Ch 11 humanistic approach
personal responsibility
Feel as though individuals are free to make their own choices and are liable for their own behavior.
Misconceptions about Maslow's need hierarchy
-overly simplified. Some need to satisfy certain needs over others and we rarely satisfy any of the five levels for long. -although universal, the means (or the way) that need is satisfied varies across cultures. -at any given moment, needs from all five levels are potentially shaping our behavior, (one need does not yield one behavior)
What are the 4 most important aspects of the humanistic approach?
1. personal responsibility 2. the Here and Now 3. you know yourself best (phenomenology of the ind.) 4. Personal Growth
How does Q-Sort work?
100 cards each have a certain statement (ex: I'm confident). Patient is asked to sort cards into: 5 most and 5 least characteristic, 8 quite and not quite characteristic, 12 fairly and 12 not fairly characteristic, 16 that somewhat are and 16 that somewhat are not characteristic, and 18 neutral. (adds up to 100). you correlate scores between actual and ideal self and therapy aims to create a higher correlation as it progresses. ex: .26 at begin, and after progress in therapy, get to .56
client centered therapy (also called person centered therapy)
A humanistic therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, in which the therapist uses techniques such as active listening within a genuine, accepting, empathetic environment to facilitate clients' growth.
humanistic approach
An approach to psychology emphasizing a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose any destiny. optimistic approach in comparison to the other pessimistic approaches (freud, behaviorists etc.)
Self- concept
An organized set of characteristics that an individuals perceives as being peculiar to him or herself. answers the question, "who am I?"
Love and Belonging Needs
Becomes important when first two levels are well met Friendship, family, sexual intimacy.
Carl Rogers (1903-1987)
Believed everyone has the power to be fully functioning. placed a lot of importance on the self and unconditional positive regard.
physiological needs.
Breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion, etc. necessary to live. Different than the other needs because they are recurring. Ex: you eat, but a few hours later hungry again. Must continue to breathe, drink, etc
Positive regard
Complete acceptance no matter what your faults or issues are. You want to surround yourself with people who give you this. especially unconditionally
Active Listening
Empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A feature of Rogers' client-centered therapy.
personal growth
Everyone has the potential to grow and develop a healthy personality
The here and now
Momentary experience. Concentrate on today We spend so much time on coulda woulda shoulda that we miss a lot of the now of life.
Self Actualization
Most never reach this. the closer you are to it, the more healthy your personality is. Morality, creativity, spontaneity, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts.
Esteem Needs
Need for self respect, self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect for others, respect by others. Want other people to notice our achievements and out accomplishments.
Weaknesses of the humanistic approach?
Poorly defined concepts. Limited applicability of psychotherapy techniques. naïve assumption that everyone wants to self actualize and be fully functioning, some don't
Strengths of the humanistic approach?
Positive approach Good form of Therapy Application in disciplines other than psychology (schools, mental homes)
Safety Needs
Security of body, employment, security of resources, safety of the family, health, property, morality, steady income Can never be completely satisfied.
Q-Sort
Self-report assessment procedure designed to measure a person's self concept and the discrepancy between a person's actual and ideal selves (at initial visit). self-concept should change over the course of therapy.
Therapeutic climate
an atmosphere of emotional support created by a client-centered therapist, based on genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathy
What did Humanistic Psychologists believe?
by showing the client unconditional positive regard and acceptance, the therapist is providing the best possible conditions for personal growth to the client.
Distortion
defense mechanism that allows us to bring this inconsistent information into awareness, but in a form that is consistent with the self. Ex: you may say well maybe I'm just annoyed at the person. Don't necessarily hate them in order to relieve the anxiety.
Incongruence
discrepancy between self concept & actual experience. leads to tension at a lower level of awareness. Ex: if you consider yourself a person who doesn't hate. But then you find yourself hating someone
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
famous for his Hierarchy of needs
you know yourself best
if you go to a humanistic therapist they may be able to listen and give advice but they will ultimately say that you know you better than anyone else does. so they will just help you realize what you need.
What are the characteristics of someone who is fully functioning?
open to new experiences, focus on the here and now, trust their own feelings, are creative, have a clear picture of reality, are less likely to conform, and basically just live life.
Characteristics of self actualizers
people who accept themselves as they are, natural (not phony), spontaneous, have a quality of detachment because they are comfortable being alone without feeling lonely.
Subception
perception of incongruencies at a lower level. allows us to avoid the threatening information of the discrepancy.
What are the 5 levels of the Hierarchy of needs from bottom to top.
physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization.
deficiency motives
results from a lack of some basic need, i.e. hunger or thirst. once we obtain the needed object, these motives are satisfied and for a period of time stop directing our behavior.
