Humanistic Psychology
Humanistic psychology has made a tremendous impact on the overall field of psychology and the social sciences in general. Since Rogers first introduced the concepts of unconditional positive regard, the ideals of professional competence in psychotherapy have changed towards client-centered perspectives and practices (McArthur & Cooper, 2017). However, humanistic psychology often eschews quantitative research methods, diverges considerably from the views in cognitive psychology, psychoanalysis and behaviorism, and has been occasionally perceived or portrayed of as too soft to be relevant to the social sciences (Wong, 2017). More recently,… Continue Reading...
Question 1
The individual’s experience and the personal construction of meaning are central to humanistic psychology. Theorists like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow initially promoted this humanistic view of psychology, which was contrary to the prevailing tenets of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. Instead of focusing on past experiences and environmental variables, Rogers and Maslow focused on the person’s perceptions and intrinsic motivations (“What is Humanistic Psychology?” n.d.). Moreover, early theorists also negated the importance of experimental studies and other applications of the scientific method to psychological inquiry because these methods have a way of dehumanizing and devaluing personal experience (McLeod, 2015). Theorists like Rogers and… Continue Reading...
taken by Carl Rogers. Although known primarily for his contributions to humanistic psychology, Rogers also veered towards phenomenology as a method in some of his research on human relationships and the mutual construction of social meaning (Moreira, 2010). There are tremendous benefits in the theoretical viewpoint of phenomenology, but its abstraction and lack of scientific methodologies make it limited in scope and application.
References
Giorgi, A. (1971). Duquesne Studies in Phenomenological Psychology. DOI: 10.5840/dspp197114
Moreira, V. (2010). From person-centered to humanistic-phenomenological psychotherapy. Peson-centered and experiential psychotherapies 11(1): 48-63.
Scalambrino, F. (n.d.). Phenomenological psychology. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://www.iep.utm.edu/phen-psy/
Wertz, F.J. (2005).… Continue Reading...
field of psychology. With each having contributed tremendously to the social sciences, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanistic psychology can also be integrated for a richer understanding of human consciousness and the human condition. Historical context of the science and practice of psychology helps illuminate the field’s core values.
Historical Context and Rationale
Although inquiries into the human experience can be traced through the disciplines of philosophy and religion, the first scientific, empirical studies of human nature and behavior began more concertedly in the nineteenth century. William Wundt opened the first real laboratory dedicated exclusively to psychology in 1879, signifying the birth of the scientific study of… Continue Reading...
