Humanistic

• • Developed in the USA in 1950s
  • Key figures: Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers
• • Bases it's ideas on the self and examines issues to do with self-concept and self-esteem 
  • Understand the whole person (holism) 

   
• Self-concept

  • The ways in which an individual sees themselves and how they think other's see them
  • Can be either positive or negative
  • Can be based off a variety of factors
• Self-esteem

  • The way an individual feels about themselves 
  • Can be positive or negative
  • Based off a variety of factors 
  • Purely based on internal feelings but can arise from external circumstances 
• Rational choices 

  • Ways that an individual is able to make choices after evaluating all eventualities 
  • Influenced by autonomy (self governed)
• Whole person 

  • Examining the whole being 
  • Each piece is as important as the others 
  • Without all the information, we can't explain behaviour
• Freewill

  • Able to choose and make decisions 
  • Not determined by other factors outside of one's control 
• Holism

  • Examination of the whole person to explain behaviour 
  • NOT focusing on individual parts 
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

  •  emphasises the importance of striving for personal growth 
  • Each stage must be completed before moving on to the next 
  • Some needs are more important / basic than others 

   

  1. Self-actualisation 
  2. Esteem 
  3. Love / belonging 
  4. Safety 
  5. Physiological 

   
• Roger's Person-Centred Theory believed that people could reach self-actualisation if they had a positive view of themselves
• Positive Self Regard is known as individuals receiving Unconditional Positive Regard from themselves and others
• Individuals with lower self-esteem and a negative self-concept may not receive Unconditional Positive Regard
• These individuals may feel they have to meet conditions of worth to obtain positive regard
• Belief in conditions of worth due to negative self-esteem creates incongruity between the actual-self and ideal-self
• The smaller the gap between the actual-self and ideal-self, the more congruent an individual is and the higher their levels of self-worth
• Incongruence leads to the opposite effect
• Client-Centred Therapy

  • Devised by Rogers
  • The therapist provides unconditional positive regard 
  • This allows clients to understand themselves 
  • Allows them to reconnect to more positive levels of self-worth and self-esteem 
  • Eventually find their own way to move forward 
• + focuses on holism, each part is as important as another 
• + rejects reductionism 
• + considers individual differences of people 
• +practical application 

  • CCT used to help individuals in the real world 
• +encompasses free will, suggesting an individual has control over their own lives 
• -- not scientific
• -- can't establish cause and effect 
• -- can be too optimistic 
• -- historical restrictions 
• -- cultural bas towards America and westernised cultures