15296216.ppt
- 1. The Humanistic Approach Specification details Humanistic Psychology: free will, self-actualisation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, focus on the self, congruence, the role of conditions of worth. The influence on counselling Psychology. Pages 120- 121 of course text book (20/21 of Year 2 book)
- 2. Origins and History • The humanistic movement developed in America in the early 1950s • It was termed the ‘third force’ since it aimed to replace the two main approaches - Behaviourism and Psychoanalysis • Humanism was intended to offer a less deterministic and artificial approach. • Humanistic theories are concerned with human experiences, uniqueness, meaning, freedom and choice.
- 3. Free Will This is the notion that humans can make choices and are not determined by biological or external forces • Humanistic psychology is quite different from the other approaches by claiming that human beings are self-determining and have free will • This does not mean that people are not affected by external or internal influences but we are active agents who have the ability to determine our own development
- 4. Abraham Maslow • Maslow believes humans are motivated by needs beyond those of basic biological survival. • Fundamental to human nature is the desire to grow and develop to achieve our full potential - referred to as ‘self- actualisation’. • Maslow’s hierarchy of needs ranges from basic needs to higher level psychological and actualisation needs. • All four levels of the hierarchy must be met before an individual can work towards self actualisation • Maslow’s theory emphasises uniquely human motivational factors - higher level needs are a later evolutionary development of the human species
- 6. Motivation - Maslow Personal growth is concerned with developing and changing as a person to become fulfilled, satisfied and goal- orientated Not everyone will mange this, however, and there are important psychological barriers that may prevent a person from reaching their potential
- 7. Carl Rogers Carl Rogers points out that individuals strive to achieve their ideal selves because they are motivated towards self- improvement. “each client has within him or herself the vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self-concept, attitudes, and self-directed behavior—and that these resources can be tapped by providing a definable climate of facilitative attitudes.” Rogers felt that Feud had dealt with the “sick half” of psychology, so the humanistic approach concerned itself with explanations of healthy growth in individuals – a positive image of the human condition
- 8. Assumptions • Humans have a basic need to feel nurtured and valued by significant people in their lives, such as parents (love, praise and acceptance). • If this is given freely, without conditions (unconditional positive regard), then people will develop a healthy sense of self-worth, recognising their abilities and difficulties. • Children who receive negative regard, such as criticism and blame, develop low self-esteem. • To avoid this, the parent’s should blame the behaviour not the child.
- 9. A sense of well-being • A healthy sense of wellbeing is established if an individual maintains a reasonable consistency between ideal self and actual behaviour. This is known as congruence. • The greater the gap between the ideal self and the actual self, the greater the incongruence. • Incongruence can lead to low self-worth and maladjustment. • Defence mechanisms (distortion, denial, blocking) can stop the self from growing and changing, and widen the gulf between our ideal self and true self.
- 10. Assumptions • In order to reduce the gap between the self-concept and the ideal self, Rogers developed client-centered therapy (CCT). • Conditions of worth: a parent who sets boundaries or limits on their love for their child is storing up psychological problems for that child in the future • An effective therapist is able to provide clients with the unconditional positive regard they had failed to receive as children • The whole person should be studied in their environmental context and Psychology should study the individual case (idiographic approach) rather than the average performance of groups (nomothetic)
- 12. Contribution to society • The humanistic approach’s primary application has been to therapeutic treatment. • Client-centered therapy (CCT), whereby the client is encouraged to develop positive self- regard and overcome the mismatch between their perceived self, true self and ideal self. • Gestalt therapy - the aim is to help the client become a ‘whole’ (gestalt) person by getting them to accept every aspect of themselves. Techniques of gestalt therapy include confrontation, dream analysis, and role playing.
- 13. Methods of investigation • The Q-Sort assessment was developed by Stephenson (1953) and it was quickly adopted into Client Centered Therapy by Carl Rogers. • The measurement of a person’s congruence/ incongruence is measured by a Q-SORT. A q-sort is a series of cards, each containing a personal statement. • For example, “needs recognition from others” or “is self- defeating” or “is personally charming”. The person sorts this statement into a forced distribution under two sets of conditions: A) to describe their “real self”, B) to describe their “ideal self”.
- 14. Strengths of humanistic approach • It emphasises choice (free will and responsibility) – largely ignored by the other approaches • It considers subjective conscious experience • It values personal ideals and self-fulfilment • It has enabled psychologists to explore human existence with more sensitivity than the more scientific methods • It has contributed to psychological theories and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of some disorders such as depression and stress
- 15. Applications of the approach Topic area Application Depression Depression/low self-esteem results from lack of unconditional positive regard and an inability to accept one’s self Schizophrenia Humanistic therapies cannot directly tackle serious disorders but can be used as a supportive therapy, for relatives for example Aggression Aggressive behaviour results from people who are not fully functioning at a psychological level. As a result this blocks personal growth and prevents of self-actualisation. To remove aggression facilitates personal growth. Stress Counselling for stressful life events such as divorce and bereavement allows clients insight and control.
- 16. Limitations of humanistic approach • This approach has less impact on mainstream psychology than the other approaches • The use of qualitative techniques has been questioned • As the subject matter is individual experience it is not possible to formulate general laws of behaviour and as such is not a comprehensive theory but rather a loose set of abstract ideas. • Due to the vagueness of such terms as ‘self-actualisation’ and fully-functioning person’, little empirical research has been carried out – untestable concepts • Not all cultures share the assumption that individual achievement brings fulfilment
- 17. Essay Can you answer the following? Describe and evaluate the humanistic approach in psychology. Refer to at least one other approach in your answer (12 marks)
- 18. Homework Ensure you have written up your class notes to include the following: • The assumptions of the humanistic approach including: free will self-actualisation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs focus on the self and congruence the role of conditions of worth the influence on counselling Psychology. • The strengths and weaknesses of the approach