A03

• Strengths of the humanistic approach

  1. Positive approach
  2. Research support for conditions of worth
• Limitations of the humanistic approach

  1. Culture-biased
  2. Untestable concepts
• Strength = positive approach

  • Humanistic psychologists have been praised for 'bringing the person back into psychology' and promoting a positive image of the human condition
  • Humanistic psychology offers a refreshing and optimistic alternative as it sees all people as basically good, free to work towards the achievement of their potential and in control of their lives
• Strength = research support for conditions of worth

  • Harter et al. (1996)
  • Teenagers who feel that they have to fulfil certain conditions in order to gain their parents' approval frequently end up not liking themselves
  • Adolescents who created a 'false self', pretending to be the kind of person their parents would love were more likely to develop depression and a tendency to lose touch with their true self
• Limitation = culture-biased

  • Many ideas central to humanistic psychology are more associated with individualist cultures
  • Collectivist cultures such as India and China may not identify so easily with ideas and values
  • e.g. Maslow's hierarchy of needs does not apply easily to these collectivist culture
  • Nevis (1983) study in China found that belongingness needs were seen as more fundamental than physiological needs and that self-actualisation was defined more in terms of contributions to the community than in terms of individual development
• Limitation = untestable concepts

  • Includes a number of vague ideas that are abstract and difficult to test
  • 'Self-actualisation' and 'congruence' may be useful therapeutic tools but would prove problematic to assess under experimental conditions
  • C.A. Roger did attempt to introduce more rigour into his work by developing the Q-sort - an objective measure of progress in therapy