The Humanistic Approach

• The Humanistic Approach:

  • It was termed ‘the third force’ since it aimed to replace the two main approaches: Behaviourism and Psychoanalysis.
  • Humanistic theories are concerned with human experiences, uniqueness, meaning, freedom, and choice.
• Free Will:

  • This is the notion that humans can make choices and are not determined by the other approaches by claiming that human beings are self-determining and have free will.
  • This does not mean that people are not affected by external or internal influences but we are active agents who can determine our development.
• Abraham Maslow: AO1:

  • Maslow believes humans are motivated by needs beyond those of basic biological survival.
  • Fundamental to human nature is the desire to grow and develop to achieve our full potential – referred to as self-actualisation.
  • Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ranged from basic needs to higher levels of psychological and actualisation needs.
  • All four levels of the hierarchy must be met before an individual can work towards self-actualisation.
  • Maslow’s theory emphasises uniquely human motivational factors.
  • Higher-level needs are a later evolutionary development of the human species.
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:

  1. Physiological needs
  2. Safety Needs
  3. Love and Belonging
  4. Esteem Needs
  5. Self-actualisation
• The self, congruence, and conditions of self-worth: AO1:

  • Carl Rogers argued that for personal growth to be achieved an individual’s concept of self must be broadly equivalent to or have congruence with, their ideal self.
  • Humans have a basic need to feel nurtured and valued by significant people in their lives, such as parent’s love and acceptance.
  • If unconditional positive regard is given freely, then people will develop a healthy sense of self-worth, and recognise their abilities and difficulties.
  • Children who receive negative regards, such as criticism and blame, will develop low self esteem.
  • To avoid this, parents should blame the behaviour and not the child.
• Congruent vs Incongruent: AO1:

  • A highly congruent person knows who they are and what they can offer to their world.
  • Someone with high congruence understands themselves deeply, including their desires, values, missions, and goals.
  • They are not easily swayed by external influences and won’t compromise on who they are.
  • Someone who is incongruent, isn’t content with themselves because they aren’t being true to their ideal self, as such, typically see the world through a negative lens.
• Rogers: Client-centred therapy: AO1:

  • To reduce the gap between the self-concept and the ideal self, Rogers developed clientcentred therapy (CCT).
  • Conditions of worth:
  • A parent who sets boundaries or limits on their love for their child is storing up psychological problems for that child in the future.
  • An effective therapist can provide clients with the unconditional positive regard they had failed to receive as children.
  • The whole person should be studied in their environmental context and Psychology should study the individual case (idiographic approach) rather than the average performance of groups (nomothetic).
• Methods of investigation: AO1:

  • The Q-Sort assessment was developed by Stephenson (1953) and it was adopted into Client Centred Therapy by Carl Rogers.
  • The measurement of a person’s congruence is measured by a Q-SORT.
  • A Q-SORT is a series of cards, each containing a personal statement.
  • For example, ‘needs recognition from others’ or ‘is self-defeating’ or ‘is personality charming’.
  • The person sorts this statement into a forced distribution.

  1. to describe their ‘real self’
  2. to describe their ‘ideal self’
• Humanistic Approach AO3: Strength:

  • It is not reductionist and considers factors affecting the development of certain qualities.
  • Rogers’ Client-Centred Therapy offers unconditional positive regard and considers environmental context to measure congruence and guide treatment.
  • CCT was developed from research into conditions of worth set by parents, which may lead to an incongruent self.
  • Humanistic psychologists support holism and take an idiographic approach.
  • However, its holistic nature can be seen as a weakness, as it makes general treatment plans difficult due to subjectivity.
  • In contrast, approaches like the biological one are supported by more scientific research.
• Humanistic Approach AO3: Strength:

  • Additionally, one can argue that this is a widely positive approach as it is individualistic and promotes self-actualisation.
  • This is because it takes an optimistic view of the individual and allows them to take control of their own development.
  • For example, the focus on free will and personal growth encourages individuals to work towards becoming their ideal self.
  • This contrasts with more deterministic approaches, such as the psychodynamic or biological, which may undermine personal responsibility.
  • However, critics argue that its concepts, like self-actualisation, are difficult to test scientifically.
  • This limits the approach’s empirical support and practical application in comparison to more evidence-based models.
• Humanistic Approach AO3: Weakness:

  • On the other hand, some may believe that a limitation of the humanistic approach is the idea that it has limited real-life application.
  • The vagueness of these terms may lead to another level of cultural relativism due to a lack of empirical research and limited evidence supporting the theory.
  • For example, these concepts were developed in the USA and Europe, but they would be automatically adopted by other countries such as some in the East.
  • This can be further seen in countries such as India, where the furtherment of the community is favoured over ‘self-actualisation’.
  • Furthermore, understanding the self and goals cannot be generalised due to harsh realities in all areas of the world.