SECTION: Humanistic Approach TOPIC: The Approaches
SIX SENTENCE SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS (K/U)
1. It focuses on holism, looking at people as humans (as a whole)
how their experiences and motivations can influence KEY WORD GLOSSARY
behaviour. Holism
Free will
2. Free Will is the idea all human’s self - determine their Self Actualisation
behaviour and actions, internal processes and external The self
environment can influence behaviour, but people determine Ideal self
their own development Conditions of worth
Unconditional Positive regard
3. Maslow developed the hierarchy of needs, explaining how Hierarchy of needs
humans are motivated. People want to reach self - Congruence / Incongruence
actualisation but must achieve each stage to move on to the Self determining
next. Human growth begins as an infant reaching psychological Counselling / Client Centred Therapy
needs (basic) – security/safety – love/belonging – esteem
needs – self actualisation Maslow and Rogers
Self – Actualisation = an innate desire to grow psychologically to
Holism
achieve full potential
Nurture
Positive/Optimistic
4. Rogers argued to reach full potential the self must be
Not reductionist
congruent to the ideal self, if not they can experience a sense
of incongruence due to negative self - worth. It can relate to
child experiences of lack of unconditional positive regard,
(conditions of worth) whereby love is limited, they may store
psychological problems in the future.
RELEVENT EVIDENCE: The approach has led to development in counselling to client centred therapy. Rogers would
provide genuineness empathy and unconditional positive regard, to increase persons feeling of self - worth – effective on
mild psychological conditions.
PEEL STRENGTH PEEL WEAKNESS
This approach is holist / not reductionist The approach may be culturally biased.
It rejects attempts to reduce behaviour into smaller In individualist cultures such as the USA are independent
elements. It focuses on the whole person and the real societies, individually free but in collectivist cultures such
world which creates strong ecological validity. as in India, groups are interdependent and may not be
able to associate with easily with the values of the
But it means the approach isn’t scientific, it relies on
humanistic approach.
subjective evidence and therefore isn’t reliable to
psychologists. Therefore it may not be universally relevant.
PEEL STRENGTH PEEL WEAKNESS
It is an optimistic and positive approach. There is little application to this approach.
It promotes a positive image for psychology and the It is described at loose, abstract ideas due to no way to
human conditions, seeing humans free to work towards objectively research or study humanistic approach ideas.
their own achievements. The refreshing approach is easy
But Rogers developed client centred therapy and
to understand and relate to for people as we believe we
Maslow’s hierarchy is widely used in institutions and
make our own decisions.
workplace for motivation.
SIX SENTENCE SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS (K/U)
1. It focuses on holism, looking at people as humans (as a whole)
how their experiences and motivations can influence KEY WORD GLOSSARY
behaviour. Holism
Free will
2. Free Will is the idea all human’s self - determine their Self Actualisation
behaviour and actions, internal processes and external The self
environment can influence behaviour, but people determine Ideal self
their own development Conditions of worth
Unconditional Positive regard
3. Maslow developed the hierarchy of needs, explaining how Hierarchy of needs
humans are motivated. People want to reach self - Congruence / Incongruence
actualisation but must achieve each stage to move on to the Self determining
next. Human growth begins as an infant reaching psychological Counselling / Client Centred Therapy
needs (basic) – security/safety – love/belonging – esteem
needs – self actualisation Maslow and Rogers
Self – Actualisation = an innate desire to grow psychologically to
Holism
achieve full potential
Nurture
Positive/Optimistic
4. Rogers argued to reach full potential the self must be
Not reductionist
congruent to the ideal self, if not they can experience a sense
of incongruence due to negative self - worth. It can relate to
child experiences of lack of unconditional positive regard,
(conditions of worth) whereby love is limited, they may store
psychological problems in the future.
RELEVENT EVIDENCE: The approach has led to development in counselling to client centred therapy. Rogers would
provide genuineness empathy and unconditional positive regard, to increase persons feeling of self - worth – effective on
mild psychological conditions.
PEEL STRENGTH PEEL WEAKNESS
This approach is holist / not reductionist The approach may be culturally biased.
It rejects attempts to reduce behaviour into smaller In individualist cultures such as the USA are independent
elements. It focuses on the whole person and the real societies, individually free but in collectivist cultures such
world which creates strong ecological validity. as in India, groups are interdependent and may not be
able to associate with easily with the values of the
But it means the approach isn’t scientific, it relies on
humanistic approach.
subjective evidence and therefore isn’t reliable to
psychologists. Therefore it may not be universally relevant.
PEEL STRENGTH PEEL WEAKNESS
It is an optimistic and positive approach. There is little application to this approach.
It promotes a positive image for psychology and the It is described at loose, abstract ideas due to no way to
human conditions, seeing humans free to work towards objectively research or study humanistic approach ideas.
their own achievements. The refreshing approach is easy
But Rogers developed client centred therapy and
to understand and relate to for people as we believe we
Maslow’s hierarchy is widely used in institutions and
make our own decisions.
workplace for motivation.
