Maslow's humanistic theory

• Maslow's Humanistic Theory


  Centred around the belief that people are inherently good and that they try to reach their potential throughout their lives
• Major figures in humanistic psychology

  • Abraham Maslow
  • Carl Rogers
• • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
  • Bottom part: Physiological needs
  • Second lowest: Safety needs
  • Middle part: Love and belonging
  • Second highest: Esteem (self confidence/ respect)
  • Highest: Self-actualisation
• • Maslow's Beliefs:
  • Maslow believed that people possess a set of motivational systems unrelated to rewards or conscious desires
  • People are motivated to achieve certain needs
  • When one need is fulfilled a person will move to fulfil the next one
• • Self-actualisation: Maslow called people with extremely healthy personalities 'self-actualising" persons. They have demonstrated significant personal growth and tend to share certain ideal characteristics;
  • Reality focused and problem-centred
  • They enjoy solitude
  • Have deeper personal relations with a few close friends and family members
  • Value autonomy (independence)
  • They have an unhostile sense of humour
  • Spontaneity and simplicity: They are comfortable being themselves rather than being pretentious or artificial
• Hans Eysenck PEN Model

  First dimension- Psychoticism

  Second dimension- Extraversion/introversion

  Third Dimension- Neuroticism/ Emotional stability
• Social learning theory- Theory that behaviour is learnt through observing others and the reinforcement the model receives for their behaviour.

  Four steps to this process:

  1. Attention (Stimuli focus) Exposed or notices behaviour to be able to be imitated.
  2. Retention (Rehearse encode)- Refers to how well a behaviour is remembered by observer.
  3. Motor Reproduction- (practice, feedback) Ability to perform behaviour that model has demonstrated.(some can not physically imitate behaviour)
  4. Motivation ( reward and punishment motivation)People's will to perform behaviour.
• Behaviourist theory: Theory that behaviour is learnt through interaction with the environment is a reflection of our personality.

  Directly- Through rewards as positive reinforcement of good behaviour or punishment as a negative reinforcement of bad behaviour.

  Indirectly- Through observational learning or modelling.
• McCrae and Costa - Big five Theory

  Openness- Degree of intellectual curiosity and seeing multiple perspectives/being creative.

  Conscientiousness- Plan things, stay disciplined and awareness of other people.

  Extraversion- Comfortable in social settings, high energy

  Agreeableness- Cooperating and communicating effectively/compassionate.

  Neuroticism- Unstable emotions and easily upset.
• Classical conditioning


  Learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus(e.g bell) becomes associated with a stimulus (e.g dog food)
• Stimulus


  Any feature of the environment that affects behaviour
• Response


  The behaviour brought about by the stimulus
• Unconditioned stimulus


  Stimulus that automatically without learning provokes a reflexive response
• Unconditioned response


  Response resulting from an unconditioned stimulus without prior learning
• Neutral stimulus


  Stimulus initially produces no response prior to learning
• Conditioned stimulus


  Formerly neutral stimulus that gains power to cause the response
• Conditioned response


  Response elicited by a previously neutral stimulus that has become associated with the unconditioned stimulus
• Operant conditioning- Theory that behaviour is changed through experiences from consequences.

  Positive Reinforcement- Add a pleasant stimulus to increase /maintain behaviour. e.g pocket money for chores

  Positive punishment- Add an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behaviour. e.g Add staying back minutes to class board

  Negative reinforcement- Remove unpleasant stimulus to increase/maintain behaviour. e.g take away minutes

  Negative punishment- Remove a pleasant stimulus to decrease behaviour. e.g taking away a child's tablet.
• Pro social behaviour- An intentional behaviour to help or provide assistance to another person, group or society.

  Anti social- Any behaviour that is disruptive or harmful to the wellbeing or property of another person, group or society.
• Pro social-

  Situational factors- Awareness of others need and taking personal responsibility to help in emergency.

  Social Norms- People are more likely to engage in pro behaviours if influenced through social norms.

  Personal factors- Positive moods (happy) increase helpfulness.
• Anti Social-

  Diffusion of responsibility- If others believe others share responsibility people are less likely to help leading to bystander apathy.

  Audience Inhibition- Individuals hesitate to act against perceived norms of group for a fear of judgement.

  Proximity- Less likely to intervene if a person is far away from the situation.
• Determinants of liking-

  Similarity- Mutual attraction is based on how alike people are in attitudes, education, politics and religion.

  Proximity- To be close to a person you have to meet them/familiarity, Availability and expectations.

  Reciprocity- When a behaviour or action is matched during an interaction. People are more likely to react nicely to friendly actions.
• Conflict- The behaviour that occurs when two parties perceive that they have incompatible goals, ideas or behaviour.
• Solutions of conflict-

  Outcomes between two parties with incompatible views.

  Imposed solution- Solution is given without choice by a third party.

  Distributive- Involves compromise and two parties get a portion of what they wanted, neither is 100% happy.

  Integrative- Win-win solutions.
• Techniques of conflict-

  Counselling (distributive and integrative) gives people skills to resolve conflict on their own (discussion of needs).

  Negotiation (Distributive and integrative) compromise and arrive at distributive solutions but if successful negotiation- integrative.

  Mediation (Distributive and integrative) Third party assists in separate discussions between parties to come to their own solution.

  Arbitration (Imposed) Third party dictates a solution after hearing needs of both parties.