Humanistic Theory of Self
Power to decide
our own actions
Shouldn’t focus
on the past
All want to fulfil
our potential
Rogers said this develops as we get older.
It’s how we view ourselves
The person an individual would like to be
Rogers said that to become our
ideal selves we had to go through a
process called…
This is how much you value yourself and is
influenced by the gap between the self
concept and the ideal self and also….
Maslow came up with a
hierarchy of needs that we need
to go through to self actualise.
Limitations of the Humanistic
Theory
• Can’t measure self actualisation OBJECTIVELY.
Difficult to study yourself therefore difficult to study self
actualisation !
• Not a very scientific theory – can’t observe the ideas,
says people are unique and have free will and so can’t
predict them. Science predicts things and this doesn’t!
• Ignores genetic evidence – some scientists think that
upto 60% of your personality is controlled by genes.
Trait Theory
• Eysenck said…
Personality is controlled by your genes.
Also, its controlled by the reticular
activating system in the brain
Our personalities are made up of different TRAITS…..
Out going
confident
Shy, withdrawn
These traits are….
Anxious moody
caring
Van Houtte & Jarvis (1995)