The Humanistic Psychology

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The Humanistic Psychology

• Abraham Maslow
• Carl Rogers

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• 1st force Psychodynamic Theory
• 2nd force Behavioral Theory
• 3rd force Humanistic Theory

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Existentialist and Humanistic Theorists Both

• Believe in Free Will
• Humanist do not believe that human being are
  pushed and pulled by mechanical forces, either of
  stimuli and reinforcements (behaviorism) or of
  unconscious instinctual impulses
  (psychoanalysis).
• Emphasize the uniqueness of each individual
• Believe that humans strive for an upper level of
  capabilities.
• Humans seek the frontiers of creativity, the
  highest reaches of consciousness and wisdom.

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However

• On Human Nature
• Existentialists see it as non-existent or neutral
• Humanists see it as basically good
• Optimism vs. Pessimism
• Humanists optimistic about humanity and the
  future
• Existentialists tend to be much more gloomy

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Abraham Maslow on Existential Gloom

• I do not think we need to take too seriously the
  European existentialists harping on dread,
  anguish, despair, and the like, for which their
  only remedy seems to be a stiff upper lip. This
  high IQ whimpering on a cosmic scale occurs
  whenever an external source of values fails to
  work. They should have learned from the
  psychotherapists that the loss of illusions and
  the discovery of identity, though painful at
  first, can ultimately be exhilarating and
  strengthening.

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Biography

• He was born April 1, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York.
• He was the first of seven children born to his
  parents
• His parents were uneducated Jewish immigrants
  from Russia.
• Maslow became very lonely as a boy, and found his
  refuge in books.
• He married Bertha Goodman, his first cousin,
  against his parents wishes. Abraham and Bertha
  went on to have two daughters.
• on June 8 1970, he died of a heart attack after
  years of ill health.

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• To satisfy his parents, he first studied law at
  the City College of New York (CCNY).  After three
  semesters, he transferred to Cornell, and then
  back to CCNY
• BA in 1930, MA in 1931, and PhD in 1934, all in
  psychology, and all from the University of
  Wisconsin. 
• Returned to New York to work with E. L.
  Thorndike at Columbia.
• In 1951, served as the chair of the psychology
  department at Brandeis for 10 years, where he
  began work in self-actualization.

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• Work with monkeys early in his career
• Some needs take precedence over others, e.g.
  taking care of the thirst over hunger. 
• Thirst is a stronger need than hunger. 

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Maslows Three Types of Needs

• Basic Needs
• Needs to Know and Understand
• Aesthetic Needs

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Maslows Hierarchy of Basic Needs
Self-actualization Needs
Esteem Needs
Love Belonging Needs
Safety Needs
Biological Needs
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Physiological Needs

• Needs for food, water, air, etc.
• One function of civilization is to satisfy these
  needs so we can focus on the higher ones
• Behavioral research usually studies at this level

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Safety Needs

• Needs for safety, order, security, etc.
• Focused on after physiological needs met
• Most commonly seen in children
• Seen in some mental disorders (e.g.,
  Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders,
  Dependent Personality Disorder)

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Belongingness Love Needs

• The need for affiliation, for friends, supportive
  family, group identification, intimate
  relationships
• This level and higher ones often not satisfied
  even in affluent countries
• These needs being unfulfilled at the root of many
  mental disturbances (depression, Borderline
  Personality Disorder)
• Need to receive and to give love

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Esteem Needs

• Need to be held in high regard by self and others
  (not just self-esteem)
• comes from mastery, achievement, adequacy,
  feelings of competence, confidence, independence
• Ideally this need met by the deserved respect of
  others

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Self-Actualization Needs

• A person must actualize, that is make real, what
  exists inside them as a potential
• Most other theorists wouldnt see this as a need
• Freud would predict people would stop at lower
  needs
• Even Adler might predict stopping at esteem
  needs

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Maslows Hierarchy of Basic Needs
Self-actualization Needs
Esteem Needs
Love Belongingness Needs
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
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Carl Rogers

• In a psychological climate which is nurturant of
  growth and choice, I have never known an
  individual to choose the cruel or destructive
  path.it is cultural influences which are the
  major factor in our evil behaviors.

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Biography

• Carl grew up on a farm in Illinois, developing an
  interest in biology agriculture.
• Expressing emotions was not allowed in the Rogers
  household it took its toll on Carl who
  developed an ulcer at 15.
• Rogers went to the University of Wisconsin to
  study agriculture in 1919.
• Traveled to China and exposed to Eastern
  religion----this is a turning point in his
  religious up-bringing.

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Biography

• He finished his degree and left for Union
  Theological Seminary in NY to become a minister.
• 1926 left seminary to study psychology.
• He gained recognition when he won the APA award
  for distinguished scientific contribution in
  1956.
• In 1963, he moved to La Jolla, California.
  Developed the Center for Studies of the Person.
• He continued his scientific efforts, writing,
  holding workshops, etc. until he died in 1987.

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Carl Rogers Person-Centered Approach

• Rogers believed that humans are basically good.
• He argued that we have an innate drive to reach
  an optimal sense of ourselves satisfaction with
  our lives.

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The Actualizing Tendency

• We do not behave irrationally, as psychoanalysis
  assumed--we move with ordered complexity toward
  our goals
• This tendency leads to complexity, independence,
  and social responsibility
• The motivation intrinsic to each person is
  basically good and healthy

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Person-Centered Theory - The Actualizing Tendency

• A person who pays attention to the organismic
  valuing process is self-actualizing or fully
  functioning
• A person who is fully functioning has several
  characteristics openness to experience,
  existential living, organismic trusting,
  experiential freedom, and creativity

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Characteristics of a Fully Functioning Person

• 1. These people are open to their experiences.
  They strive to experience life to its fullest
  are willing to take some risks.
• 2. These people live in the present (here now).
  
• 3. These folks trust their own feelings
  instincts. They arent held back by old
  standards or concern for what others might think.
• 4. These folks are less concern with social
  conventions.

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Conditions of Worth Unconditional Positive
Regard

• Rogers argues that most of us grow up in an
  atmosphere where we are given love support as
  long as we behave the way we are expected to.
• This is what he calls Conditional positive
  regard. The emphasis is that love is given
  conditionally (with a string attached).

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If we dont do what our parents want us to do?

• Rogers argued that in these cases, parents
  withhold their love from us.
• As a result of this, children learn to abandon
  their true feelings, wishes, desires, for those
  of their parents.
• This paves the way for us to become alienated
  from our true selves.

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Unconditional positive regard

• We need this to accept all parts of our
  personality.
• With this we know we are loved valued for being
  who we are.
• Parents can do this, by it clear that their love
  is not contingent on the childs behavior (even
  when such behavior is abhored).

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Conditions in Person-Centered Therapy

• Direction comes from the client rather than from
  the therapists insights, so referred to as
  nondirective therapy, later client-centered
  therapy
• Empathy
• Congruence/Genuineness
• Unconditional Positive Regard