humanistic approach

• key psychologists: maslow, rogers
• freewill is the opposite of determinism.

  free will:

  • individual choice
  • conscience action
  • autonomy (independent)

  determinism:

  • actions/behaviour is predetermined i.e. no individual choice
  • innate
• maslow's hierarchy of needs


  from bottom of pyramid:

  • physiological - eg, breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion
  • safety - eg, security of body, of employment, of resources, of morality, of the family, of health, of property
  • love/belonging - eg, family, friendship, sexual intimacy
  • esteem - eg, self-esteem confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others
  • self-actualisation - eg, morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of fact.
• maslow's hierarchy


  • each level must be fulfilled before a person can move up to a higher need
  • the more basic a need, the more powerfully it is experienced and the more difficult to ignore
• maslow's theory (1943)


  • importance of personal growth and fulfilment
  • opened doors for positive psychology
• self-actualisation


  • those who attained this level shared certain characteristics - creative, accepting of other people, accurate perception of the world around them
  • maslow believed that such individuals experience self-actualisation in the form of peak experiences
  • there are moments of extreme inspiration and ecstasy during which they felt able to leave behind all doubts, fears and inhibitions
• carl rogers (1902 - 1987)


  • emphasis on the importance of the individual's striving towards personal growth and fulfilment

  general assumptions:

  • people are basically good
  • they are driven to fulfil their potential
  • they have the capacity to choose their own behaviour
• focus on the self


  • the self refers to how we perceive ourselves as a person
  • roger (1951) claimed that people have two basic needs;

  1. positive regard from others
  2. a feeling of self worth
• self-worth develops in childhood and is formed as a result of the child's interactions with parents.

  further interaction with significant other (friends, spouse, etc.) also influence the person's feelings of self-worth
• congruence


  when there is a similarity between a person's ideal self and how they perceive themselves to be in real life.

  the closer our self-image and ideal self are to each other, the greater the congruence and the higher our feelings of self-worth
• incongruence


  • however there is a difference between the self and the ideal self, the person experiences incongruence
  • most people experience some degree of incongruence
  • people use defence mechanisms such as denial to reduce negative feelings caused by incongruence
• Positive regard: conditional positibe regard


  • The person is accepted only if they do what others want them to do
  • This leads people to develop conditions of worth
• Positive regard: unconditional positive regard


  • What is this?
  • No matter what
• Unconditional positive regard is when the person is accepted for who they are or what they do
• Conditions of worth


  develop when people experience conditional positive regard

  • Conditions of worth are the conditions that they perceive significant others put upon them
  • People believe these conditions have to be in place if they are to be accepted by others and see themselves positively
  • A person may experience self-acceptance only if they meet others conditions of worth
• • A child who is only given praise by their parents when they achieve is given conditional positive regard
  • They may develop conditions of worth such as only believing they are a worthwhile and acceptable person if they get good grades in exams