Humanistic Approach

• Assumptions


  • Everyone is unique
  • Everyone has free will
  • Everyone wants to reach their full potential

  Rogers + Maslow
• Free Will


  Humanistic psychology claims humans are self-determining and have free will. We are still affected by external and internal influences, but can determine our own development (active agents). Rejects scientific models for a person-centred approach.
• Hierarchy of Needs


  Maslow - needs to motivate behaviour, with self-actualisation being the desirable end. People can only progress if current needs are met

  1. Psychological needs
  2. Safety needs
  3. Belonging and love needs
  4. Esteem needs
  5. Self-actualisation
• Self-actualisation


  = desire to grow psychologically and fulfil one's potential, humanists regard personal growth as an essential part of being a human. Not everyone will reach this
• Self, Congruence and Conditions of Worth

  Rogers - for personal growth, an individual's self concept and ideal self must be congruent or broadly equivalent. If too big of a gap, the person will experience incongruence and self-actualisation won't be possible.
• Rogers : Therapy


  Rogers developed client-centred therapy, as manny adult issues stem from low self-esteem and a lack of unconditional positive regard from parents. Therapy involves providing unconditional positive regard that was lacking in childhood.
• Counselling Psychology


  Rogers person-centred therapy led to the general approach of counselling that is applied in many settings today. Therapy is non-directive and client discovers their own solutions, helping them become a fully-functioning person
• Eval : Strength


  The humanistic approach rejects the attempt to break behaviour into smaller pieces, meaning it isn't reductionist. Provides more validity than other approaches by considering meaningful behaviour in real-world contexts.
• Eval : Strength


  The humanistic approach has been praised for promoting a positive image of the human condition, offering a refreshing and optimistic alternative.
• Eval : Weakness

  The humanistic approach may be culturally bias, as many ideas are associated with individualist cultures in the Western world. Collectivist cultures emphasise group and community, which is harder to identify with values of humanistic psychology (self-actualisation).