There are four perspectives on psychology students need to know for the IB standard and higher level exams. They are the...

behavioral perspective

cognitive perspective

humanistic/phenomenological perspective

psychodynamic perspective

REA's Problem Solvers references:

9-6, 10-4, 10-15, 10-16, 10-26, 10-27, 10-28, 10-29, 10-30,

15-15, 15-16, 15-17, 15-18, 15-19, 15-35, 16-37 & 17-17 

The focus of humanistic theory is on the here and now, attempting to help the individual through the process of unconditional positive regard (unconditional support) in achieving self-actualization, or a realization of the individual's full potential and comforting sense of place in the world. The emphasis is on the whole person, not an examination into only one dysfunctional part of personality.

The self-determined unique individual

humanistic therapists believe the the individual has free will and the ability to make choices

each individual is unique

Hierarchy of needs as an explanation of motivation

Abraham Maslow also believed in our self-actualizing tendency by satisfying certain needs

he arranged these in a hierarchical structure with the lower level needs

representing our survival needs and the upper level needs our growth or meta-needs

he represented these needs in a pyramid, using the concept that the lower needs

had to be met to form the foundation on which to build the higher level needs

 

most of our time is spent toward the lower level needs

the number of people who are self-actualized is relatively small

higher level needs are more difficult to measure because of the subtlety of their nature

individuals who exhibit primarily lower (deficiency-oriented) needs are typically

self-centered, reject their own impulses, seeks goals common to others, look for short-term gratification, view others in terms of how they can be used to satisfy their own needs, and behave on the basis of external cues

individuals who exhibit primarily higher (growth-oriented) needs are typically more

concerned with the world at large and other people, accept their impulses, attain unique and individual goals, look for long-term gratification, accept others for who they are, and behave based on internal cues

Humanistic view of self and self-esteem

William James developed the concept of self

the self is anything that a person can lay claim to be part of his or her person that

distinguishes them from others

James defined four parts to the self:

material self: refers to material possessions

social self: how we are perceived by others (akin to Jung's persona)

spiritual self: our reasoning, emotions and psychological faculties

pure ego: the person's internal stream of consciousness

 

Carl Rogers developed his theories through clinical settings

Adler's concept of striving toward perfection and James' concept of self were

building blocks for Rogers' theories

Rogers believed that all organisms had a biological push toward fulfillment

called an actualizing tendency

individuals attempted to fulfill their own self-concepts or images they have formed

of themselves through a self-actualizing tendency

when an individual's real self matches their potential or ideal self, Rogers believes

the individual has become a fully functioning person

the self is an explanatory concept in that it explain a person's internal frame of mind

Individualistic and collectivistic identity

Client-centered and insight therapies, personal construct therapy and encounter groups

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is adopted by mental health professionals because

self-actualization is a behavior of a healthy, optimally functioning individual

 

Rogers believed that people felt anxious and defensive because their conscious self-image

did not coincide with their real self

the goal of client-centered therapy is to have the patient develop a realistic self-image

this therapy is called humanistic because the outlook of the therapy is optimistic

faith is placed in the goodness of human nature; it does not see human nature as

self-destructive or irrational

the therapy is non-directive because the therapist does not advise or suggest

solutions to problems

people in therapy are clients, not patients, to avoid any negative connotations

parent or society-imposed values that do not coincide with the client's needs should be rejected

the therapist must view the client with unconditional positive regard

the therapeutic environment should be as nonthreatening as possible so the client can

explore their inner self

the environment allows the client to experience feelings free from structures of their self-image

the therapist must be a source of strength to the client who is at a low point emotionally

 

client-centered therapists tape their sessions to derive transcripts

tape transcripts allow the therapist to 1) examine the client-therapist relationship,

2) note changes in the client through the course of therapy, and 3) note changes in the therapist's attitudes

content analysis refers to the change in self-reference that occurs by the client during therapy

 

content categories include positive, ambiguous or negative self-references as well as

references to external objects

over the course of therapy, positive self-references should increase

content analysis causes emotional maladjustment to be defined as self-disapproval; positive adjustment should be seen in positive self-references

content analysis can be used with any set of categories

 

Rogers used rating scales to measure various changes during therapy

Rogers also used the Q-technique to measure clients' attitudes about various things

Creativity, choice and personal freedom

Neal Miller determined three types of situations:

approach-approach: when confronted with two equally appealing alternatives

approach-avoidance: when confronted with one appealing and one unappealing choice

avoidance-avoidance: when confronted with two equally unappealing alternatives

Application to social issues across cultures

women

McClelland's research implied that achievement motive (nAch) was not present

in women

Matina Horner's experiments indicated women have a "motive to avoid success"

the "motive to avoid success" is part of society's socialization

high achievement is not compatible with "femininity"

women with high nAch want to achieve but don't want to challenge societal rules;

this produces approach-avoidance behavior (Neal Miller)

subsequent research could not replicate Horner's contention, in fact,

women tended to perform better against male rather than female competitors