Humanistic approach
This approach emerged during the 1950’s to dominate behaviourism and
psychoanalysis in psychology at the time. Humanistic thinkers felt that both
psychoanalysis and behaviourism were too pessimistic. Humanistic psychology was
instead focused on each individual's potential.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow were both humanistic psychologists who said that for
a person to grow, they need an environment that provides them with genuineness,
acceptance and empathy. Without these, relationships and healthy personalities will not
develop as they should. This perspective takes into account human experience and
focuses on free will. Abraham Maslow had the belief that people are born with the
desire to reach self actualisation and he created the hierarchy of needs which has 5
steps. The final stage of it is all about self actualisation (having a philosophical and
moral opinion on life while developing spiritually). The first stage is physiological needs
which includes breathing, access to food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis and excretion.
The second stage is called safety. This includes the security of the body, employment,
resources, morality, family, health and property. The third stage is about low and
belonging. It is all about self esteem, confidence, respect of others and achievements.
The final stage is self actualisation. It includes the process of morality, creativity,
spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice and acceptance of facts. This hierarchy
of needs includes an individual’s development. A person will have to progress through
this hierarch from the bottom to the top as they develop and meet every need and the
end goal of this is to reach self actualisation which is the last stage.
Self esteem is the way in which we value ourselves and view the way that we have
performed different and various aspects out of life. It can be heavily affected by how we
have been treated by others in the past.
Carl Rogers had a simpler take on this perspective which was the idea of therapy. His
views focused more on the present and gives individuals an opportunity to change their
future. It can help them get out of the rut of feeling stuck with one set way to achieve
their goals. Rogers believed that people should let the future unfold on it’s own and
focus on the present instead of the future
Self concept is the way in which we see ourselves. This can include the self analysis of
our physical, biological and personality features. This gets formed at a young age when
children analyse what others have said when judging them.
Incongruence is how an individual would like to be in comparison to how they actually
are, it is a comparison between our actual self and our ideal self.
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This approach emerged during the 1950’s to dominate behaviourism and
psychoanalysis in psychology at the time. Humanistic thinkers felt that both
psychoanalysis and behaviourism were too pessimistic. Humanistic psychology was
instead focused on each individual's potential.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow were both humanistic psychologists who said that for
a person to grow, they need an environment that provides them with genuineness,
acceptance and empathy. Without these, relationships and healthy personalities will not
develop as they should. This perspective takes into account human experience and
focuses on free will. Abraham Maslow had the belief that people are born with the
desire to reach self actualisation and he created the hierarchy of needs which has 5
steps. The final stage of it is all about self actualisation (having a philosophical and
moral opinion on life while developing spiritually). The first stage is physiological needs
which includes breathing, access to food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis and excretion.
The second stage is called safety. This includes the security of the body, employment,
resources, morality, family, health and property. The third stage is about low and
belonging. It is all about self esteem, confidence, respect of others and achievements.
The final stage is self actualisation. It includes the process of morality, creativity,
spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice and acceptance of facts. This hierarchy
of needs includes an individual’s development. A person will have to progress through
this hierarch from the bottom to the top as they develop and meet every need and the
end goal of this is to reach self actualisation which is the last stage.
Self esteem is the way in which we value ourselves and view the way that we have
performed different and various aspects out of life. It can be heavily affected by how we
have been treated by others in the past.
Carl Rogers had a simpler take on this perspective which was the idea of therapy. His
views focused more on the present and gives individuals an opportunity to change their
future. It can help them get out of the rut of feeling stuck with one set way to achieve
their goals. Rogers believed that people should let the future unfold on it’s own and
focus on the present instead of the future
Self concept is the way in which we see ourselves. This can include the self analysis of
our physical, biological and personality features. This gets formed at a young age when
children analyse what others have said when judging them.
Incongruence is how an individual would like to be in comparison to how they actually
are, it is a comparison between our actual self and our ideal self.
1
