PSYCH 333 - Self-Actualization and SelfDetermination: Humanistic, Positive, and Existential Psychology

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89 Terms

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Humanistic Psychology

A branch of psychology emphasizing the universal capacity for personal growth

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Humanistic psychology focuses on...

The positive aspects of hummanity

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Human mind as aware

The human mind is self-aware. We are not just passive entities.

Psychologists need to address this fact

Self-awareness brings into play many human qualities. Ex. knowing your thoughts, but not saying them depending on the thought/context

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Humanistic

Study of humans, not animals

Ex. Morality/Ethics

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Holistic

Human system is greater than sum of its parts

Physical, social, cognitive

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Historic

Whole person from birth to death

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Phenomenological

Focus on interior, experiential, and existential aspects of personality

Our conscious experience

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Real Life

Person in nature, society, and culture—not just the experimental lab

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Positivity

Joy, fruitful activities, virtuous actions and attributes

What are the opportunities we have? When we don't embrace it, then it has consequences

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Will

Choices, decisions, voluntary actions

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Something unique about humanistic psychology is that it allows for

Free will. Ultimately, you are in charge of your own decisions, but you can give up that freedom to conform to other standards.

Psychology in general is pretty tipsy turvy with their view.

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Value

A philosophy of life that describes what is valuable

"This is how you should be living, and here's why you shouldn't live in other ways"

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Phenomenology

The essential component of existential psychology

One's conscious experience of the world

- Construal

ex. roller coaster experiences. Some understand it as a thrill, others horrifying

Choosing your construal as a way to achieve free will

Uses of introspection

• Introspection: The task of observing one's own mental processes

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Construal

Your particular (understanding of an) experience of the world

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Optimism and pessimism are examples of

Construals

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Introspection

The task of observing one's own mental processes

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We don't like introspection sometimes because we don't like

our own self-worth being challenged, but it can also be good!

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Existentialism

A philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will

"What does it mean to exist? Is there a purpose?"

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Origin of existentialism

Came out of a disappointment from the industrial revolution, and progress of science, but lost touch with humanity and the human experience.

Although we've created things to lower the burden on us, what have we done with that? Just made more productive at work. We see more alienation, and trivial jobs. Might even need two or three jobs.

Prof argues that psych has that thinking too. We make groups and if you don't fit, you're weird. Before the word "neurodivergent", there was just "disorder"

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Three parts of existence (Binswanger, 1958)

• Umwelt: The biological experiences. There's a biological aspect to figuring out our intentions. (Terror management theory)

• Mitwelt: The social experiences

• Eigenwelt: The inner/psychological experiences

All of these are distinct, but they also do INFORM each other.

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Umwelt

The biological experiences. There's a biological aspect to figuring out our intentions. (Terror management theory)

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Mitwelt

The social experiences

We exist in the context of things.

Ex. stressing about an exam likely has social experiences tied (ex. social clock)

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Eigenwelt

The inner/psychological experiences

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Key questions of existentialism

What is the nature of existence? How does it feel? What does it mean?

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Meaningless existentialism

Its all meaningless could be considered a good thing

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Thrown-ness

The time, place, and circumstances which you happened to be born into

• Has a strong influence on our experiences and existence, and how we behave

ex. Generations aren't just age groups, but shared experiences! Like people pre-internet, or people who grew up in the great depression.

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Being "thrown" into the modern world is one with its own set of _______

problems

Must solve the questions "Why am I here?" and "What should I be doing?" ourselves

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Angst

Unpleasant feelings caused by contemplating the existential concerns

Different thinkers have different angst stuff

• Anguish, forlornness, and despair

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Anguish

(n.) great mental suffering, distress, or pain; (v.) to be deeply tormented by pain or sorrow

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Forlornness

desolate or dreary; unhappy or miserable, as in feeling, condition, or appearance

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Despair

the complete loss or absence of hope

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Existential Guilt

Guilt from failing to completely fulfill your possibilities.

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Bad Faith

"You're not living an authentic, free existence. It's tied to something that is not you."

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Facing the existential truths of mortality and meaninglessness requires _______

Optimistic toughness

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_____ entails denying existential concerns through (choosing) adhering to external pressures rather than internal values

Bad faith

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3 Problems of living in "bad faith"

• Immoral and amounts to selling your soul. You can live your own life! You squandering that ability isn't going to do anything except make you plastic. Take responsibility for your life!

