Lecture notes
humanistic approach
- Module
- Approaches
- Institution
- AQA
notes on humanistic approach within topic of approaches for aqa a level psych
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
Humanistic ApproachFree will
- All the approaches so far are deterministic (we do not have control over our own
behaviour)
- Humanistic approach suggests humans are self-determining and have free will
- Reject scientific models of human behaviour and focus on a person-centred approach.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Self-actualisation
Self Esteem
Love and belonging
Safety and security
Physiological needs
- Believes everyone has an innate tendency and desire to fulfil their potential known as
self-actualisation
- To achieve these other levels of the hierarchy must be met first.
Evaluation
Impact on business – ensure basic needs of employees are met and impact on
counselling
Cultural bias – China/Japan/Korea may not focus on individual development in the
same way. Some people’s needs may be different – low population validity so can’t
be generalised
Carl Rogers
- Focuses on the self and how we view ourselves as a person.
A positive regard from others
A feeling of self-worth
For personal growth to be achieved an individual’s self-concept must be broadly equivalent
or have congruence with their ideal self (person they want to be)
If the gap is too big, the person will experience a state of incongruence and self-
actualisation will not be possible.
We need congruence for good mental wellbeing.
- To reduce the gap rogers developed client centred therapy
- Self-worth develops from childhood in relation to how our parents and significant
others treat us. if parents treat us with conditional love, we develop conditions of
worth > conditions we believe must be in place in order for us to be accepted and
loved.
Roger’s person-centred therapy
Based on key premises the therapist must provide:
, Unconditional positive regard for the client
Empathy
- Aims to deal with ways in which people perceive themselves consciously, increase self-
worth, reduce level of incongruence, and help the person become a more fully
functioning person.
Evaluation
- Not scientific – untestable concepts
- Not reductionist – this approach is very holistic and therefore may have more validity
in explaining human behaviour
- Uses qualitative methods of study
- Produces a large amount of info, rich in detail although hard to analyse as its subjective
not scientific
EVALUATION
Not reductionist
- Rejects attempts to break up behaviour and experiences into smaller components.
- Explains human and animal learning in terms of simple stimulus response connections.
- Advocates holism – subjective experience can only be understood by considering the
whole person.
- This approach may have more validity that its alternatives by considering meaningful
human behaviour within its real-world context.
Counterpoint
- Relatively few concepts that can be broken down to single variables and measured
- Means humanistic psychology in general is short on empirical evidence to support its
claims.
Optimistic approach
- Optimistic, been praised for bringing the person back into psychology and promoting a
positive image of human condition.
- Sees all people as basically good, free to work towards the achievement of their
potential and in control of their lives.
- Offers a refreshing and optimistic alternative to other approaches that suggest a lack of
control over external factors
Western cultural bias
- Many ideas central to this approach such as individual freedom, autonomy and
personal growth are associated with individualist cultures.
- Collectivist cultures emphasise the needs of the group, community, and
interdependence.
- These cultures may not easily identify with ideals and values of humanistic psychology
(self-actualisation)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lolamcohn. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.16. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
73918 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now