The humanistic approach

What are the main focuses of humanistic psychology?

Focuses on:

Conscious experience, rather than behavioural approach

Personal responsibility and free will, rather than determinism

Discussion of experience rather than the use of the experimental method.

What sort of topics does the humanistic approach focus on?

Topics meaningful to humans.

What does the humanistic approach believe is most important in life?

Individuals striving towards personal growth and fulfilment.

What are the features of humanistic psychology?

Free will

Maslow’s theory

Focus on the self

Congruence

Conditions of worth

Explain how the humanistic approach emphasises free will.

Humanistic theories state that people have conscious control over their own destiny.

Humanistic psychologists believe that human beings are able to make significant personal choices within the constraints of biological and social factors.

Maslow’s theory - What was he interested in?

Maslow was interested in finding out how people could be positive.

What did Maslow make to emphasise the importance of personal growth and fulfilment?

The hierarchy of needs (often represented as a pyramid).

This is a five-tier model of human needs.

The theory states that each level must be fulfilled before a person can move up to a higher one.

What are the stages of the hierarchy of needs (ascending order)?

Physiological

Safety

Belonging/love

Esteem

Self-actualisation

Explain the physiological stage

This is the most basic needs that are essential to life.

This includes breathing, water, sleep, homeostasis

Explain the safety stage

Includes security of body, financial security, resources, good health

Explain the belonging/love stage

Includes friendship, family, sexual intimacy

Explain the esteem stage

Includes self-esteem, confidence, respect from others, achievement

Explain the self-actualisation stage

This is the most advanced need.

Maslow found that people at this level tended to be creative, and had an accurate perception of the world around them.

He found that these individuals experienced peak experiences - moments of extreme ecstasy.

Includes creativity, morality

Explain focus on the self

The self (or self-concept) refers to how we perceive ourselves as a person.

What are the two basic needs of people?

Positive regard from other people

A feeling of self-worth

When do feelings of self-worth develop?

In childhood.

They’re formed as a result of the child’s interactions with their parents.

Further interactions with friends or significant others also influence feelings of self-worth.

CONGRUENCE: when is congruence achieved?

When there’s similarity between a person’s ideal self and how they perceive themselves to be in real life.

Complete congruence is rare.

What does a high congruence lead to?

High feelings of self-worth (and visa versa)

What happens if there’s a difference between a person’s self-concept and ideal self?

The person experiences a state of incongruence.

What do people do to feel less bothered by inconsistencies between their self-concept and ideal self?

They may use defence mechanisms.

Congruence and incongruence

Congruence - when there is a similarity between a person’s ideal self and how they perceive themselves to be in real life

Incongruence - when there is a difference between the self and ideal self

CONDITIONS OF WORTH: What are the two types of positive regard?

Unconditional - when a person is accepted for who they are and whatever they do

Conditional - when a person is only accepted only if they do what others want them to do

Positive evaluation

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is relevant to understanding countries’ economic growth - Hagerty (1999) found that countries in the early stages of economic development were characterised by lower level needs (physiological and safety).

Research support for conditions of worth - Harter (1996) discovered that teenagers who feel they have to fulfil certain conditions in order to gain their parents’ approval often end up not liking themselves

What is ‘false self behaviour’?

Doing things to meet others’ expectations even when they clash with our own values

Negative evaluation

The humanistic approach is not scientific - methods aren’t scientific so unreliable. A causal relationship between variables can’t be established.

The humanistic approach is unrealistic - not all people are l good people in modern society. This approach represents an overly idealised and oversimplified view of human nature.

Maslow’s hierarchy doesn’t apply to all cultures - Some needs may appear in a different order or may be absent altogether. Also, different cultures (collectivist) have different ideas of fulfilling their full potential.