Humanistic Approach

Question 1

What is the humanistic approach?

Answer 1

The study of focusing on personal growth, free will, and self-actualisation.

Question 2

What is self actualisation?

Answer 2

The process of reaching one’s full potential and becoming the best version of oneself.

Question 3

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 3

A pyramid of humanistic needs from basic survival to self actualisation

Question 4

State each stage of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 4

Psychological needs (food, water, sleep)
Safety
Love and belongingness
Esteem needs
Self actualisation

Question 5

When is self actualisation met/ what conditions are needed?

Answer 5

When the self-concept (present self) and the ideal self broadly match each other.

Question 6

What does the Rogerian therapy aim to help?

Answer 6

Through client-centred therapy, the therapist can help the person close the gap of incongruence between the self concept and ideal self (achieve personal growth).

Question 7

What are the conditions of worth?

Answer 7

The expectations or standards others place on us that make us feel we must behave a certain way to gain approval or love.

Question 8

In what way is the humanistic approach weak?

Answer 8

It’s findings does not apply universally to the world (for example, it expresses cultural bias as it aims to help people with personal problems, more prevalent in western society than eastern since its more individualistic).

Question 9

What is one strength of the humanistic approach?

Answer 9

It rejects reductionism which most of other approaches embrace as human behaviour is too complex.