Humanistic Perspective

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Humanistic Perspective

• Carl Rogers
• Abraham Maslow

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The Humanistic Perspective
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Humanistic Perspective

• A perspective that focuses on the study of
  conscious experience and the individuals self
  awareness and freedom to choose.
• Interested in the capacity for personal growth
• Sees people as innately good.
• Studies fulfilled and healthy individuals rather
  than troubled people

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Humanistic Measures

• Humanistic measures of personality center on
  evaluating a persons self concept--all of our
  thought and feelings about ourselves
• Answer the question Who Am I?

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The Humanistic PerspectiveAbraham Maslow and
Self-Actualization
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Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

• Humanistic psychologist who developed the
  hierarchy of needs
• Believed that self-actualization is the ultimate
  psychological need

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Hierarchy of Needs

• Maslows pyramid of human needs, beginning at the
  base with physiological needs, proceeding through
  safety needs and then to psychological needs
• Higher-level needs wont become active until
  lower-level needs have been satisfied.

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Self-Actualization

• According to Maslow, the need to live up to ones
  fullest and unique potential
• Characteristics include
• Self aware and self accepting
• Open, spontaneous, loving, and caring
• Not paralyzed by others opinions
• Focused on a particular task

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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
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Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
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The Humanistic PerspectiveCarl Rogers and the
Person-Centered Approach
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Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

• Humanistic psychologist who stressed the
  importance of acceptance, genuineness, and
  empathy in fostering human growth

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Carl Rogers

• Actualizing tendencythe most basic human motive
  that is the innate drive to maintain and enhance
  the human organism
• Self-conceptset of perceptions you hold about
  yourself
• Positive regardconditional and unconditional
  the sense of be loved and valued by other people.

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Conditional Positive Regard

• Person is valued and loved only when the he/she
  behaves in a way that is acceptable to others.
• Can lead to incongruence a state in which a
  childs 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.

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Unconditional Positive Regard

• An attitude of total acceptance toward another
  person despite their faults and failings

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Genuineness

• Freely expressing ones feelings and not being
  afraid to disclose details about oneself

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Empathy

• Sharing thoughts and understanding
• Listening and reflecting the other persons
  feelings

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Unconditional Positive Regard will help to create

• Congruence A persons sense of self is
  consistent with their emotions experiences.

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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.

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The Humanistic PerspectiveEvaluating the
Perspective
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Evaluating Humanism

• Humanism has influenced therapy, child-rearing,
  and the workplace
• Laid the foundation for positive psychology

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Criticisms of Humanism

• Difficult to test or validate scientifically
• Tends to be too optimistic, minimizing some of
  the more destructive aspects of human nature