The Humanistic Approach

What does the humanistic approach believe?

• Emphasises importance of individual experience rather than general laws

• Free will - we decide our behaviour - we are affected by internal/external influences but we are active agents

• Reject scientific model that establish general principles of human behaviour

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

To reach self-actualisation, we must meet basic needs and progress through the hierarchy

What is self-actualisation?

• We have an innate desire to achieve our full potential — we need self-actualisation to do this

• Human psychologists see personal growth as an essential part of being human

Can we all self-actualise?

Psychological barriers may stop someone from reaching their potential

How did Rogers believe personal growth can be achieve?

An individual’s concept of the self must be in congruence with their ideal self

What is a state of incongruence?

When there is a large gap between one’s concept of the self and ideal self and they have negative feelings of self-worth - will not be able to achieve self-actualisation

What is Rogerian therapy?

• Client-centred

• Effective therapists provide a warm, supportive and non-judgemental environment for the client

• Improves client’s feelings of self-worth, reduce level of incongruence and helps them fully function

Why did Rogers create a new kind of therapy?

Many issues we experience as adults had roots in childhood and conditioned love - he wanted to provide unconditional positive regard for clients who didn’t have it as children

How did Rogerian therapy influence psychotherapy?

• Led to development of counselling

• Best applied to ‘mild’ psychological conditions

What are the strengths of the humanistic approach?

• Not reductionist

• Positive approach

What are the limitations of the humanistic approach?

• Not scientific

• Culturally-biased

• Limited application

Why is rejecting reductionism a strength?

• More validity than other approaches as it considers the whole person’s subjective experience

• Other approaches reduce behaviour to certain things

How is a positive approach a strength?

• Promotes positive image of the human condition (compared to psychodynamic approach that sees everyone as prisoners of the past, living between ‘common unhappiness and absolute despair’)

• Sees all people as good, free to work towards achieving their full potential and control over their lives

How is the humanistic approach not being scientific a limit?

• Few concepts can be broken down into a single variable and measured

• Lacks empirical evidence to support its claims

How is the humanistic approach culturally biased?

• Emphasises individual freedom and personal growth - associated with individualist cultures

• In collectivist cultures, there is an emphasis on the needs of the group

• In these cultures, the approach may not be important

• Cannot be applied universally

How can the humanistic approach have limited application?

Critics argue it has little application as the approach is not a comprehensive theory, but an abstract set of ideas