Humanistic Psychology

• State the three assumptions of humanistic psychology

  1, Humans have free will and are active agents - they are able to control and determine their own development 2, Humans strive towards achieving self-actualisation 3, To be psychologically healthy the perceived self and ideal self must be congruent
• Who are the 2 main Humanist Psychologists?

  Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers
• What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

  A motivational theory comprising a five-tier model of human needs. Depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid
• State the 5 levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs

  1, Physiological 2, Safety 3, Belongingness and love 4, Esteem 5, Self-actualisation
• Define self-actualisation

  A continual striving for personal growth and self-fulfilment
• What are the deficiency needs?

  Motivate people when they are unmet = physiological, safety, belongingness and love and esteem needs
• What is the growth need?

  Self-actualisation
• How did Rogers apply Maslow’s work to help people become psychologically happy?

  x He believed that in order for a person to be truly happy and reach self-actualization there must be congruence between their perceived self and their ideal self x So he developed client-centered therapy.
• What is the perceived and ideal self?

  x Perceived self = How we see ourselves in real life x Ideal self = The person we want to be
• What is congruence?

  When there is a similarity between a person’s ideal self and their perceived self
• What is incongruence?

  When there is a big difference between a person’s ideal self and their perceived self
• What could have happened in childhood that leads to incongruence?

  Parents show conditional positive regard by placing conditions of worth on child
• What are conditions of worth?

  Parent placing limits or boundaries on their love of their children e.g. ‘I will only love you if you study medicine’
• What is the aim of client-centred therapy?

  Increase person’s feelings of self-worth and reduce incongruence between ideal and perceived self
• Which 3 traits should a Rogerian therapist show?

  Genuineness, empathy and unconditional positive regard
• What is meant by client-centred therapy being non-directive?

  People viewed as ‘clients’ and experts of own condition. Therapist acts as a guide.