The Humanistic Approach

1
The Humanistic Approach

• 3 basic principles of humanistic psychology
• 1.What is important is the experience of being
  human focus on subjective awareness of our
  world, not others view of our world
  phenomenological approach.
• 2.Takes a holistic approach looks at person as
  a whole.
• 3.We all have personal agency in most
  situations we have a choice may well be social
  constraints on our choices may not be fully
  aware of the alternatives may be afraid of
  making choices, but we do have the potential to
  choose. Therefore we can play a role in
  determining the type of person we become. People
  can be helped to change and develop by becoming
  aware of own feelings and motivations and
  influences upon them personal growth.

2

• Personal growth is key concept in theory of
  motivation proposed by Maslow. Proposes a
  hierarchy of human needs on seven different
  levels.
• Basic needs at bottom need to be satisfied before
  we can move up to higher needs.
• Highest level self-actualisation, that is
  becoming the person we have the potential to be.
  Varies from individual to individual depends on
  who you are.
• Very difficult to achieve more of a process
  really an ideal to strive for.

3
Maslows hierarchy of needs

• Self actualisation
• Becoming all that you are capable of
• Aesthetic
• Love of beauty in art and nature
• Cognitive
• Knowledge and understanding the search for
  meaning.
• Esteem
• Status, self respect, respect from others,
  competence.
• Belongingness.
• Affection, intimacy, acceptance
• Safety.
• Security physical, economic and physiological
• Physiological.
• Survival e.g. food, water, sleep etc

Being needs
deficiency needs
4

• deficiency needs can be satisfied.
• being needs satisfaction in expression.
• Distinction between deficiency needs may not be
  that clear someone may aspire to be a top
  athlete to gain the praise of others and not as
  part of their own personal growth.
• Chef could satisfy basic need for food by taking
  great pleasure in preparing and presenting food.
• Criticism overemphasises possibilities for
  change doesnt take enough notice of personal,
  social and cultural factors which affect our
  choices.

5

• Maslow and Carl Rodgers both agree that
• individual is unique
• is basically good
• has need to self actualise
• Maslow differs from Rodgers in that
• does not emphasise self concept
• emphasises motives that drive an individual
• Maslow psychological problems due to deficiency
  needs not being met and thus not allowing
  self-actualisation to take place.
• Rodgers - psychological problems are due to
  incongruence when perceived self and ideal self
  are in conflict. Demands of situation we might
  find ourselves in may prevent us doing what we
  feel is the right course of action for us.
• Too much attention paid to other demands and
  neglecting needs of ideal self widens gap between
  ideal self and perceived self.