The history of psychology dates back to the times of the ancient Greeks, and Chinese philosophers 4,000 years ago. During this time span numerous thinkers had strived to answer the riddle of the human mind. This paper will focus on the development of Humanistic Psychology primarily from the 1950’s to the present day. Humanistic Psychology had played an important role in the shaping of todays clinical applications for mental health. Also known as the Third Force, humanistic approach had offered a unique explanation for describing and assessing human behavior, which ran contrary to both behaviorism and psychodynamic theory that was popular at the time. In congruence with the emphasize on internal development this paper will highlight the history …show more content…
The Association’s main objective was to counteract against behaviorism and psychoanalytical practice that was popular at the time (Goble, 1970) The original founders of the AHP were Gordon Allport, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Rollo May and James Bugental. Up until this point there were two models of human nature and scientific methodology which dominated modern psychology; the first being objective or experimental (behaviorist , or psychoanalytical) and the second being subjective or experiential (existential) (DeCarvalho, 1991). Humanistic psychology had attempted to bridge the gap between the 2 models by introducing the understanding of phenomenology into a empirical …show more content…
Maslow’s critique developed during the 1940s with the context of his theory of self actualization regarding human behavior as not merely the result of a connection between stimulus and response, but also combination of feelings, attitudes and wishes that make up personality as a whole (Maslow, 1968). Rollo May believe that behaviorism was faulty when it had stated that the self did not exist, and that all behavior is conditioned. Later on he stated that human beings are not rats and cannot be studied and understood the same way (May, 1969). May regarded humans as having the ability of choice were rats don’t have the ability of higher mental functions which entails free will. Maslow added further to May’s reply stated behaviorists see only the animal like aspects of human nature precisely because he focuses on coping behavior (May, 1969). Carl Rogers led to further critique by stating that there is a purpose and a choice in human action, which is what Skinner had stated contrary (Rogers,
The psychiatric model is the predominant view of mental health currently. Whatever the causes for this attitude, valuable approaches towards mental health have been abandoned. These philosophical psychologies differ in key dimensions. However, they all proclaim that the neurological approach is too reductive to understand all of the issues concerning the human mind. This paper will analyze the psychological views of Freud, Jung and Laing and how each of their views analyze mental health in a unique, enlightening way.
B.F. Skinner was considered the father of behavioral approach to psychology and a noticeable spokesperson for behaviorism. According to Corey (2013), he advocated radical behaviorism. In other words it placed a primary importance on the effects of environment on behavior. Skinner was a determinist; he did not consider that humans had free choices. He recognized the existence of feeling and thoughts, but disagreed about them causing humans action. In its place, he underlined the cause-and-effect links between objective, observable environmental conditions and behavior. Skinner claimed that more than enough attention had been given to the internal states of mind and motives, which cannot be observed and changed directly and not enough focus
There are numerous advantages and complication in the humanistic approaches to the study of psychology. Numerous individuals sent out messages to each other, non-explicitly, thus, influencing the actions exhibited. As it was stated in the first letter written by Rilke, addressed to Kappus:”Things aren’t all so tangible and sayable as people would usually have us believe; most than all other things are works of art, those mysterious existences, whose life endures beside our own small, transitory life” (Rilke 8). People are able to understand each other in the normal process since gestures have been popular among our societies. In addition, individuals would not have to waste so much time verbalizing everything in our today’s fast-paced societies. The only complication in this process had been individuals with difficulty processing cognitive information had struggling experiences adapting to this usual humanistic approach.
Alder is the founder of the Individual Psychology Therapy. This theory is developed from Freud’s psychodynamic theory and is considered one of the three major contributors to psychodynamic therapies. The beginning of the 20th century, the Adlerian therapy is a type of psychoanalysis known as the Individual Psychology therapy (IP), broke free from the Freudian school as a result rejecting Freud’s driven view of human nature. Adlerians have a calculated view of human nature. The terms Individual Psychology and Adlerian Psychology are interchangeable throughout this paper. Many other individuals have contributed to the Individual Psychology Theory. Alfred Adler’s development of the Individual Psychology therapy is a theory composed of personality and maladjustments (Watts, 2015). The medical model orientation to
Introduction Just as there are various definitions of abnormal behavior, scientists also approach mental problems using different models. In this essay, I will show the problems which I feel arise from using the medical or biological model of psychology. I will also reveal the model which I believe is the most relevant for understanding the etiology of psychological issues. The humanistic-existential model is the most relevant because it does not dwell on whether abnormal behavior (mental disorder) is disease-oriented or not, it postulates that each psychological illness needs unique diagnosis, assessment, and treatment.
