Humanistic Approach

• What are the assumptions of the Humanistic Approach?

  1. Emphasises the free will of the individual
  2. Prefer a holistic approach that considers the whole person
  3. Self actualisation
• Free Will

  • The view that humans can make their own choices and are not determined by biological factors
  • They have the ability to determine their own development and self actualise
• Origins of Humanistic Approach

  • 3rd force as it aimed to replace the 2 main approaches- behaviourism and psychodynamic
  • Intended to offer a less deterministic and artificial approach
  • Humanistic theories are concerned with human experiences, meaning and choice
• Maslow and Hierarchy of Needs

  • Maslow believes humans are motivated by needs beyond those of basic biological survival
  • Humans want to grow and to develop to our full potential (self actualisation)
  • Hierarchy of needs ranges from basic needs to higher level psychological and actualisation needs
  • All 4 have to be met before someone can self actualise
• What are the stages of self actualisation?

  1. Self Actualisation
  2. Esteem needs
  3. Love and Belonging
  4. Safety needs
  5. Physiological needs
• Self Actualisation

  • The humanistic approach believes all humans have a desire to achieve self actualise
  • Psychologists regard personal growth as an essential part of being human
  • Personal growth is concerned with developing and changing as a person to become fulfilled and satisfied
• Conditions of Worth

  • Rogers argues that self actualisation requires positive self regard
  • Conditions of worth is when you put on a limit of how much love you give someone
  • This can lead to feelings of low self esteem and worthlessness which can prevent self actualisation
  • Unconditional positive regard means you put no limit on how much love you give someone
• Congruence

  • Refers to how close 2 things overlap
  • Self actualisation requires that a persons self image is very similar to their ideal self
  • If the gap is too high then there will be incongruence and this leads to low self esteem
• Counselling Therapy

  • Roger believed in client centred therapy
  • Clients must discover the solution to their problems in a calm atmosphere
  • The therapy aims to increase congruence between the clients actual image and ideal image
  • This increases self worth and helps them self actualise
• What are the 3 things a therapist should be?

  1. Be Genuine
  2. Give unconditional positive regard
  3. Have empathy
• AO3 Humanistic Approach: Not reductionistic

  • Rejects attempts to break up behaviour into smaller components
  • Advocates holism and subjective experiences can only be understood by considering the whole person
  • May have the most validity than alternatives
• AO3 Humanistic Approach: Lack of scientific evidence

  • Reductionistic approaches tend to be more scientific
  • Humanistic psychology rarely break down concepts and measures them
  • Due to subjective concepts the approach becomes unfalsifiable (untestable)
• AO3 Humanistic Approach: Free Will

  • Emphasises choice
  • Free Will vs Determinism debate
  • Holds people accountable for their actions
• AO Humanistic Approach: Positive Approach

  • Optimistic Approach compared to others
  • Promotes a positive image of the human condition
  • Sees people as good and free to work towards the achievement of their full potential
• AO3 Humanistic Approach: Cultural Bias

  • Many ideas such as freedom autonomy and personal growth are more associated with individualistic cultures
  • Countries with collectivist tendencies emphasise the needs of the group
  • Self actualisation isn't important to some so this approach may not apply universally