Humanistic psychology focuses on the study of the person as a whole and is based on the idea that human beings are innately good. Humanistic psychologists do not observe human behavior only through the eyes of the observer but also through the person who acts or thinks. They understand that human behavior cannot be separated from their feelings, intentions, self-image or personal history. It focuses on freedom, human potential and creativity.
One of the first references of this psychological trend was Carl Rogers, one of the creators of the humanistic approach. This holistic current collects ideas from some well-known Abraham Maslow studies. In this Psychology-Online article, we tell you the What is humanistic psychology and its main characteristics.
Development of humanistic psychology
humanism emerged around the 50s as the third force in psychology in response to the significant limitations expressed by some psychologists of behavioral and psychoanalytic approaches. Behaviorism has been criticized for not focusing on human consciousness and personality, as well as for being deterministic, mechanistic, and heavily dependent on animal studies. Psychoanalysis was rejected for its excessive emphasis on the unconscious and instinctual forces and, furthermore, for its determinism.
In 1957 and 1958, Clark and Moustakas met with psychologists who shared their same goal, to establish a professional association that would follow a more positive and humanistic approach. In these meetings, the concepts or themes that were considered fundamental to the humanistic approach were discussed: self-realization, creativity, health, individuality, intrinsic nature, the self, being, becoming and meaning.
The American Association of Humanistic Psychology was founded in 1961. The main contributors to the development of humanistic psychology were: Carl Rogers, James Bugental, Charlotte Buhler, Rollo May, Gardner Murphy, Henry Murray, Fritz Perls, Kirk Schneider, Louis Hoffman, and Paul Wong.
Humanistic psychology: definition
Some fundamental assumptions of humanistic psychology are:
- Experimentation (thinking, perceiving, sensations, remembering, feeling…) is something fundamental
- The subjective experience of the person is the first indicator of behavior
- An accurate understanding of human behavior cannot be achieved through the study of animals.
- He free will exists and people should accept their responsibility for self-growth and fulfillment. No behavior is determined
- Self-actualization (the person’s need to seek their maximum potential) is natural
- People are innately good and will grow that way if the right conditions are given, especially in childhood.
- Each person and each experience is uniqueso psychologists must treat each case individually, uniquely and not follow guidelines from group studies
Main characteristics of humanism
There are a number of elements of humanistic psychology that when carried out within the context of therapy are called person-centered therapy. Some of the most important features of humanistic psychology are:
1. Don’t judge
They are based on an approach in which the professional does not judge what the person says in therapy.
2. Empathy
A fundamental aspect of person-centered therapy is empathy. Therapists who take a humanistic approach “get closer” to their clients when exploring emotional aspects.
3. Do not pathologize
Many humanistic therapists leave aside clinical jargon, as well as the diagnosis and focus on the essence of the person. Many humanists use the person-centered approach to encourage the client to focus on his or her strengths.
4. Emphasis on the self
The goal of this therapy is promote the expression of feelings, thoughts and emotions through dialogue. In some cases, the client is encouraged to write, paint, and act (psychodrama) as ways to express feelings.
5. Existential
The existential components are one of the most important characteristics of humanism. Existentialist therapists help clients work through restrictive patterns and approaches that encourage creativity as a way of expressing themselves. The 4 existentialist dimensions explored are: physical, psychological, social and spiritual.
Limitations of humanistic psychology
Humanism maintains that people’s subjective experiences make it difficult to measure, evaluate, and study human variables and their characteristics. Working primarily with qualitative data makes impossible to measure and verify any observations made in therapy. Not only is it difficult to compare qualitative data with others, but also the lack of quantitative data means that theories cannot be supported by empirical evidence.
Other experts who criticize humanism also speak of its lack of effectiveness in treating mental disorders serious and generalizations made about human nature, such as the complete rejection of some behavioral and psychoanalytic concepts.
For example, although humanistic psychology maintains that animal studies are not useful for studying human behavior, some data from animal studies have allowed us to establish concepts applicable to people. Furthermore, humanistic psychology focuses exclusively on free will and consciousness.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is humanistic psychology: main characteristicswe recommend that you enter our category.