AO1 - The Humanistic Approach

• Assumptions:

  • Humans can determine their own behaviour and have free will
  • Humans have an innate need for self-actualisation and will achieve this if they have the right environment for personal growth
  • Each person is a rational and conscious being and not dominated by unconscious primitive instincts
• The first feature of the humanist approach is free will
• Free will:

  • Humanism argues that free will is possible
  • Humans are self-determining so our behaviour is due to our choices and we can reject any internal or external influences such as genes or unconscious motives
  • We have free will to make choices to enable personal growth so we are free to choose how we act
  • Humanistic psychology is concerned with the subjective experience of individuals rather than general laws of human behaviour gained through scientific methods
• The second feature of the humanistic approach is self-actualisation
• Self-actualisation:

  • Humanism believes that all humans have the need to achieve their full potential, to become the best they possibly can be
  • Maslow developed the hierarchy of needs, which contains a range of needs that a person requires for survival and personal growth - the more basic needs have to be met before higher needs can be achieved
• Maslow's hierarchy of self-actualisation:

  • Most basic needs are physiological needs that are required for survival, e.g. food and water
  • Safety needs include having a home, security of job and good health
  • Love and belonging are linked to giving and receiving acceptance and love such as having family and friends
  • Esteem needs include the respect of others, achievement and self confidence
  • Self-actualisation is the highest level and is something we seek for personal growth - we aim to fulfil our potential and this continues to change
  • We can move up and down the hierarchy if needs are lost
• The third feature of the humanistic approach is the self, conditions of worth and congruence
• The self:

  • Actual self is how we view ourselves in terms of 'what I am' and 'what I can do'
  • Comes from our own experiences of the world and through how other significant people view us and how they treat us
  • Ideal self refers to the person we feel that we should be or the person that we want to be
• Congruence:

  • Congruence occurs when there is a match between the actual self and ideal self - this enables a person to show personal growth and achieve their goals
  • When there is a mismatch between the actual and ideal self, we are in a state of incongruence and we are likely to have low self-esteem and poor psychological health
  • Rogers suggests a person to go through counselling to close this gap
• Conditions of worth:

  • If a person has issues of low self-esteem and worthlessness in adulthood, these may be a consequence of early childhood due to conditions of worth - parents or significant others place limits on their love, e.g. I will be proud of you if you get good exam results
  • Conditions of worth influence a person in their development as they believe they can only accept themselves or be happy if they reach these expectations that have been set by others or themselves - this can also lead to incongruence
• Counselling can help an individual deal with these issues as the therapist creates an environment where the person can feel unconditional positive regard. The therapist must accept the client's feelings and avoid making judgement about their value or validity. This helps to resolve conditions of worth and help guide the client towards self actualisation by helping them focus on their genuine self.
• PCT:

  • Focuses on present problems and the therapy is more forward thinking to help the client reduce incongruence
  • The client is seen as the expert in their own lives and own conditions, the therapist offers empathy and genuineness to help the client's growth
  • PCT is non-directive where the client is encouraged to exert free will and discover their own solutions to their problems