Humanistic Approach to Psychology Notes

Humanistic Approach: Basic Assumptions

• Phenomenological Viewpoint: Emphasizes individual perceptions and feelings in defining behavior.

  • Phenomenological: Focus on individual's subjective experience.

  • Intersubjective verification: Validating observations via agreement between observers.

• Capacity for Choice: Focuses on the ability to make decisions.

  • Rejects determinism (behavior has specific causes).

• Emphasis on Meaning: Highlights personal experience as key.

Carl Rogers's Theory

• Self Theory: Focuses on self-concept and subjective experience.

• Organism and Actualizing Tendency:

  • Client-centered therapy: Client directs therapy.

  • Actualizing tendency: Innate drive to grow and develop.

• Phenomenal Field and Self:

  • Phenomenal field: Unique perception of the world guides behavior.

  • Self: Fluid perceptual structure based on own being.

• Ideal Self, Congruence, and Incongruence:

  • Ideal self: Dynamic construct of goals and aspirations.

  • Congruence: Self and ideal self match.

  • Incongruence: Mismatch between self and ideal self.

• Personality Development and Conditions for Growth:

  • Need for positive regard: Universal need for love and social contact.

• Conditions of Worth and the Would-Should Dilemma:

  • Conditions of worth: Restrictions on self-expression for positive regard.

  • Introjection of values: Incorporating values into ideal self.

• Would-should dilemma: Conflict between own needs and others' demands.

• Conditional and Unconditional Positive Regard:

  • Unconditional positive regard: Acceptance without conditions.

  • Conditional positive regard: Acceptance only for meeting standards.

• Congruence and Conditions for Growth:

  • Conditions for growth: Healthy personality development.

  • Openness: Freely expressing self.

  • Empathy: Understanding others' feelings.

• Human Potential and the Fully Functioning Person:

  • Fully functioning person: Open, spontaneous, compassionate, self-directed.

  • Aggression is a result of unhealthy growth.

  • Collectivism: Identity based on ties to others.

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Abraham Maslow's Theory

• Emphasis on motivation reflecting psychodynamic models.

• Deficiency motives: Triggered by absence of needs.

• Metaneeds: Desire to grow.

• Hierarchy of Needs: Physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization.

• Relationship between needs, environment, and cultural conditioning.

• Peak experience: Transient experience of deep intensity.

• Plateau experience: Heightened appreciation for life.

• Self-actualization requires balanced satisfaction of lower needs and resistance to cultural influences.

Extending the Humanistic Approach

• Behavior understood through subjective experience.

• Existentialism: Meaning of existence in a universe lacking objective meaning.

• Existential psychologists: No universal answer to suffering and death.

Frankl’s Logotherapy

• Logotherapy: Finding meaning in life is central to growth and happiness.

• Noögenic neuroses: Conflicts based on existential frustrations.

• Meaning can be created through:

  • Achievement

  • Transcendent experience

  • Attitude toward unavoidable suffering

Positive Psychology

• Learned helplessness: Passive behavior from unavoidable stimuli.

• Encompasses personality traits and the social context of behavior.

• Character strengths: Valued personality traits.

• Emotional intelligence: Understanding and regulating emotions.

• Personality traits positively related to happiness.

• Flow: Positive state associated with engaging and challenging tasks.

Coaching

• Applied Humanistic and Positive Psychology principles

• Emphasizes desire and ability to improve and find satisfaction in life using positive psychology techniques

• Growth and development capable in individuals

• Coach helps the individual clarify and find awnsers