humanistic approach

• Humanistic psychology

  -not about mental health

  -everyone can relate to it -looks at healthy individuals

  - we have free will
• Free will

  The notion that humans can make choices and are not determined by biological or external forces
• Self-actualisation

  The desire to grow psychologically and fulfil one's full potential - becoming what you are capable of
• Maslow's Hierarchy of needs

  A five-levelled hierarchical sequence in which basic needs (such as hunger) must be satisfied before higher psychological needs such as self actualisation can be achieved.

  
• humanistic counselling


  - when the client is always right

  -client concentrated
• Rogers

  self concept - who i think i am

  real self concept - what your actually like

  ideal self - what id like to be like
• Congruence

  when you ideal self matches up to your real self
• Self

  The ideas and values that characterise 'I' and 'me' and includes perception and valuing of 'what I am' and 'what I can do
• Conditions of worth

  When a parent places limits or boundaries on their love of their children; for instance a parent saying to a child 'I will only love you if...
• not reductionist

  P: strength - not reductionist

  E: other approaches break down human behavior into its simplest components e.g. biological approach

  E: humanistic approach advocates holism and studies human behavior as a whole

  L: therefore humanistic approach is valid
• counterpoint

  P: limitation - reductionist approaches may be more scientific

  E: experiments break down behaviors into independent and dependent variables

  E: The humanistic approach has very few behaviors that can be broken down and studied

  L: therefore humanistic approach short on empirical evidence
• positive approach

  P: strength - optimistic

  E: Freud saw people and prisoners of their past and as unhappy

  E: The humanistic approach sees people as good and in control of being able to work towards their achievements

  L: therefore humanistic approach offers an optimistic alternative
• cultural bias

  P: limitation - culturally biased

  E: ideas central to humanistic psychology such as individual freedom, personal growth, etc more associated with individualistic cultures

  E: collectivist countries tend to emphasize the needs of the group and interdependence

  L: therefore humanistic approach does not apply to all cultures