evaluation

• • one strength of the humanistic approach is that it has practical applications
  • this is because humanistic principles have led to the development of person centred therapy which is where clients are put in charge of their own recovery by understanding their own problems. In a sample of 14000 it was said that PCT had a 'big' impact as clients were less likely to relapse after leaving therapy because they're aware of their own problems.
  • therefore the humanistic approach can be used to improve the lives of people in the real world.
• • one weakness of the humanistic approach is that it is not scientific
  • this is because humanists reject the use of scientific methods to study human behaviour, additionally concepts such as self actualization and congruence are open to interpretation and therefore lack objectivity.
  • furthermore humanists study the unique nature of human experience, making it hard to make predictions.
  • therefore the humanistic approach fails to meet the core features of science
• • one weakness of the humanistic approach is that there are methodological flaws
  • this is because humanistic ideas are culturally biased. Humanistic psychology attempts to explain behaviour using norms that are valued by western culture. Individualistic cultures (USA and UK) show the importance of personal growth whereas collectivist cultures value the needs of groups and interdependence.
  • we could argue that Rogers takes a beta bias view of behaviour as he fails to acknowledge cultural differences, making it hard to generalise to other cultures.
• • one strength of the humanistic theory is that it is less reductionist that other approaches
  • this is because it does not reduce complex behaviours such as self actualization to a simple level. In contrast to the behaviourist approach which reduces behaviours down to a stimulus-response level. Rogers and Maslow consider the entire person and focus on how experiences can shape behaviours.
  • Therefore, this approach is holistic.