Chapter 12: Humanism Research/Application
Although humanistic psychologists sometimes do not focus empirical research,
research on topics introduced or promoted by these psychologists has provided
insight into some important aspects of humanistic personality theory.
Research on self-disclosure finds that people follow social rules concerning when and
how to reveal information about themselves
Self disclosure: act of revealing intimate information about oneself to another person.
The rule of Disclosure Reciprocity: matching a conversation partner’s self-disclosing
intimacy level. 2 people getting acquainted in conversation are likely to reveal
information about themselves at roughly the same level of intimacy. Friends who
have already shared intimate information in a reciprocal manner do not always return
to this pattern.
Self-disclosure: allows people to better understand themselves; allows people to
grow emotionally and move toward self-actualization
Studies with couples in long-term romantic relationships find that self-disclosure in a
marriage is a reliable predictor of marital satisfaction.
Other studies find men and women are restricted in what they disclose by what
society deems appropriate—gender appropriate. Females tend to self-disclose more
than males.
Holding traumatic secrets inside may take its toll on a person’s health. . There are
health benefits of disclosing traumatic information.
Loneliness is not the same as isolation. Researchers define loneliness as a
discrepancy between the amount and quality of social contact we desire and the
amount and quality we receive.
How well the amount and quality of our relationships with others satisfies our
personal needs—defines loneliness.
Unpleasant feelings brought about by a
perceived discrepancy between desired and achieved social interaction.
Although loneliness is influenced by social situations, people tend to suffer from
loneliness at a fairly stable level. Lonely people appear to show little interest in
getting to know others. May lack social skills, and thus have difficulty developing
relationships
Research suggests that the majority of college students experience loneliness on
occasion
Research on chronically lonely people indicates they approach conversations with
negative expectations and lack some basic social skills. Because of this tendency,
they inadvertently stifle social interactions and discourage potential friends.
Contrast loneliness with isolation
High and low self-esteem people react differently to failure. Low self-esteem people
become discouraged and unmotivated when they receive negative feedback, whereas
high self-esteem people employ tactics to blunt the effects of failure.
high self-esteem people often motivated by a concern for self-enhancement;
low self-esteem people are often more concerned about self-protection.
People differ in the extent to which feeling of self-worth fluctuates---this individual
difference is self-esteem stability.
Recent research indicates that notions about the self and self-esteem taken from
individualistic cultures may not apply to collectivist cultures.
Maslow observed that virtually all of his psychologically healthy people reported a
high preference for solitude. Subsequent research finds that most people spend a large
percentage of their time in solitude. Although people typically find this time
unpleasant, others seek out and enjoy their time alone. Researchers find that people
differ in the extent to which they prefer solitude. People with a high preference for
solitude enjoy their time alone but also enjoy time spent with others.
disclosure
reciprocity
loneliness
preference for
solitude
Matching a conversation partner's self-disclosing intimacy level.
Unpleasant feelings brought about by a perceived discrepancy between
desired and achieved social interaction.
The extent to which people seek out and enjoy time alone.
self-disclosure
The act of revealing intimate information about oneself to another
person.
self-esteem
Evaluation of one's self-concept, usually measured in terms of a
relatively stable and global assessment of how a person feels about
himself or herself.
self-esteem stability The extent to which an individual's feelings of self-worth fluctuate.