The humanistic approach to personality

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The humanistic approach to personality
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Humanistic psychology

• A strong reaction to both behaviorism and
  psychodynamics
• We make conscious decisions about the direction
  of our lives
• We look forward, not controlled by a past history
  of reinforcement/punishment or repressed trauma

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• Discards the limits of behaviorism
• no experiments
• Denies the negativity of
• psychodynamics we are, at our
• core, good and striving to get better
• Focuses on our natural progress
• towards fully developing our potential

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Abraham Maslow

• Initially sold on behaviorism
• Questioned when he read Freud
• Everything changed after the birth of his first
  child, he looked beyond both
• Decided that we spend too much time on the
  mentally ill to understand mental health
• Focus on the strong. Want to run fast?
  Dont study cripples.

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More Maslow

• Devised a holistic theory - look at people as
  whole, functioning organisms
• Skinner deprived his rats pigeons, then made
  inferences from their behavior to humans
• What if we had everything we needed ?
• A truly human motivation would emerge, a
  progression towards fulfillment.

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The hierarchy

• An organization from the most necessary needs to
  those we turn to when the others are satisfied
• Appealing
• Widely applied
• But little evidence
• Some ignore levels

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The self-actualized

• Initially, based upon two of his favorite
  instructors
• Achieve qualities that must be developed
• A path more than a goal
• What a man can do, he must do.

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What it takes

• To perceive reality accurately
• To be independent creative
• To solve problems
• To accept yourself
• To have a sense of humor
• To enjoy life

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who qualifies?

• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Gandhi
• Jefferson
• Lincoln
• So few, changed from a destination to a path.

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How would you know?

• Peak experiences moments when you feel truly
  fulfilled, content and at peace
• Your powers and abilities come together in an
  intensely enjoyable way
• Flow experiences

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Carl Rogers 1902-1987

• Conservative background
• Postconventional experiences at Madison
• A career blessed with success
• Continuous work as a therapist 15 to 20
  hrs/week for decades

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A new type of therapy

• Rogers enjoyed consistent success in therapy
• Needed a theory to explain this
• Person connected theory to see everything from
  the patients perspective
• A common sense, easy to understand approach to
  mental illness and the therapist/patient
  relationship

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fundamentals

• We are rational but we dont always act that
  way
• We are aware, we know what we want
• We have a self-concept which filters our
  perceptions
• Everything is fine if our self-concept lines up
  with reality
• If not, trouble

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The prize

• We all have an actualizing tendency
• We are engaged in a life-long struggle to reach
  our potential
• The problem is defensiveness
• The solution/goal is Openness to Experience,
  living life for the moment, trusting our
  instincts
• Sound familiar? Remember the Big 5?

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Another view

• Rev. John S. Dunne expert on life paths
• John Pauls designee
• How do you live your life?
• Two options

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The search for certainty

• Do you live your life trying to confirm and
  establish to yourself and others that you are
  what you hold most dear?
• The smartest? The hippest?
• The sexiest? Someones significant other?
• The best athlete?
• The best at anything?

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The inevitable frustration of yearning for
certainty.

• If your life is a never-ending battle to
• live up to such a standard, dont
• expect to ever be at peace.
• Times, circumstances, and people change.

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Instead

• Look at your life as a Quest for Discovery.
• In the future, somewhere else, you might not have
  the status or position you crave.
• Dont despair. Be ready. Dont limit yourself.
• Be open to experience the unexpected
  possibilities this chaotic but wonderful world
  offers you.

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Therapy essentials

• A Rogerian therapist must
• 1) Be genuine
• 2) Exhibit unconditional positive regard
  for their patients dont judge
• 3) Be sympathetic, empathetic and
  understanding.
• Let them solve their own problems
• Reflect the patients content and feeling

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But .

• Would this style of therapy work for everyone?
• Rogers dealt with a narrow range of clients
  young
• attractive
• verbal/intelligent
• social
• All self referred.