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Maslow- Humanistic Psychology (Background (Psychology in the 1950s…
Maslow- Humanistic Psychology
Background
Psychology in the 1950s dominated by:
psychoanalysis
behaviourism
many considered these approaches limited or negative
humanistic psychology was a cultural reaction- 'Third Forces'
Born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York (died in 1970), the first of 7 children, parents were uneducated Jewish immigrants from Russia
he first studied law in NY but ended up studying Psychology at University of Wisconsin
During this time he came into contact with many European intellectuals who immigrated to the US around that time - Adler, Fromm, Horney, as well as several Freudian psychologists.
Humanistic Psychology
Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers are the pioneers of the humanistic approach
Sees the human being as rational, purposeful, creative and autonomous, capable of deep insight into reality
Places importance of the individual experience and personal growth
Speaks to the positive and optimistic within us… the potential for it to be a ‘healing’ perspective
MAIN THEMES
Healthy Personality
focus on the existence of positive qualities rather than the lack of pathology
key element of Maslow himself
focus on healthy rather than pathology - want to focus on the positive
rather than focusing on therapy clients, the emphasis should be on emotionally healthy people
study those best exemplifying a healthy personality
in depth analysis of "best of the best in different field
“
innocence
”- the healthy personality’s capacity to live without pretense and focus on creative goals
creative, innocent and healthy people are able to devote themselves to worthwhile tasks
Human Motivation
focus on the hierarchy of needs
behaviour can be motivated by very complex needs
the fundamental question- why do people behave as they do?
Maslow belief: "people are all decent underneath"
people are rarely in a state of complete satisfaction
constantly motivated to meet needs (biological & psychological)
meetings these needs is a dynamic, interactive process
people constantly seek to meet inter-related biological and psychological
Maslow proposed his well-known
Hierarchy of Needs
the most potent needs are at the bottom
the first 4 are basic/deficiency needs
self-actualisation is a being need
Physiological
- most basic, survival needs (water, food, sleep)
Safety
- the desire for stability, a living environment free of danger (need for order, predictability & structure)
Love & Belonging
- the desire to be with others (need for meaningful relationships)
Esteem
- the desire to be recognised by others (respect of others and self-respect)
Key Criticism
Wahba & Bridwell (1976) - found no evidence of a hierarchy at all
Hofstede (1984) argues that the hierarchy is quite ethnocentric in nature
ignores differences between individualism and collectivism
growth needs vs deficiency needs
Deficiency needs:
Needs that come into being due to deprivation or lacking; satisfaction of needs undermines negative feelings and consequences.
physiological, security, social & esteem
Growth needs:
Needs to explore/expand our capabilities and reach our full potential; do not come from a position of ‘lacking’
self actualisation & self-transcendence
the top of the pyramid
Self-Actualistion
Focus on full development of positive potential
people being able to become full actualised
similar to
individuation
(Jung)
reaching full potential- reaching the fictional functional goal
developing the individual full potential- involved the individual's desire to develop their abilities to reach the full potential
Whatever a person feels is a vital part of their human nature should be pursued at the best of their abilities
ongoing process- not an absolute state of achievement
not that different to individualization
this need was a particular interest Maslow
he studied self-actualising individuals adopting a clinical approach to look for the characteristics these people shared
some common threads of excellence
Characteristics
more accurate perceptions of reality
greater acceptance of self and others
non-hostile sense of humour
being true to themselves
autonomy in behaviour and values
having peak experiences
being selective in their interpersonal relationships
Peak Experiences
focus on the most remarkable experiences in someones life
doesnt happen to everyone- only after you are 'self-actualised'
moments where you are transcending human existence- rush of competence and unity (one with the world)
"… the most wonderful experience of your life: the happiest moments, ecstatic moments, moments of rapture, perhaps from being in love, or from listening to music or suddenly ‘being hit’ by a book or painting or from some creative moment” (Maslow, 1962)
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
STRENGTH
focus on the best of the best
realistic and more positive view of human nature
impact and applications in many areas
LIMITATIONS
motivational theory, hard to test empirically
subjectivity in judging self-actualisation
overall lack of empirical evidence for his major concepts