Humanism is a psychological perspective that emphasizes the study of the whole person. Humanistic psychologists look at human behavior not only through the eyes of the observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the behaving. Humanistic, humanism and humanist are terms in psychology relating to an approach which studies the whole person, and the uniqueness of each individual.
Founder of Humanstics
Abraham Maslow
He was an American psychologist. Born in April 1, 1908 and was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and died in June 8, 1970. Maslow was the "father" of American Humanism. He found the Hierarchy of Needs and believed that at the top is Self-Actualization. Abraham placed emphasis on choice, creativity, values, self-realization, all distinctively human qualities, and believes that meaningfulness and subjectivity were more important than objectivity.
Information About Humanstics
What is Humanstic Psychology?Humanistic psychology focused on each individual's potential and stressed the importance of growth and self-actualization. The fundamental belief of humanistic psychology is that people are innately good and that mental and social problems result from deviations from this natural tendency. Humanism also suggests that people possess personal agency and that they are motivated to use this free will to pursue things that will help them achieve their full potential as human beings. This need for fulfillment and personal growth is a key motivator of all behavior. People are continually looking for new ways to grow, to become better, to learn new things, and to experience psychological growth and self-actualization.
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How Humanstic Psychology Developed?
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The Influence Of HumanismThe humanist movement had an enormous influence on the course of psychology and contributed new ways of thinking about mental health. It offered a new approach to understanding human behaviors and motivations and led to developing new techniques and approaches to psychotherapy.
Some of the major ideas and concepts that emerged as a result of the humanist movement include an emphasis on things such as:
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"The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short.”
- ABRAHAM MASLOW
The History of Humanistic Psychology
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Humanstic Psychology TodayToday, the concepts central to humanistic psychology can be seen in many disciplines including other branches of psychology, education, therapy, political movements, and other areas. For example, transpersonal psychology and positive psychology both draw heavily on humanist influences.
The goals of humanistic psychology remain as relevant today as they were in the 1940s and 1950s. As Maureen O'Hara, former president of the Association of Humanistic Psychology, explained, "As the world's people demand freedom and self-determination, it is urgent that we learn how diverse communities of empowered individuals, with freedom to construct their own stories and identities, might live together in mutual peace. Perhaps it is not a vain hope that is life in such communities might lead to the advance in human consciousness beyond anything we have yet experienced." |
Maslow Hierarchy Of Needs
One of Maslow's lasting and most significant contributions to psychology is what he calls the "hierarchy of needs." In his quest to understand human motivation and the pursuit of happiness, he formulated a list of basic human needs that had to be fulfilled for maximum psychological health. Through his interviews and studies, he came to categorize a hierarchical list of needs that need be fulfilled for increasing life satisfaction:
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