Chapter 9: Phenomenological Perspective

Question 1

Major Assumption

Answer 1

• every person is unique
• emphasis on subjective experience of each person: objective reality is not as important as subjective
• self-determination is part of human nature: freedom and power to choose
• all humans are basically good: strive for growth, perfection

Question 2

Humanism: Carl Rogers

Answer 2

• dislikes psychoanalysis: negative, ineffective
• developed rogerian therapies: person-centered approach
• humans are inherently good
• focus on conscious processes and ability for self-direction
• humans are driven towards positive growth and actualization: tendency to improve
• process occurs naturally if there are no opposing influences

Question 3

Self-Actualization

Answer 3

• leads to: autonomy, self-sufficiency, sense of wholeness and integration
• fully functioning person: open to experience, trust feelings: not afraid of new feelings and experiences

Question 4

Need for Positive Regard

Answer 4

• humans are motivated by need for positive regard: love acceptance, friendship, affection
• unconditional positive regard: no strings attached: parental love
• conditional positive regard: must meet conditions of worth

Question 5

Conditional Self-Regard

Answer 5

may interfere with self-actualization of behaviors, values, and goals that must be adapted to meet conditions of worth conflict with those that would achieve self-actualization
- often we underestimate our meaningfulness to significant others

Question 6

Self-Determination Theory

Answer 6

• growth (self-actualization) and healthy personality can only be achieved if three needs are met:
  1. competence
  2. relatedness
  3. autonomy

Question 7

Competence

Answer 7

need to be effective when dealing with environment

Question 8

Relatedness

Answer 8

need to interact, relate and connect with others

Question 9

Autonomy and Self-Determination

Answer 9

need to be in charge of own life

Question 10

Intrinsic Motivation

Answer 10

drive to seek out challenges and accomplishments

• leads to feelings of competence
• enhanced by praise
• diminished by negative feedback

Question 11

Extrinsic Motivation

Answer 11

comes from external sources

- varies depending on the degree that external demands, rules, or rewards are introjected

Question 12

Humanistic Psychology and the Self

Answer 12

• Rogers: self-theorist
• sense of self develops gradually as infants learn to differentiate self from others
• self refers to both subjective experience of being, and your self-concept: ideal self vs. actual self

Question 13

Humanistic Psych and Maladjustment

Answer 13

• incongruity: disorganization, breakdown in wholeness of integration of self
• conflict between ideal and actual self may lead to low self-esteem
• result: pessimism, relationship problems, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation
• defense: rationalization, denial
• defense attempt to protect and enhance self-esteem

Question 14

Abraham Maslow

Answer 14

• studied motivation: believed that motivational needs form a hierarchy
• needs vary in power
• bottom needs must be satisfied first
• higher needs cannot be satisfied with first satisfying lower needs
• higher needs are not necessary for survival but are necessary for self-actualization

Question 15

Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 15

1. physiological needs
2. love and safety needs
3. esteem needs
4. self-actualization

Question 16

Revised Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 16

1. physiological needs
2. love and safety needs
3. esteem needs
4. cognitive needs
5. aesthetic needs
6. self-actualization
7. transcendence needs

Question 17

Self-Actualizers are:

Answer 17

• efficient in perceiving reality
• accepting of self and others
• spontaneous and sincere
• problem focused
• independent
• philosophical
• creative, inventive
• related

Question 18

Personal Constructs

Answer 18

• assumption: emphasis on subjective experience of each person
• Kelly 1950’s
• humans are natural scientists: need to understand the world
• construct a personal view of the world: personal constructs (beliefs, perceptions, own theories)

Question 19

Personal Construct System

Answer 19

• own history

- own predisposition to perceive

Question 20

The Fundamental Postulate

Answer 20

• human actions are determined by the constructs they use to anticipate or predict events
• some are unconscious and automatic
• some are conscious

Question 21

Constructive Alternativism

Answer 21

• all events are open to interpretation
• people develop constructs about the world based on interpretation
• people decide which construct to apply to different situations
• people can alter events by reconstructing them

Question 22

How are Constructs used?

Answer 22

• constructs lead to hypotheses about how an event will happen
  1. apply construct
  2. test hypothesis
  3. confirmed: retain construct for future
  4. disconfirmed: revise or abandon construct
• predictive efficiency: degree to which constructs predict correctly
• constructs are based on recurring themes: no two experiences are identical

Question 23

Social Relationships and Constructs

Answer 23

• to built relationships, must attempt to understand the construct system of others (eg. psychologist)
• role taking: who am I to this person? what do they expect of me? how must I behave for mutual understanding?

Question 24

Core Roles

Answer 24

• major determinant for identity
• daughter, sister, wife, psychologist…
• failure to fulfill core role: results in guilt

Question 25

Existential Perspective

Answer 25

each person is responsible for finding the meaning in life: emphasizes choice and free will

Question 26

Existential Dilemma

Answer 26

- death is inevitable - awareness of unavoidable death: anxiety, concern of meaningful and fulfilling lives - every human has the choice: retreat or advance, to be or not to be

Question 27

Assessment Phenomenological Approach

Answer 27

- structured methods contradict that every human is unique | - interview method is preferred

Question 28

Humanistic and Existentialist Therapies

Answer 28

- client-centered therapies - provides nurturing environment and unconditional positive regard - nonevaluative: reflective listening - nondirective: never tells the client what they should do: find own solution - helps client accept responsibility for their lives

Question 29

Source of Maladjustment

Answer 29

- incongruity - existential anxiety - failure to self-actualization

Question 30

Problems with Humanistic and Existential Approaches

Answer 30

- little scientific research: in the past, existentialist and humanists have been opposed to research - neither perspective accepted in DSM-V