The Humanistic Approach

People have free will

• This is an optimistic view of humans compared to the behaviourist and psychodynamic approaches. Freedom to choose distinguishes us from animals
• BUT freewill may not be a reality since many things dictate what we do. Free will may not be possible for people in many different cultures

People have an innate tendency to self-actualise

• This aids the understanding of what motivates us to fulfil our potential. It emphasies the importance of 'the self'
  
• BUT few people self-actualise - many are motivated only by basic needs so the idea of self-actualisation may be biased towards westernised values and the idea of individualism

People must be looked at holistically (as a whole)

• Psychology can therefore study meaningful areas of human experience that will help people to become fully dunctiong e.g subjective conscioue experience
  
• BUT this ignoresall important issues below conscious awareness so we cannot study the objectivity. The apporach does not explain about development
  

Rogers'

• Two basic needs - for love and approval, and for self-actualisation
  
• The need for love and approval can lead to incongruence, due to conditions of worth
• If the incongruence is great, problems will occur and the individual will need person-centred therapy

Maslow

• Hierarchy of needs
  
• Those lower down are deficence needs, those higher up are growth needs
  
• Needs further down the hierarchy must be satisified first
• If needs are not met, personal growth is blocked and this causes problems for the individual

Humanists use the case study method and use techniques such as open ended interviews

Strengths

• Humanistic psychologists view the person as an active agent, able to control and determine their own development, unlike behaviourism
• Humanistic psychologists promote the idea of personal responsibility - free will as opposed to determinism
• Person-centered therapy is used by psychologists and counsellors in therapy today

Weaknesses

• Humanistics theories are hard to falsify. They lack predictive power and are therefore unscientific
  
• In rejecting the use of the scientific method, humanistic theories lack empirical support
• Individual emotions and consciouness are difficult to study objectively