Evaluation

• Holistic - point


  A key strength of the humanistic approach is that it takes a holistic view of human behaviour without reducing it into smaller components
• Holistic - evidence


  For example, behaviourists explain human and animal learning in terms of simple stimulus-response connections. Freud described the whole of our personality as the conflict between three simple things: id, ego and superego. Furthermore, biological psychologists deduce behaviour to its basic physiological processes.
• Holistic - explain


  In contrast, human psychologists advocate holism, the idea that subjective experience can only be understood by viewing the person as a whole. Therefore, this approach may have more validity than its alternatives by considering meaningful human behaviour within its real-world context.
• Holism - counterpoint 


  However, reductionist approaches can be considered more scientific. This is because these approaches can break things down into singular components allowing them to be experimented on individually, which in turn allows cause and effect to be established. An issue with humanistic psychology is that there are relatively few concepts that can be broken down, therefore showing that humanistic psychology is short on empirical evidence to support its claims.
• Optimistic - point

  Another strength of the humanistic approach is that it is optimistic towards human behaviour
• Optimistic - evidence

  Humanistic psychologists have been praised for promoting a positive image of humans and bringing the person back into psychology. Freud saw human beings as 'prisoners' of their past.
• Optimistic - explain


  In contrast, humanistic psychologists see all people as good, free to work towards the achievement of their potential and in control of their lives. This is important whereby the humanistic approach offers a refreshing alternative to other approaches and allows for focus on the individual to understand human behaviour.
• Cultural bias - point


  One limitation of the humanistic approach is that it may be culturally biased.
• Cultural bias - evidence


  Many of the concepts involved in the approach, such as individual freedom and personal growth, would be much more readily associated with individualistic countries as opposed to collectivist countries.
• Cultural bias - explain


  Countries with collectivist tendencies emphasise more the needs of the group and interdependence. In such countries, the ideals of humanistic psychology e.g. self-actualisation may not be as important as in others as they value a sense of community over satisfying 'the self'. Therefore, it is possible that this approach does not apply universally and is a product of the cultural context in which it is developed.