Humanistic Psychology

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Humanistic Psychology emerged in the USA during the 1950’s. The humanistic approach began in response to concerns by therapists against the perceived limitations of Behaviourism and Psychoanalysis. Individuals like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow felt that existing theories failed to adequately address issues like the meaning of behaviour and the nature of healthy growth. However, the result was not simply new variations on the then current theories, but rather a fundamentally new approach. There are several factors which distinguish the Humanistic Approach from other approaches within Psychology, including the emphasis on subjective meaning, a rejection of determinism in favour of individual choice, and a concern for positive growth rather than pathology. While one might argue that some psychodynamic approach theories provide an image of healthy growth (including Jung’s concept of individuation), the other characteristics distinguish the Humanistic Approach from every other approach within Psychology.

The basic assumptions of the humanistic approach are that behaviour must be understood in terms of the subjective experience of the individual, and that past or current circumstances do not limit behaviour.  Human behaviour is not simply a response to an immediate stimulus. If you wish to understand behaviour, the humanists argue, you must understand the person producing the behaviour, including how the person sees the world – sometimes described as the phenomenological viewpoint

Humanistic Psychology acknowledges that the mind is strongly influenced by intrinsic forces within society and the unconsciousness, some of which are negative and destructive. Nevertheless, humanists focus upon the independent importance and value of human beings and their conscious ability to develop personal competence and self-respect. This value orientation has led to the development of therapies, promoting personal and interpersonal skills as well as enhancing the quality of life.

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Carl Rogers was not only one of the founders of the Humanistic Approach but also arguably the most influential therapist in the 20th Century. In terms of his theories, there are two fundamental ideas. Firstly, Rogers talked about healthy development in terms of how the individual perceived themselves. A healthy individual will tend to see congruence, between their sense of who they are (self) and who they feel they should be (ideal self). While no one tends to experience perfect congruence at all times; the relative degree of congruence is an indicator of health. The second fundamental idea is Roger’s theory ...

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The writer has covered many of the important aspects of humanistic psychology in the first part of this work. However, there appears to be a disconnect between the humanistic approach and the last few paragraphs which go off on a tangent about biology and brain function. The first part of the writing could be improved by adding an introduction and some historical background as to why the humanistic approach emerged. A bit more detail about behaviourism and psychoanalysis would also improve the work.