Humanistic
psychology
It is known as the third force
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The first force: Freudian determinism: your
behavior is determined by the unconscious
The second force: behaviorism: your behavior
is determined by the environment
The third force: embraces human freedom, and
forces of self-actualization --includes both
humanism and existentialism, and transpersonal
psychology
Humanistic Psychology
Founders
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Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
Abraham Maslow Main Points
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Emphasis on the healthy individual, on what the
person can become.
Hierarchy of needs:
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deficit needs: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem
Being needs (in self-actualizing person) truth,
goodness, beauty, unity, wholeness, and
transcendence of opposites, aliveness, uniqueness,
perfection and necessity, completion, justice and
order, simplicity, richness, effortlessness, playfulness,
self-sufficiency, meaningfulness.
Carl Rogers’ Main Points
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Self-actualizing tendency present in all
The importance of unconditional positive regard
The presence of conditional positive regard in
society and in ourselves causes us to develop
an ideal self
The incongruity between our ideal self and our
real self makes us sick
Encountering unconditional positive regard (as
in client-centered therapy) is healing.
Existential Psychology:
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Stresses the importance of choice, even
though we may be “thrown” in a particular
situation. Freedom is a central concept.
Humans are the only creatures who know
that they will die.
Authenticity is a central value.
Existential Psychology: some
names
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Erich Fromm, 1900-1980
Rollo May, 1909-1994
R.D. Laing, 1927-1989
Viktor Frankl, 1905-1997 The Viktor Frankl
Institut
JHP
The Journal of Humanistic Psychology
Launched in 1961.
Comes out of a series of meetings in the late
50’s by people like Maslow, Rogers and
others
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Association of Humanistic
Psychology
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First meeting in Philadelphia in 1963, 75
attendees.
Postulates of Humanistic
Psychology (1964)
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1. Human beings, as human, are more than merely the sum
of their parts. They cannot be reduced to component parts or
functions.
2. Human beings exist in a uniquely human context, as well
as in a cosmic ecology.
3. Human beings are aware and aware of being aware—i.e.,
they are conscious. Human consciousness potentially
includes an awareness of oneself in the context of other
people and the cosmos.
4. Human beings have some choice, and with that,
responsibility.
5. Human beings are intentional, aim at goals, are aware that
they cause future events, and seek meaning, value and
creativity.
Division of Humanistic
Psychology (1971)
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Mission of APA division 32
Humanistic psychology aims to be faithful to the
full range of human experience. Its foundations
include philosophical humanism, existentialism,
and phenomenology. In the science and
profession of psychology, humanistic psychology
seeks to develop systematic and rigorous
methods of studying human beings, and to heal
the fragmentary character of contemporary
psychology through an ever more
comprehensive and integrative approach.
Humanistic Psychology (2)
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Humanistic psychologists are particularly
sensitive to uniquely human dimensions, such
as experiences of creativity and transcendence,
and to the quality of human welfare. Accordingly,
humanistic psychology aims especially at
contributing to psychotherapy, education, theory,
philosophy of psychology, research
methodology, organization and management,
and social responsibility and change.
A Fourth Force?
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Toward the end of his life, Maslow started
a “fourth force”: transpersonal psychology
(a holistic approach to psychology,
including the spiritual and body-mind
processes).
A writer-thinker in this holistic movement
(which goes beyond psychology) is Ken
Wilber. Q: should we consider Ken Wilber
a Francis Galton of sorts?
Explore Transpersonal
Psychology today
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The Association of Transpersonal
Psychology
Graduate programs in
Humanistic/Transpersonal Psychology
How would you describe that general
approach?
The End