• Surrounding oneself in material "comforts" does not lead to happiness. Consumerism. It does not make you happy!

• It is impossible to not choose as not choosing is a choice.

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optimistic toughness

Existential courage to face your own mortality and

the apparent meaninglessness of life, and to seek purpose for your existence

nonetheless

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Authentic Existence

Courageously come to terms with the facts of our short mortal lives in which we are the masters of our own destiny within those limits

Alternative to bad faith

Frankl: It is not "What do I want from life?" but "What does life want from me?" that gives us meaning (Wrote Man's Search for Meaning)

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The only way to achieve "______", earn ______, and become more than an _______

freedom, dignity, object

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Yalom's 4 existential concerns

Things we all have to deal with:

death (come to terms with our mortality), freedom (Fromm, we are also responsible. Ex. milgram experiment was because they transferred the responsibility), isolation, meaninglessness

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Existential psychotherapy helps people deal with (according to Yalom's 4 existential concerns)

helps the individual come to grips with each concern

Some people don't actually want to accept things.

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Carl Rogers

Very associated with self-actualization

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This quote was said by ____

"The organism [person] has one basic tendency and striving—to actualize, maintain, and enhance the experiencing organism [itself]"

Carl Rogers

The thing that unites hummanity is our dreams and ambitions that we want to actualize.

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Self-Actualization contrasts with existentialists because....

there's an assumption in Self-actualization that there is an intrinsic goal.

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Self-actualization

Grow in a way that fulfills your potential and possiblilities

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The Fully Functioning Person... (3)

Faces the world without fear, selfdoubt, or neurotic defenses • Lives a happier version of the authentic existence

Stems from unconditional positive regard from important people in your life. A "no strings attached" kind of relationship.

- Uses neofreudian thoughts about experiences with close relationships as a kid (particularly with parents)

Conditions of worth limit our freedom to act and think

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Conditions of worth

"I am valuable only to the extent of certain characteristics"

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Maslow and Rogers shared basic assumption

A person's ultimate need or motive is to self-actualize

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Maslow's addition to his common assumption with Rogers

A person's ultimate need or motive is to self-actualize HOWEVER, only becomes active after more basic needs are met

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Maslow's hieirarchy of needs (lowest to highest) (5)

Physiological, safety and physical security, love and belongingness, esteem, self-actualization

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Deficiency vs. Growth based motives

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Differences between maslow and rogers

Need to have the first fulfilled (counter though, how about Frankl having meaning even through the holocaust?)

rogers: desire for self-fulfillment is constantly happening.

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Goal of humanistic Psychotherapy

Help the client become a fully functioning person

• Therapist develops a genuine and caring relationship with the client and provides unconditional positive regard.

This is where theological atonement can come into play.

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Therapist's job in humanistic psychology:

• Help client perceive their own thoughts/feelings without the therapist seeking to change them in anyway

- Does not tell them how to view the world.

• Make the client feel appreciated no matter what they think, say, or do

- you can say you disagree, but not that "you're a terrible person"

- Ex. suicidal person saying they're going to die tonight. Some therapists might say "no, think differently", humanistic therapist would say "I don't agree, but ultimately it's your choice. BUt I hope you don't, so let's talk about that." Then talk so that the client has an understanding of why they feel that way.

Be genuine, thoughtful, and caring.

Repeating back to the person what they are saying.

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"Yeah I don't think that was a great thing to do, but that doesn't mean you're not a good person" is an exampel of

humanistic psychotherapy

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Humanistic therapy brings true selves more in _______ with ideal selves through adjusting understandings of both

alignment

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Kelly and Personal Constructs

emphasized how one's cognitive system assembles one's various construals of the world into individually held theories (personal constructs) which determine the construal of new experiences

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Personal Constructs

How do you, as an individual, build things to see the world?

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Constructs are on a ____ dimension where people/objects are arranged

bipolar (e.g., "good-bad", "funny-unfunny", "successful-unsuccessful")

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Role Construct Repertory (Rep) Test

Name 3 people. Pick 2 and say why they're similar to each other, and different than the third.

Whatever you pick means that thing is probably more specific.

