Humanistic Approach

• Idiographic or nomothetic?

  Idiographic
• Free will

  We have the ability to choose what we do and we are in control of our behaviour
• Is the humanistic approach holistic?

  Yes
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs (explanation)

  We start at the bottom with basic physiological needs and gradually move up the hierarchy. We can only move to the next level when the needs of the current level are met
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs (the hierarchy bottom to top)


  Physiological —> safety —> love & belonging —> esteem —> self actualisation
• Self actualisation


  When we are completely fulfilled in life and all our other needs have been met
• What does Carl Rogers' work focus on?

  The 'selves' of individuals
• 2 needs that Carl Rogers suggested we have

  - positive regard from other people

  - feeling of self worth
• Our 3 selves

  - ideal self

  - real self

  - self concept
• Ideal self


  Who we wish to be
• Self concept


  The self we feel we are
• Real self


  Who we actually are
• Congruence

  When our ideal self matches our self concept and real self
• Unconditional positive regard

  Being liked for who we are as a person with no demand for anything more
• Conditions of worth/conditional positive regard

  requirements an individual feels they need to meet to be loved
• Person-centred therapy


  Therapy that is centred around what the individual feels and not an interpretation by the therapist
• 3 qualities a therapist must show in person-centred therapy

  Genuineness, empathy, unconditional positive regard
• Elliot & Freire


  - did a meta-analysis of studies of person centred therapy involving over 14,000 people

  - found that it has positive effects on the client which last over time
• 2 positive evaluations of the humanist approach

  - real world applications: influential in developing counselling as a technique to support people, Maslow's hierarchy has been applied in business and sport

  - positive psychology: psychology has become too focused on negative human experiences, where as humanism focuses on positive experiences
• 2 negative evaluations of the humanist approach

  - lack of testable concepts: difficult to study concepts such as congruence and self-actualisation in a scientific way

  - cultural bias: humanism has an American cultural bias with the values of freedom and autonomy of the individual, whereas other collectivist cultures don't fit with the humanist focus on the self