The Humanistic Approach

Who developed the humanistic approach?

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.

What is the main idea of the humanistic approach?

That humans are unique, have free will, and strive for personal growth.

3 key assumptions of humanistic psychology

1. Humans have free will

2. Rejects scientific methods as humans are unique and subjective

3. All people have an innate drive to self-actualise

What is self-actualisation?

Becoming the best version of yourself and reaching full potential.

Who proposed the hierarchy of needs?

Abraham Maslow.

What must happen before self-actualisation?

All lower levels of the hierarchy must be met first.

What are the five levels of Maslow's hierarchy (bottom to top)?

Physiological → Safety → Love & Belonging → Self-esteem → Self-actualisation.

What does the hierarchy show?

Humans are motivated to meet basic needs before higher needs.

What is the "self" in humanistic psychology?

The person you see yourself as (self-concept).

What is the "ideal self"?

The person you want to be.

What is congruence?

When your self-concept and ideal self match closely.

What is incongruence and what does it cause?

When your self-concept and ideal self are different, causing low self-worth.

What causes incongruence?

Being raised with conditions of worth or not receiving unconditional positive regard.

What are conditions of worth?

When people believe they must meet certain conditions to be loved or valued.

What is unconditional positive regard?

Being accepted and loved with no conditions.

Humanistic therapy focus

Closing the gap between self-concept and ideal self using unconditional positive regard.

Strength in terms of research

Maslow's needs link to real-life behaviours like work motivation and wellbeing.

Strengths in terms of practical applications

Humanistic ideas led to person-centred therapy, helping clients increase self-esteem and reduce incongruence.

Limitations in terms of bias

It’s culturally biased,

Ideas like self-actualisation suit individualist cultures, not collectivist ones.

Limitations in terms of evidence

Lacks scientific credibility

Subjective concepts like self-concept and congruence cannot be measured objectively.

Limitations in terms of realistic-ness

Humans are not always "good" or motivated to grow; ignores negative behaviours.

Why is humanistic psychology considered non-scientific?

It rejects experiments and uses subjective methods.

What is the goal of humanistic therapy?

To help clients achieve congruence and self-acceptance.