Can do this with objects like cars.

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Chronically accessible constructs

particular constructs are more readily brought to mind in certain individuals

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Sociality Corollary

Understanding someone else means understanding their personal construct system

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Constructive Alternativism

The idea that you are not bound to any particular construct and you can choose from the numerous of construals available to you

• There are many ways to view a single problem/event

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are likely to experience different outcomes due to their construals

Maximizers vs. Satisficers

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Maximizers

Trying to get the most value out of a specific outcome.

ex. offers on a rare pokemon card, but they want the absolute MOST out of the trade.

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Satisficers

Look around until they find something that most closely matches what they want and buy it, without worrying about whether better or cheaper products are available

Tend to have higher life satisfaction, and less stress and anxiety

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Kelly: The important aspect of psychotherapy was not the content of intervention but rather getting the client to think about reality in a _______

different way

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Positive Psychology

Positive psychology as a reaction against the focus on pathology and malfunction

Has seen a resurgence in the 21st century

A rebirth of the humanistic perspective

• Puts the meaning of life front and center

Investigates traits, processes, and social institutions that promote a happy and meaningful life

- What are the things that bring us happiness (lots of studies on religion, would love to read more about that)

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Positive psychology puts the _______ front and center

meaning of life

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Virtues

* Don't worry about these slides, not on the test *

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Mindfulness

Being explicitly aware of and in control of every moment of your experience

- Acknowledge unhappiness, but then let it go.

Origins in Buddhist philosophy

• More of a goal, as we cannot be mindful at ALL times

Several benefits, both for mental health and personal growth

Has been introduced into various types of psychotherapy

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Mindfulness with compelling buying stuff online

Pause, think why they put in the cart, acknowledge they want it, but then choose not to. Don't let it dominate.

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Flow

A state of consciousness where you lose track of time and self by becoming completely absorbed in what you are doing

• "Being in the zone"

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Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced chick-SENT-me-high) argued

the best way people can spend time is in autotelic activities

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Autotelic activities

Peak experiences, nothing better than being in these moments.

2 things happening:

1. Level of skill

2. Level of challenge

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Flow occurs when challenge and skills are _____

well matched

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T/F Some video games allow for flow potential

T

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Perhaps only works for those ______ in locus of control

high, because you lose yourself in the task, but still be fully present

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T/F High levels of self-consciousness prevents people from getting flow

True, There's a constant evaluation from a third-party perspective.

Also people with high levels of neuroticism.

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Happiness 3 components

Overall satisfaction with life

Satisfaction with how things are going in particular life domains

Generally high levels of positive emotions and low levels of negative emotions

Definitions shift across ages

Hedonic Vs Eudaimonic

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Hedonic

pleasure seeking

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Eudaimonic

seeking a meaningful life

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3 primary sources of happiness

Individual set point (Genetic influence and based on extraversion and neuroticism)

Objective Life Circumstances

Intentional Activities

Spend $ for experiences > things

List things you are thankful for.

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Self-Determination Theory

The concept that regulation of behavior varies along a continuum from externally controlled (e.g., to obtain rewards or avoid punishments) to autonomous or intrinsically motivated (e.g., to have fun or explore interests). The theory emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation for producing healthy adjustment and asserts that negative outcomes ensue when people feel that they are driven mainly by external forces and extrinsic rewards. (APA, 2020)

Behaviors may be self-determined or controlled

Controlled behaviors are less interesting to people

Deci & Ryan: People want to feel a sense of self-determination in everything they do

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Three Needs of SDT

autonomy, competence, relatedness

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Introjected Regulation

SDT

When a person treats a behavior as a "should" or an "ought"

• Controlled from within

• Rooted in the desire to be accepted

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Identified Regulation

SDT

When a person has come to hold the behavior as personally meaningful and valuable

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Strengths of Humanistic/Positive/Existential Psych

Offers a look at the positive/optimistic side of humanity/psychology

Strong focus on individual experiences

Outlines strategies towards growth and personal development

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Limitations of Humanistic/Positive/Existential Psych

Ignores a lot of human experience/psychology

• Precision

• Some concepts are difficult to study

• Should we be so accepting of everyone and promote everyone's self-actualization processes?

• Free will: Fact or fiction?