MG

Key Concepts in Freudian and Humanistic Psychology

  • Freudian Theory Overview

    • Freud's contributions to psychology, despite limitations.
    • Key critiques mention Freud's narrow capture of human nature.
    • Leads to humanistic theories by Maslow and Rogers, which focus on individuality.

  • Humanistic Psychology

    • Emphasis on the conscious individual:
    • Individuals are responsible for their thoughts, feelings, and actions.
    • Importance of free will in decision-making.

  • Self-Actualization

    • Definition: Becoming the best version of oneself after meeting basic needs.
    • Necessity of self-acceptance for self-actualization:
    • Understanding and embracing one’s true self.
    • Importance of acceptance from others in the journey to self-acceptance.
    • Concept of unconditional positive regard:
    • True acceptance regardless of what one shares.

  • Humanistic Theory Characteristics

    • Top-down approach to personality:
    • Starts with the theory of free choice and self-actualization.
    • Challenges:
    • Lack of clarity on what ‘best version of oneself’ means.
    • Absence of defined standards to judge what’s ‘best’.

  • Critiques of Humanistic Theory

    • Bottom-up approach contrast:
    • This would describe variations in personality before explaining them.

  • Personality Traits Research

    • Francis Dalton's proposal about personality traits’ language representation:
    • Need to summarize extensive language about traits.
    • Challenge: Over 18,000 words to describe human traits in English.
    • Reduction to around 71 distinct traits after filtering synonyms.

  • Five Factor Model of Personality

    • Summary of five main personality traits:
    • Openness: Interest in novel experiences, e.g., appreciation for modern art.
    • Additional personality factors will be discussed in subsequent materials.