt to establish general principles, favoring a person-centred approach focused on subjective experience.
Who were key figures in the humanistic movement in psychology?
Rogers and Maslow.
What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
A motivational theory in which needs are arranged in a hierarchy from physiological needs to self-actualisation.
What are the deficiency needs in Maslow’s hierarchy?
Physiological needs, safety, love/belonging, and self-esteem.
What must be achieved before pursuing self-actualisation according to Maslow?
All four lower-level deficiency needs must be satisfied
What is self-actualisation?
The innate desire to achieve one’s full potential and become the best one can be.
What do humanistic psychologists see as essential for being human?
Personal growth—developing to become fulfilled, satisfied, and goal-oriented.
What can prevent a person from reaching self-actualisation?
Psychological barriers such as low self-worth or incongruence between self and ideal self.
According to Carl Rogers, what is needed for personal growth?
Congruence between the self-concept and the ideal self
What is incongruence in Rogers’ theory?
A significant gap between the self-concept and the ideal self, leading to low self-worth.
What is client-centred therapy?
A form of counselling developed by Rogers to help individuals achieve congruence and cope with daily problems.
What is unconditional positive regard?
Acceptance and love without conditions, essential for healthy psychological development.
What are conditions of worth?
When parents place limits on their love (e.g., “I will only love you if…”), leading to future psychological issues.
What is the therapist’s role according to Rogers?
To provide clients with unconditional positive regard to help them achieve personal growth.
STRENGTH (1) of humanistic approach
One strength of the humanistic approach is that it rejects attempts to break up behaviour and experience into smaller components (reductionism).
Behaviourists explain human and animal learning in terms of simple stimulus-response connections. Supporters of the cognitive approach see human beings as little more than information-processing
‘machines. Biological psychologists reduce behaviour to its basic physiological processes. Freud described the whole of personality as a conflict between three things: Id, Ego and Superego. In contrast, humanistic psychologists advocate holism, the idea that subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person.
This approach may have more validity than its alternatives by considering meaningful human behaviour within its real-world context.
STRENGTH (2) of humanistic approach
Another strength of the humanistic approach is that it is optimistic.
Humanistic psychologists have been praised for bringing the person back into psychology and promoting a positive image of the human condition. Freud saw human beings as prisoners of their past and claimed all of us existed somewhere between ‘common unhappiness and absolute despair. In contrast, humanistic psychologists see all people as pasicaly good, tree to work towaras the achievement or their potential and in control of their lives.
This suggests that humanistic psychology offers a refreshing and optimistic alternative to other approaches.
LIMITATION of humanistic approach
One limitation of the approach is that it may be culturally-biased.
Many of the ideas that are central to humanistic psychology, such as individual freedom, autonomy and personal growth, would be much more readily associated with countries that have more individualist tendencies (eg. the US). Countries with collectivist tendencies emphasise more the needs of the group and interdependence. In such countries, the ideals of humanistic psychology may not be as important as in others (e.g. self-actualisation).
Therefore, it is possible that this approach does not apply universally and is a product of the cultural context within which it was developed.
