Humanistic Theories�Module 4.5b

Learning Targets:

• Explain how humanistic psychologists viewed personality, & explain their goal of studying personality.
• Explain how humanistic psychologists assessed a person’s sense of self.
• Explain how humanistic theories have influenced psychology, and explain the criticisms they faced.

Humanistic Perspective

• A perspective that focuses on the study of conscious experience and the individual’s self awareness and freedom to choose.
• Interested in the capacity for personal growth & self-fulfillment with an emphasis on human potential.
• Sees people as innately good.
• Studied fulfilled and healthy individuals rather than troubled people
• Felt other theories (Psychoanalysis & Behaviorism) were too deterministic and denied the importance of free will

�Abraham Maslow Self-Actualization

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

• Humanistic psychologist who developed the hierarchy of needs
• Self-Actualization - the need to live up to one’s fullest and unique potential
• Believed that self-actualization & self-transcendence is the ultimate psychological need of reaching one’s potential.

Self-Actualization

• Studied healthy, creative adults known for productive lives
• Characteristics include:
• Self aware and self accepting
• Open, spontaneous, loving, and caring
• Not paralyzed by other’s opinions
• Focused on solving problems
• Focused on a particular task
• Inspired by spiritual or peak experiences

Hierarchy of Needs

• Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs, proceeding through safety needs and then to psychological needs
• Higher-level needs won’t become active until lower-level needs have been satisfied.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Later, Maslow added Self-Transcendence: Need to meaning & identity beyond one’s self

Another Way to Think about the Hierarchy of Needs

Carl Rogers �Person-Centered Approach

Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

• Humanistic psychologist who stressed a person centered approach that focuses on creating a growth promoting social environment of acceptance, genuineness, and empathy in fostering human growth

Carl Rogers Person-Centered Perspective�Key Ideas

• People are basically good
• Actualizing tendency - the most basic human motive that is the innate drive to maintain and enhance ourselves
• We need a growth-promoting climate to reach our potential with Acceptance, Genuineness, Empathy
• Self-concept - how you think about yourself – does it match your Ideal self?
• Positive regard - conditional and unconditional – the sense of be loved and valued by other people.

Growth Promoting Climate

3 Conditions needed to create this:

1. Genuineness – being open and honest about your feelings
2. Acceptance – willingness to accept a person despite their failings or shortcomings (unconditional positive regard)
3. Empathy – Mirror another’s feelings (active listening)

Genuineness

• Freely expressing one’s feelings and not being afraid to disclose details about oneself (honesty)

Conditional Positive Regard = BAD

• Person is valued and loved only when the he/she behaves in a way that is acceptable to others.
• I will love you IF you get good grades.
• Can lead to incongruence – a state in which a child’s self-concept conflicts with their own experience.
• Rogers did not believe in permissive parenting. He said parents can disapprove of a behavior without completely rejecting the child.

Unconditional Positive Regard = GOOD

• An attitude of total acceptance toward another person despite their faults and failings
• This is needed for one to grow up healthy and be congruent.
• Based on genuineness, empathy & acceptance

Empathy

• Sharing thoughts and understanding
• Listening and reflecting the other person’s feelings
• demonstrated through active listening

Empathy through Active Listening

When you have Genuineness, Acceptance & Empathy…

• Self-Concept – Your thoughts & feelings about yourself will be POSITIVE!
• Real Self – How you currently see yourself
• Ideal Self – The person we’d like to be
• Congruence – When your ideal self and real self match!

Know, Accept & Be True to Yourself

• When your actual self (self concept) is similar to your ideal self then you can become congruent and can then go on to be self-actualized

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• Measure this through surveys or the life-story approach.

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Evaluating the Humanistic Perspective

Pros of Humanism

• Humanism has influenced therapy, child-rearing, education, workplace management
• Laid the foundation for positive psychology – studying what is right about people

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Criticisms of Humanism

• Difficult to test or validate scientifically
• Too subjective – just reflects Roger’s & Maslow’s own values and ideals
• Tends to be too optimistic – how does it explain human cruelty?
• Too much focus on individualism – it’s all about doing what’s best and satisfying to me

Comparing Rogers to Freud

• Rogers – Viewed people as positive, forward-moving, constructive, realistic and trustworthy.
• People are innately good
• Humans will choose to act in ways that serve to improve society and perpetuate the human race.
• Freud – Pessimistically viewed humans as hostile, antisocial, destructive & evil
• We need society restraints/laws to keep humans in line and prevent the destruction of the human race.