Humanistic psychology relies on client centred therapy and the idea that each individual has the potential to achieve a position in their psyche named self actualisation. Humanistic psychology differs from psychodynamic theory in that it is optimistic about the human psyche and does not view conflict as inevitable. Humanistic psychology assumes people attach meaning to their unique perspectives on the world and that behaviour is strongly influenced by this. Carl Rogers defined the healthy personality as being one that had congruence between the perceived self and the experienced self and that the individual in question experienced unconditional positive regard from their parent or guardian. He defined an unhealthy personality as being one which lacked these components. Abraham Maslow alternatively suggested a hierarchy for which a person’s healthy personality could be measured by stages of psychological and physical needs (see diagram 2). He suggested that, for a person to achieve self actualisation and become a fully functioning person, they must first satisfy all the needs of each level in the pyramid before moving onto the next
Within the scope of analytic psychology, there exist two essential tenets. The first is the system in which sensations and feelings are analyzed and listed by type. The second has to do with a way to analyze the psyche that follows Jung’s concepts. It stresses a group unconscious and a mystical factor in the growth of the personal unconscious. It is unlike the system described by Sigmund Freud.
Features of the Psychoanalytic and Humanistic Perspectives Outline the key features of the psychoanalytic and humanistic perspectives, and briefly compare and contrast their views on conscious experience, a person as an integrated whole, and the role of therapists in arriving at changes. Answer In explaining and predicting animal behaviour, different schools of psychology are of different perspectives; e.g. cognitive approach focuses on the mental processes, behaviourism is based on external stimuli and reinforcement, biological approach is concerned with the relationship between the mind and body and the influence of heredity. However, they are only cope with a specific part of people, but neglect human as a whole.
In this essay I am looking at where Psychology as a discipline has come from and what affects these early ideas have had on psychology today, Psychology as a whole has stemmed from a number of different areas of study from Physics to Biology,
...roblems. On the other hand, the humanistic approach, introduced by Abraham Maslow, states that individuals have the freedom and capacity to direct his or her own future. Although it is a theory, it is apparant that the psychoanalytic approach is accepted in our society through observations of our speech and procedures of our criminal justice system. As a result, it is conclusive that it is more instrumental in the treatment of mental disorders.
The personalistic theory of modern psychology suggests that changes made in society are the direct result of an individual(s). The focus of the personalistic theory places emphasis on those thought to be unique individuals that have contributed to the progress of psychology and accomplished known achievements McCauley (2008, p. 5). Andreas Vesalius has been considered by many to be the originator of the human anatomy and William Harvey has been describing to have taken the role of laying the foundation for modern psychology Fearing (1929, p.1). Vesalius and Harvey were men both scholars of biological science, in which this field had not begun to advance until the seventeenth century.
Humanistic and Existential Psychology are influential of each other, both include the “meaning of our existence, the role of free will, and the uniqueness of each human” (Burger, 2015) This paper will review three articles written by influential psychologists of their time, Maslow, Rogers, and Frankl. The review of each will include a summary, how well the contents connects to the humanistic or existential psychology, and if their ideas still have a relevant application in today’s environment.
Behaviorism is the study of human and animal behavior. The idea behind behaviorism is that behavior is altered by stimuli in the environment and can be reinforced by reward or punishment. Behaviorism can be dated back to the 1800’s and has been studied by many psychologists. But the term behaviorism was known to be brought on by psychologist, John Watson, who wrote the article, “Psychology as the behaviorist views it”, that claimed behaviorism should be considered a natural science, rather than a theory. (Malone 2014) In Watson’s eyes “Psychology should embrace behavior as it’s subject matter and rely on experimental observation of that subject matter as its method” (Moore 2011)
Two proponents most noted for humanistic approaches to personality are Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Both the Person-Centered Theory (Rogers) and the Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow) considered that humans ' true nature was good and that each has the potential for growth. A comparison of the two approaches demonstrates a compatibility between theory and practice. Furthermore, each approach focuses on individual choices and rejects the theory that biology will determine human potential.
This psychology perspective emphasizes individuals ' inherent drive towards self-actualization, the process of realizing and expressing one 's own capabilities and creativity. It helps the client gain the belief that all people are inherently good. It adopts a holistic approach to human existence and pays special attention to such phenomena as creativity, free will, and positive human potential. It encourages viewing ourselves as a "whole person" greater than the sum of our parts and encourages self exploration rather than the study of behavior in other people. Humanistic psychology acknowledges spiritual aspiration as an integral part of the human psyche. It is linked to the emerging field of transpersonal psychology. As per usual, there are advantages and limitations to this particular theory. One of the greatest strengths of humanistic psychology is that it emphasizes individual choice and responsibility. Humanistic psychology satisfies most people 's idea of what being human means because it values personal ideals and self-fulfillment. Finally, humanistic psychology provides researchers with a flexible framework for observing human behavior because it considers a person in the context of his environment and in conjunction with his personal perceptions and feelings. As with any viewpoint, humanistic psychology has its critics. One major criticism of humanistic psychology is that its concepts are too vague. Critics