humanistic psychology

• main 2 people who developed humanistic psychology

  1. rogers
  2. maslow
• 🔷 key assumptions of humanistic psychology


  • views humans as unique, subjective individuals
  • emphasises personal growth and self-fulfilment
  • rejects scientific methods
• 🆓 free will

  believes humans are self-determining

  • active agents who choose our own development
  • person-centered
  • focuses on subjective experience and personal responsibility
• 🌟 self-actualisation

  innate drive to reach full potential

  • creative, accepting and have accurate perceptions of the world
• 🪜 maslow's hierarchy of needs

  1. physiological needs
  2. safety needs
  3. love & belongingness
  4. esteem needs
  5. self-actualisation
• 🧍🏼‍♀️ focus on the self

  carl rogers

  • how we perceive ourselves
  • self-concept must be in congruence with ideal self
  • incongruence leads to low self-worth and poor psychological health
• 🟰 congruence

  self-concept ≈ ideal self

  • incongruence = mismatch between who a person is and who they want to be
  • personal growth is only possible when congruence is achieved
  • therapy can reduce the gap
• 🎭 conditions of worth

  expectations that people believe they must meet to be loved or valued

  • developed through childhood
  • can lead to incongruence
  • provide unconditional positive regard to promote congruence
• 💬 influence on counselling psychology

  client-centered therapy developed by rogers

  • focuses on achieving congruence and reducing conditions of worth
  • uses empathy, active listening and unconditional positive regard
  • provides a non-directive and accepting environment
• ✅ strength of humanistic psychology - free will

  emphasises personal growth

  • assumes individuals are active agent
  • allows for a holistic view that people are capable of change
  • practical applications
• ❌ limitation of humanistic psychology - scientific

  lacks empirical support

  • self-actualisation and congruence are difficult to measure objectively
  • abstract concepts
  • reduces credibility
• ❌ limitation of humanistic psychology - culture

  culturally biased towards western values

  • emphasises personal autonomy, individual achievement and self-actualisation
  • collectivist cultures focuses on interdependence
  • limits cross-cultural validity