Personality, 9e Jerry M. Burger © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for

Personality, 9eJerry M. Burger

© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Chapter 11

The Humanistic Approach: Theory, Application, and

Assessment

© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Chapter OutlineRoots of humanistic psychologyKey elements of the humanistic approach

Carl RogersAbraham MaslowPsychology of optimal experience

© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 11 - 3

Chapter OutlineApplication: Person-centered therapy and job satisfaction

Assessment: Q-Sort techniqueStrengths and criticisms of the humanistic approach


Roots of Humanistic PsychologyExistential philosophy

Addresses the meaning of human existence, role of free will, and uniqueness of each human being

Existential psychotherapy focuses on existential anxiety

Ideas promoted by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow


Key Elements of the Humanistic Approach


Carl RogersBelieved in every individual’s potential to for a fulfilling and happy lifeFully functioning person: People who strive and reach an optimal sense of satisfaction in their lives

Anxiety is the result of acquiring knowledge that does not coincide with the impression one has about oneself


Carl RogersWhen faced with extreme threatening information, one relies on defensesDistortion and denial

Conditional positive regard: Atmosphere when admiration is gained when accepted behavior is portrayed Leads to denial of one’s weaknesses Resolved through unconditional positive regard


Abraham MaslowMotives identified by Maslow

Deficiency motives: Results from a lack of needed objectSatisfied when obtained

Growth needs: Not satisfied by finding the object of needSatisfied by expressing the motive


Hierarchy of NeedsCategories of needs identified and arranged by MaslowPhysiological needs - Hunger, thirst, air, and sleepMust be satisfied before moving to higher

level needsSafety needs - Security, stability, protection, structure, order, and freedom from chaosProminent when the future is unpredictable


Motivation and the Hierarchy of Needs

Belongingness and love needsD-love - Need to satisfy the emptiness

people experience without itB-love - Experienced and grows as a result

of being in the relationshipEsteem needs

Need to perceive oneself as competent and achieving

Need for self-actualizationSatisfied when people identify their true

self and reach full potential


Figure 11.1 - Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs


Misconceptions About Maslow’s Need HierarchyAssumption that lower needs must be satisfied before turning to higher needs

Description that need hierarchy is universalMeans of satisfying a particular need varies across cultures

Oversimplification that any behavior is motivated by a single needBehavior is the result of multiple motivations


Study of Psychologically Healthy PeopleMaslow believed that knowing self-actualized people can provide lessons others can follow for fulfilling their true potential

Types of psychologically healthy individualsNonpeakers - Have a clear direction in life

Peakers - Less conventional and more concerned with abstract notions


Optimal ExperienceMoments in which a person’s attention is entirely focused on a activityReferred to as flow

ComponentsActivity is challenging and skilfulOne’s attention is completely absorbed by the activity

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Optimal ExperiencePresence of clear feedbackConcentration can only be on the current task

Achievement of personal controlLoss of self-consciousnessLoss of sense of time


Application: Person-Centered TherapyApplication of Rogerian therapy makes clients more fully functioning and happier

Involves creating a proper relationship with clientsOpen and genuineUnconditional positive regardReflection - Helping clients understand their own thoughts and feelings


Application: Job SatisfactionOccupations should provide opportunities for personal growth and satisfaction of higher order needs

Jobs can satisfy people’s need for belongingness, self-esteem, and respect for others


Application: Job SatisfactionEupsychian management

Rearranging an organization to help employees satisfy higher level needs

Careers provide an avenue for personal growth


Assessment: Q-Sort TechniqueBasic procedure used to assess a wide variety of psychological conceptsCalifornia Q-Sort

Requires the client to sort a deck of 100 self-descriptive cards into nine categories according to his/her real and ideal self

Allows the clients to describe themselves


Assessment: Q-Sort TechniqueClients whose real and ideal selves are unrelated have zero correlationNegatively correlated if real and ideal selves are at opposite sides

Real–ideal self correlations increase as clients move through client-centered psychotherapy


Figure 11.3 - Changing Real and Ideal Self Q-Sorts for a 40-Year-Old Female Client

Source: From Rogers, C., International Journal of Social Psychiatry, June 1955; vol. 1: pp. 31–41, Copyright © 1955. Reprinted by Permission of SAGE.


Strengths of the Humanistic ApproachEmphasis on the healthy side of personality

Several aspects have been adopted by therapists from other theoretical perspectives

Growth of encounter groups


Strengths and Criticisms of the Humanistic ApproachHumanistic psychology adopted in education, communication, and businessOrganizations promote job satisfaction by taking care of employees’ higher needs

Teachers and parents have adopted Rogers’ suggestions for education and child rearing


Criticisms of the Humanistic ApproachReliance on the concept of free will to explain human behavior

Key concepts are poorly definedSelf-actualization Fully functioning

Limited applicability of psychotherapy techniques

Naive assumptions about human nature


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Personality, 9e Jerry M. Burger © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for