The Psychology of the Person
Chapter 11 Humanistic Approach
Naomi Wagner, Ph.D
Lecture Outlines
Based on Burger, 8th edition
The “Third Force”
The Humanistic approach has emerged in the
late 1960’s, primarily as a reaction to the two
major views of humanity popular at that time
The Freudian perspective and its emphasis on
unconscious sexual and aggressive instincts
The behavioral perspective, and its emphasis
on the mechanical nature of responses to stimuli
in the environment. The humanistic perspective,
thus, as been called the “third force”.
Deterministic Perspective of Human
Nature
The role of the unconscious is a
hypothetical concept that cannot be
empirically validated
The manipulation of human beings on the
basis of classical and operant conditioning
was an ideas based on studies of rats that
learned to run in a maze to find food.
The food was the reward that affected the
learning
Roots of the Humanistic Approach
1. Existential Philosophy
Existential philosophy addresses many of the
questions that later became the cornerstone of
the Humanistic approach, such as, the
meaning of our existence, the role of free will,
and the uniqueness of each individual.
The existentialists, such as Rollo May, focused
on existential anxiety- the feeling of dread
associated with the realization that there is no
meaning to one’s life.
Existential Anxiety- What is there to life?
2. The clinical experiences of Carl
Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
The founders of the Humanistic Approach, Carl
Rogers and Abraham Maslow, were both
therapists
At that time, the Freudian model of therapy was
popular, viewing the therapist as an expert who
tells the client what is the problem
Rogers maintained that it was only the client that
is responsible for the therapeutic direction
The therapist can create conditions for selfexploration.
The Freudian Model of Psychotherapy
The therapist as the “know- al” expert
Viktor Frankl
All of Frankl’s family died in the Nazi
concentration camp
Frankl survived, and struggled to search
for meaning in the face of horrible
adversity
He believed the examining the finiteness
of our existence and inevitable mortality
adds meaning to life, as we ask ourselvesWhy do we exist? What do we want from
life?
What is the best way to spend the time that
is left?
Frankl concludes that the meaning of life is
found in every moment of living; life never
ceases to have meaning, even in suffering
and death
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man%27s_Sea
rch_for_Meaning
From the Ashes to Hope
Viktor Frankl Conclusion
“Love is the highest and ultimate goal to
which man can aspire
The Salvation of man is in love and
through love
A man who has nothing left in this world
still may know bliss, if only for a brief
moment in the contemplation of the
beloved”
Frankl's meaning in life is to help others
find theirs.
Cognitive-Restructuring
Frankl’s ideas have been translated into
the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Key Elements of the Humanistic
Approach
The Humanistic Perspective has not
presented a comprehensive
framework, but rather a collection of
major principles that can be seen as
directive to life.
Key Elements of the Humanistic
Perspective
Emphasis on personal responsibility (You
don’t “have to” do your homework, you
have chosen to do so). You are not a
victim of circumstances!
Key Elements (cont-d)
Emphasis on functioning in the “here and
now”– Do not be a captive of your past!
Key Elements (cont-d)
Acknowledging the phenomenology of the
individual- - the fact that it is only the client
(in therapy) that can make decision for
him/herself.
Key Elements (cont-d)
Emphasis on personal growth—Rogers
called this ”becoming a fully functioning,
while Maslow referred to this idea as “selfactualization”.
Self-Actualization- What is it?
There is more to life than the absence of
problems
The Humanistic perspective maintain that
we all have a drive toward “selfactualization”
To become that best we can become, in
the context of our life (you do not have to
receive the Nobel Prize).
Carl Rogers and Person-Centered
Therapy
The role of the therapist is to create an
atmosphere of “unconditional positive regard”
to enable the client’s self-exploration and
becoming “fully functioning”.
Paraphrasing and reflection of feelings were
methods to facilitate self-exploration
Rogers described the “fully- functioning
person” as an ideal for healthy personality.
Rogers saw anxiety as resulting from our
inability to incorporate information that is
inconsistent with our self-image
Rogers (cont-d)
Note his emphasis on socialenvironmental causes of emotional
maladjustment (in contrast to the biological
approach), when he sees parental
conditional acceptance.
The Rogerian therapist would say to a
client: “I do not like what you did, but I still
respect you as a human being”.
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow was interested in
exploring the sources of happy, healthy
personality.
His approach was optimistic, regarding
human beings as free-willed individuals,
and not as captive by unconscious drives
His contribution is in the hierarchy of
needs, and in the study of the
psychologically-healthy individuals.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow distinguished between D
(deficiency) needs and B (being) needs.
Physiological needs
Safety needs
Love and Belongingness needs
Esteem needs (you value yourself, and
others also value you)
Self-Actualization needs
Hierarchy of Needs
Misconceptions about Maslow Hierarchy
You do not have to fulfill all the needs in
one level to “climb” to the next level
Some people who starve for their loved
one, or for their life work
Te needs in each level are never fully
satisfied
There are cultural differences in the ways
the needs are regarded and are fulfilled
The “psychologically-Healthy” People
Maslow’s study of the psychologicallyhealthy people was Not empirically-based
He examined his friends, whom he judged
to be psychologically healthy, as well as
historical figures
His analysis was “holistic” and subjective
Yet, it was relevant that he called attention
to the healthy aspects of human nature
Attributes of the PsychologicallyHealthy people
Sense of humor
Creativity- not in artistic talent, but in
being able to perform mundane tasks in
a non-routine manner.
Open to new experiences
Having “peak experiences”- which
involve the transcendence of time and
place.
The Psychology of Optimal Experience and
Positive Psychology
The legacy of the Humanistic Approach is
in the emergence of the new branch of
psychology, Positive Psychology
This branch focuses of human virtues,
strengths, resilience, and coping with
adversity
An important topic is the pursuit of
happiness- What is happiness?
The Psychology of Optimal Experience
In searching for the meaning of happiness,
Csikszentmihlyi introduced the concept of
“flow”, quite similar to Maslow’s Peak
Experience
It involves being totally absorbed in an activity
that requires your full attention and utilizes
your skills to the utmost
You have a feeling you are in a state of “flow”
There are 8 components of the “flow” (see
textbook).
Applications
Rogers applied his ideas into a system of
therapy that emphasizes the creation of the
right conditions to allow the client to accept
him/herself, and to achieve personal growth.
Extending to the client “unconditional positive
regard” facilitates this goal.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has been applied
into understanding job satisfaction and
vocational choices.
Current Status
Though the Humanistic Approach was
quite popular when it first came out, and
though it introduced therapeutic strategies
that are still applied today, its popularity
had waned.
The positive tone of the approach, that is
seen as the forerunner of Positive
Psychology, is certainly a plus.
Limitations of the Humanistic Approach
Many of the concepts do not lend
themselves for operational definitions
and for scientific study.
A great deal of the studies conducted by
Maslow and Rogers to support their
ideas were based on their own subjective
impressions and intuition.
The concept of free will has been
challenged.
(cont-d)
Some researchers questioned the effectiveness
of the Rogerian therapy (how do you measure
success in therapy?). It may be more
appropriate for people in “life transitions” than for
deep-seated psychological disorders
The appropriateness of relying on the client to
make accurate appraisals of themselves has
been questioned.
The naïve assumptions about the goodness of
individuals.