humanistic approach

Humanistic Approach AO1 Introduction & Assumptions

Humanistic approach → emerged in 1961 (AHP launched) as a reaction to deterministic psychodynamic & behaviourist models,

Founded by Maslow and Rogers, Rejects scientific models that generalise behaviour → emphasises subjective experience,

Idiographic (nomothetic approach) → focuses on individuals as active agents,

Holistic → humans cannot be reduced to parts,

Self-actualisation → natural drive to reach full potential,

Free will → people responsible for choices (personal agency), Individuality → each person unique

Emphasises lived experience over unconscious analysis or behaviour modification. A person’s subjective experience and understanding of the world is of greater importance to understanding the person than objective reality

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs AO1

Maslow’s hierarchy → Physiological → Safety → Love/Belonging → Esteem → Self-Actualisation, Self-actualisation = drive to fulfil one’s potential and become best version of self, Movement up hierarchy depends on meeting lower needs + exercising free will, Bottom 4 = deficiency needs (if unmet → deprivation), Top = being need (growth), Self-actualisation is personally defined, pursued differently by each person

Rogers’ Self, Ideal Self & Incongruence (1959) AO1

Self = perception of who we are (traits, abilities, values), made up of self-worth, self-image, ideal self, Develops from personal experience + evaluations from others (esp. parents), Lack of unconditional positive regard (UPR) → low self-esteem, Conditions of worth (“I love you if…”) → future psychological issues, Incongruence = large gap between self & ideal self → low self-esteem, blocked self-actualisation, Congruence = small gap → positive growth & fulfilment, Closer self-image and ideal-self → higher self-worth

Rogerian (Client-Centred) Therapy AO1

Aim → reduce incongruence, promote growth, Core conditions:
→ Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR) = acceptance without judgement,
→ Empathy = see client’s world “as if it were your own”,
→ Genuineness = therapist authenticity & honesty,
Rogers → many issues stem from childhood conditions of worth, Clients seen as experts of their own experience, Therapy encourages emotional exploration → moves client toward self-actualisation, Fully functioning adult → open to experience, existential living, trust feelings, creativity, fulfilment

Humanistic Explanation of Mental Disorders AO1

Mental disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, low self-esteem) stem from incongruence or unmet needs in Maslow’s hierarchy, Example → child denied UPR develops conditions of worth → incongruence → distress, Therapy identifies unmet needs and restores congruence, addressing root cause not symptoms

Practical Applications AO3

Strength (Application) → Rogers’ client-centred therapy revolutionised counselling, shifting therapist from expert → facilitator, Empowers clients to achieve self-actualisation and congruence, Adopted by Marriage Guidance Council (1950s), central to BACP today, Real-world success → improved self-esteem, reduced incongruence, Therefore → strong practical value despite less scientific rigour

Holism vs Reductionism AO3

Strength (Holism) → humanism views people as integrated wholes, not parts, Contrasts behaviourism (S-R), biological (genes/neurotransmitters), cognitive (information-processing), Holism captures complexity of behaviour → higher ecological validity, Avoids oversimplification, Therefore → more complete explanation of behaviour than reductionist approaches

Positive View of Human Nature AO3

Strength (Optimism) → unlike Freud’s deterministic view, humanism promotes free will and growth, Links with positive psychology and modern ideas of self-development & resilience, Applied in education and workplace motivation, Therefore → high face validity, resonates with real experience of agency and choice

Untestable Concepts AO3

Limitation (Scientific) → key ideas (self-actualisation, congruence, fully functioning person) are abstract, hard to operationalise, Rogers’ Q-sort offered some objectivity but still phenomenological, Evidence often lacks control → no cause & effect, Therefore → reduces scientific credibility compared to empirical approaches

Limited Effectiveness of Therapy AO3

Limitation (Practical) → client-centred therapy effective for mild issues (low self-esteem, relationships) but less for severe disorders (e.g. schizophrenia), Biological or CBT more effective, Suggests limited scope in clinical psychology, Therefore → approach cannot explain full range of abnormal behaviour

Cultural Bias AO3

Limitation (Cultural) → Maslow’s hierarchy may not be universal, Nevis (1983) found Chinese participants prioritised belonging > physiological and saw self-actualisation collectively, Shows ethnocentrism, based on Western ideals of independence and self-growth, Therefore → lacks population validity, not universally applicable