Humanistic

• What do the psychodynamic approach, the behaviourist approach, the cognitive approach, the biological approach, and social learning theory all agree on?

   That psychology should be a scientific study of human behaviour.
• What is the purpose of humanistic psychology?

  To help people achieve self-actualisation: their full human potential.
• What does it mean if an approach assumes determinism?


  We don’t have control over our behaviour.
• In what way do the other approaches differ from humanistic psychology?

  • The other approaches focus on objective, empirical explanations for why people behave the way they do.
  • The other approaches think that the purpose of psychology is to be a scientific study of human behaviour.
• For the humanistic approach, it is a strength that the approach assumes free will.
• Why is free will a strength in the humanistic approach?

  Because the notion of free will matches our subjective experience of life.

  Because it allows us to improve and achieve self-actualisation.
• What do the other approaches say about free will?

  Free will isn’t a strength, because subjective experience is not important. Psychology should focus on scientific explanations of behaviour.
• A large part of the assumption of free will in humanistic psychology is the therapy, which is called humanistic counselling , which was devised by Carl Rogers .
• A major strength of the humanistic approach is the applications of humanistic therapy, which emphasises the client’s free will and subjective experience.
• Ideas from the humanistic approach are also used in cognitive behavioural therapy today.
• If it is not possible to measure concepts like experiencing beauty and creative expression, this means that self actualisation cannot be operationalised.
• If self-actualisation cannot be studied scientifically then what is a consequence of this?

  We can't make any predictions involving self-actualisation
• According to humanistic psychology, congruence occurs when the self- concept matches the ideal self.
• The first limitation of the humanistic approach is that its methods aren’t scientific, because they are based on abstract, vague concepts.
• Concepts like self-actualisation and congruence can’t be operationalised, which means we can’t test cause and effect relationships, or make predictions about behaviour.
• According to the humanistic approach, psychological problems and unhappiness are due to lack of congruence between the self-concept and ideal self.
• According to humanistic psychology, what is incongruence caused by?

  Incongruence is caused by the client’s self-concept and real self being different. and/or Incongruence is caused by a client’s conditions of worth.
• Rogers argues that therapy can help a patient overcome their psychological problems, if a therapist provides unconditional positive regard.
• What does the biological approach say about the causes of behaviour?

  There is a genetic basis for behaviour.
• What is another way of saying that according to the humanistic approach, we can’t break down human behaviour into simpler parts?

  The humanistic approach is holistic.
• The second limitation of the humanistic approach to psychology is that it ignores biological explanations for behaviour because in trying to offer a holistic account of behaviour, it can’t incorporate more reductionist accounts of psychological disorders such as biological explanations.