Humanistic Psychology

• Assumptions of Humanistic Approach

  • A positive outlook compared to the other approaches, humans are basically good and are motivated to achieve their potential and self-actualise.
  • The subjective conscious experience of individuals is most important.
  • Everyone has free will and therefore has choice over their behaviours.
• Humanistic approach on Nature vs Nurture

  Mostly nurture but an element of both - Drive to self-actualise seen as innate; but problems achieving this stem from our upbringing and life experiences.
• Humanistic approach on Reductionism vs Holism


  Holistic - Investigating all aspects of an individual and how they engage with wider society.
• Humanistic approach on Determinism vs Free-will


  Free Will - Only approach that believes humans have complete free will and operate as active agents who determine their own behaviour.
• Humanistic Approach - Psychology as a science?

  Not scientific - Against the use of scientific methods as they argue they are not appropriate for studying the complexities of human consciousness and experience. Relies on subjective interpretation. Rejects the study of animals as they do not tell us anything about human nature.
• Humanistic Approach on Nomothetic vs Idiographic

  Idiographic - Focuses on subjective human experience and makes not attempt to generate general laws.
• Maslows Hierarchy of needs order

  Physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and self-actualisation
• Rogers focus on self

  Rogers claimed that people have 2 basic needs: positive regard from other people and feelings of self worth. Feelings of self worth develop in childhood and are formed as a result of interactions with parents. Further interactions with significant others also influence a persons self worth. The greater our self-worth the greater our psychological health.
• Congruence


  For Rogers to achieve self-actualisation our ideal-self and our self-concept must match. The closer the self is to the ideal-self the greater the congruence.
• Conditions of worth


  Unconditional poistive regard aids the view of self. If we think that their is conditions to the love we receive this can have an adverse effect on self-concept.
• Influence of humanistic psychology on counselling

  • People referred to as clients rather than patients so that they are equal.
  • Clients should focus on their current subjective understanding rather than someone else's interpretation
  • For improvements to be seen, the therapy must be genuine and understanding.
  • People enter therapy because they are in a state of incongruence.
  • The client is responsible for changing their behaviour.
  • The clients decide what is wrong and what should be done and the therapist encourages.
  • The therapist must give the client unconditional positive regard.
• Research suggests that Maslow's hierarchy may have relevance on a much larger stage than individual growth. 


  Hagerty looked at relationships between economic growth and measures of Maslow's levels in 88 countries over a 34 year period. Countries in the early stages of economic development were characterised by lower levels of needs.
• Research with adolescence has shown evidence consistent with Roger's views


  Individuals who experience conditional positive regard are likely to display more 'false self behaviour' - doing things to meet others expectations even when they clash with their own values. Harter et al discovered that teenagers who feel they have to fulfill certain conditions in order to attain parental approval, found themselves more frequently not liking themselves.