Humanistic Personality
AP Psychology
Consider this….
• People have the ability to accomplish great
things when they put their minds to it.
• Did you ever think that you could do
something that could change the world?
• Doing something important takes
DETERMINATION and HARD WORK.
In the humanist view…
• People have the freedom and will to change
behavior (you choose/create your
personality). We have Free Will!
• Humans CAN think and control their urges.
• Our environment is less important to shaping
our personality….our self-concept is MORE
important in shaping our personality.
Humanistic Psychology
• Rebellion against: Behaviorism and
Psychoanalytical Psychology.
• Humanistic Psych= emphasizes personal
growth and the achievement of maximum
potential by each unique individual.
Two important Humanists scholars
• 1. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
• Deliberately set out to create a “third force” in
psychology….challenge to Freud and Skinner.
• Maslow’s theory/research is based on
examining healthy, creative, self-actualizing
people. Not based on the studies of disturbed
individuals.
Maslow: Hierarchy of Needs
• We must satisfy our basic needs before we can
try to meet higher-level needs. How we meet
these needs can help explain our personality
and how we obtain personal growth.
Self-Actualized People
• Are…..
– Self-aware and self-accepting
– Great deal of spontaneity
– Loving and caring
– Not paralyzed by other’s opinion
– Involved in FEW deep relationships, do not engage
in superficial relationships
– They transcend the environment rather than just
coping with it..
Maslow believed…
• To become self-actualized, a person MUST first
satisfy the four preceding levels (hierarchy of
needs).
• Most humans only make it to the third level
(Belongingness and Love needs)
2. Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
Person Centered Perspective
• Studied to be a Christian pastor.
• Left theology school primarily because he
believed that “People CAN NOT sin”….we are
all basically good people, but sometimes we
make bad decisions.
• Psychologists should call the people they are
counseling “Clients” not “patients”.
Carl Rogers
• Many people suffer from a conflict b/w what
they value in themselves and what they
believe others value in them.
• We struggle to become more complete and
perfect.
• Your personality is composed of the SELF
(humanist version of the ego)= your image of who
you are and what you value in your self.
Carl Rogers
• The SELF is acquire gradually over the years by
observing how other people react to you.
• We all have a Self-Concept= our perceptions
and beliefs about our selves.
• Phenomenal Field= our psychological reality
based on perceptions and feelings. Subjective.
Healthy personality
• To become a FULLY FUNCTIONAL INDIVIUAL
[unit the self (what I am striving to be) with
what I truly am], we need Unconditional
Positive Regard= love or support given to
another person with no conditions attached
Carl Rogers
• According to Rogers, unfortunately most
people receive CONDITIONAL POSITIVE
REGARD (CPR)= examples…”I’ll love you if you
behave well”….”do well in school and I will pay
attention to you”.
• With CPR, Love is based on conditions
• Your personality is in part shaped by if you
receive unconditional positive regard or
conditional positive regard.
Standard critiques of Humanistic Theories
• Pros: upbeat approach/positive/healthy
individuals.
• Pros: focus on present and future possibilities
• Pros: Focus on the individual
• Cons: Difficult to empirically study, concepts
are unclear???
• Cons: Western approach