RG 10b

Modified PowerPoint from: Aneeq Ahmad -- Henderson State University. Worth Publishers © 2007

Humanistic PerspectiveBy 1960s psychologists had become

discontented with Freud’s negativity and the

mechanistic psychology of the behaviorists.

Abraham Maslow

(1908-1970) Carl Rogers

(1902-1987)

Humanistic Theory●Emphasizes idea that individuals’ control their

own behavior

●Views human nature in a much more positive

light…believes we are all innately good

●Very popular perspective at its time because it

was so person-centered (think of societal ideas

in the 1960s)

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Esteem needs

achievement, status, responsibility, reputation

Self-actualization

personal growth and fulfilment

© design Alan Chapman 2001-7, based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Belongingness and Love needs

family, affection, relationships, work group, etc.

Safety needs

protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.

Biological and Physiological needs

basic life needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.

Move up hierarchy from bottom, basic needs toward top, self-actualization

Self-Actualizing PersonUltimately Maslow believed that we try to reach

the state of self-actualization or fulfilling our

unique potential.

He believed this desire exists in all people but is often

thwarted by one’s environment.Self-actualizing characteristics

●accept self unconditionally●spontaneous and natural●democratic nature●like privacy●focus on problems outside self●strong ethical and moral sense●close, yet limited number of friends●very realistic

Carl Rogers

Rogers also believed in individual's personal growth

tendencies and idea that people are naturally good.

Central feature of personality = self-concept(our perception of our abilities, behaviors and characteristics if

self-concept positive, we tend to act in positive ways)

Michael Rougier/ Life Magazine © Time Warner,

Inc.

Growth and FulfillmentFor an individual to grow, Rogers said must have:

1.GenuinenessoBe open with feelings and drop facades

2.AcceptanceoGet rid of conditions of worth

oMust have/offer unconditional positive regard

3.Empathy

oSharing and mirroring our feelings and reflecting

meanings

Assessing the Self

All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in an answer

to the question, “Who am I?” refers to Self-Concept.

In an effort to assess personality, Rogers asked

people to describe themselves as they would like

to be (ideal) and as they actually are (real). If the

two descriptions were close the individual had a

positive self-concept.

Evaluating the Humanistic

Perspective

1.Humanistic psychology had pervasive impact

on counseling, education, child-rearing and

management.

2.Concepts in humanistic psychology are

vague and subjective and lacked scientific

basis.

3.Individualism can lead to self-indulgence,

selfishness and corruptions…so need to be

careful of emphasis.