Humanistic Psychology

Humanistic psychology Emphasizes the uniquely human aspect of the person, stressing that behavior and choices come from within –Psychoanalysis: somewhat negative outlook –Behaviorism: you are what you learn Both of these dehumanized people

Three Basic Principles of Humanistic Psychology 1.Phenomenology: the study of subjective mental experiences –We behave according to our mental interpretation of reality (phenomenological reality) –Our self-concept—the set of beliefs one has about oneself—determines how we behave –We control our actions through conscious decision-making

2. Holism: A person is not made up of parts (id, ego, instinct, memory, etc.) but is a single unified entity that works toward goals of the whole person Three Basic Principles of Humanistic Psychology

3. Self-Actualization: the purpose of individuals is to become what they are capable of becoming –Rejects psychoanalytic emphasis on the tendency of the mind to protect itself from anxiety –We are oriented to overcome obstacles Three Basic Principles of Humanistic Psychology

Carl Rogers ( ) Rogers believed we all have a tendency to self-actualize –“Self Theory”: the concept of the self is an important part of our phenomenological reality. Goal: to “become your real self”

Obstacles to Self-Actualization Incongruence: a discrepancy between one’s self-concept and one’s actual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors VALUES ≠ ACTIONS Conditions of Worth: conditions (usually judgments from others) that distort the self concept and lead to incongruence. –Conditional Positive Regard: an attitude of conditional acceptance toward another person.

Humanistic Therapy Rogers’ goal: to allow clients to lose their dependence on other people’s judgments and find congruence –Parents, teachers, etc. should not impose conditions of worth, but should allow for self- actualization Unconditional Positive Regard: an attitude of total acceptance toward another person.

Abraham Maslow ( ) Focused on psychologically healthy people –To reach self-actualization, one must (relatively) satisfy a series of hierarchical needs:

Self- Esteem Love Physiological Needs Safety Actualization Adler (inferiority) Freud (Sex & Aggression) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs