Humanist ApproachChapter 11

Rebelling Against Negativity Psychoanalysts – struggle to control

primal urges Behaviorists – mechanical beings;

actions shaped by rewards and punishments

Humanists – stress our relative freedom from instinctual pressures and our ability to create and live by personal standards

Key Concepts All human beings strive for SELF-

ACTUALIZATION Realization of our potential to be unique

Emphasizes the WHOLE person Accepts people as INDIVIDUAL HUMANS

with all kinds of good qualities

Carl Rogers Studied to be a

minister Had trouble with

the idea that people are sinful

Believed that we are all basically good

Rogers Cont. Biggest struggle is

living up to our ideal self As close to

perfection as one can get

Come into the world ready to become this person

Positive Regard: approval received from important people

Conditions of Worth: verdicts you accept for yourself in order to receive positive regard

Rogers Cont. Unconditional

Positive Regard Being valued for

what you are The way you

naturally present yourself

Fully functioning individuals Ultimate goal in

life United what we should be with what we are

Abraham Maslow Humans have deep

need for beauty, goodness, justice, and feeling of completeness

Everyone inherited something unique If environment

cooperates, we can be great

Self-Actualization Being great =

bringing to life our personal skills

Fulfilled person is self-actualized

Can be accomplished despite personal problems

Abraham Lincoln – suffered endless bouts of depression Still self-

actualized Albert Einstein

and Eleanor Roosevelt too

Self-Actualization cont. Perceive reality

accurately No prejudice or

wishful thinking Accept themselves

Do not deny shortcomings

Avoid changing things we don’t like about ourselves

Assessment of Humanism Very upbeat; makes us feel good Positively encourages us to take charge

of our fate Emphasizes what goes right Theory is too simple and vague to fully

account for great variety seen in human personality