Humanistic psychology

• Humanistic approach assumptions

  • Each person can exercise free will and therefore have control over their thoughts and behaviours
  • Personality is studied from the point of view of the invididuals subjective appearance
• Client - Centered therapy

  • Emphasizes the importance of the present and the future over the past and aims to assist clients in achieving congruence between their perceived self and ideal self
• Rogers argued that in order for humans to grow, we need congruence for self-actualization. This refers to the alignment between ones perceived and ideal self
• Free will

  • Humanists argue that external causes do not set our behaviour, Instead we have the ability to shape our own lives through decision making
• Evaluation of the Humanistic approach

  • Lacks scientific credibility
  • Focuses on personal growth and development
  • More holistic, it better represents the complexity of human behaviour
• Maslow argued that humans need to fulfill the pyramid in order to develop
• Maslows hierarchy of needs

  A) Self actualization

  B) Esteem needs

  C) Belongingness and love needs

  D) Safety needs

  E) Physiological needs

  
• Supporting evidence of the Humanistic approach

  P - it portrays a positive image of the human condition

  E - Humanistic psychologists have been praised for promoting a positive image of the human condition, seeing people as in control of their lives and having freedom to change

  E - This is important because Freud saw human beings as slaves to their past and presented a negative view of human nature (Psychodynamic approach)

  L - This means the humanistic approach has provided a refreshing and optimistic alternative
• Contradictory evidence for the Humanistic approach

  P - includes untestable concepts

  E - includes a number of vague ideas that are abstract and difficult to test

  E - For example concepts such as ‘self-actualisation’ and ‘congruence’ although Rogers did attempt to introduce more rigor developing the Q-sort Technique.

  L - This means that the humanistic approach is considered unscientific and humanism is short of empirical evidence to support its assumptions.