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.
Basic assumptions:
1.all unique. No point trying to generalise as too many differences within
groups. This is an idiographic approach to looking at people (focuses on the
individual). Versus nomothetic which aims to formulate general laws of
behaviour. Findings from one person should be applied to another.
2.we have free will. We can choose what we think and feel. We have choices
and have control over our behaviour. This is the only approach like this – all
others are deterministic (behaviour is shaped by external factors). We are
affected by constraints (laws/social roles) but we can choose how to respond.
3.people should be viewed holistically. No point looking at just one aspect of
an individual, need to look at whole person in context. No point focusing on
childhood as whole life needs to be considered.
4.scientific method isn’t appropriate to measure behaviour. Free will is
unpredictable and can’t be measured. Science is deterministic. Subjective
experiences count – science is objective. Everyone is unique – findings can’t be
generalised to another. The scientific approach is dehumanising.
Determinism – behaviour shaped by external/internal factors rather than will
to do something.
Reductionism = behaviour is best understood by studying the smaller
constituent parts.
Holism = behaviour should be viewed as a whole.
Idiographic – focuses on individual case as a mean of understanding behaviour.
Nomothetic – study behaviour through development of general principles and
universal laws.
Self-actualisation = achieving one’s full potential, being best they can be.
3 selves:
needs, focus on the self, congruence, the role of conditions of worth. The
influence on counselling Psychology.
Basic assumptions:
1.all unique. No point trying to generalise as too many differences within
groups. This is an idiographic approach to looking at people (focuses on the
individual). Versus nomothetic which aims to formulate general laws of
behaviour. Findings from one person should be applied to another.
2.we have free will. We can choose what we think and feel. We have choices
and have control over our behaviour. This is the only approach like this – all
others are deterministic (behaviour is shaped by external factors). We are
affected by constraints (laws/social roles) but we can choose how to respond.
3.people should be viewed holistically. No point looking at just one aspect of
an individual, need to look at whole person in context. No point focusing on
childhood as whole life needs to be considered.
4.scientific method isn’t appropriate to measure behaviour. Free will is
unpredictable and can’t be measured. Science is deterministic. Subjective
experiences count – science is objective. Everyone is unique – findings can’t be
generalised to another. The scientific approach is dehumanising.
Determinism – behaviour shaped by external/internal factors rather than will
to do something.
Reductionism = behaviour is best understood by studying the smaller
constituent parts.
Holism = behaviour should be viewed as a whole.
Idiographic – focuses on individual case as a mean of understanding behaviour.
Nomothetic – study behaviour through development of general principles and
universal laws.
Self-actualisation = achieving one’s full potential, being best they can be.
3 selves:
