Personality Course - The Humanistic Perspective
The humanistic perspective in personality theory represents a “third force”, established to combat the deterministic and fragmenting tendencies of psychoanalysis and of behaviorism.
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It began as an informal network of psychologists who, organized by Abraham Maslow, exchanged ideas not welcome in the established psychology journals. Several of these humanists held their first meeting in 1957 and formally organized in 1961, founding the organization now known as the Association of Humanistic Psychology. Among the first members were Gordon Allport, Erich Fromm, George Kelly, Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, Henry Murray, and Carl Rogers. Although Gordon Allport is generally classified as a trait psychologist, he is probably the first to have used the term humanistic psychology, and he was closely involved with the movement until his death.
The early self-proclaimed humanistic psychologists had a close affinity with Adler’s theory, especially his emphasis on holism and choice. Other significant influences included Karen Horney and Kurt Goldstein, who found that brain-injured patients can best be understood as striving whole organisms rather than as collections of part- brain processes. Furthermore, the early developments of humanistic psychology were closely connected with the academic developments in personality by Gordon Allport, George Kelly, Henry Murray, and others.
The major distinguishing characteristics of the humanistic perspective derive from its commitment to the value of personal growth:
The humanistic perspective focuses on “higher,” more developed, and healthier aspects of human experience and their development. Among these are spirituality, creativity, and tolerance.
The humanistic perspective values the subjective experience of the individual, including emotional experience. This is sometimes called a phenomenological approach.
Humanistic psychologists emphasize the present rather than the past or the future.
Humanists stress that each individual is responsible for his or her own life outcomes. No past conditions predetermine the present. A person’s capacity for self-reflection enhances healthy choice.
The humanistic perspective seeks to apply its findings to the improvement of the human condition by changing the environment. It assumes that, given appropriate conditions, individuals will develop in a desirable direction.
Humanists describe a “true self” that contains the potential for optimal growth. Alienation from this true self results from unhealthy socialization when other people define what one should do. The view of humanism that one should be guided by one’s true self, or “daimon,” is an old idea, with roots in eudaemonistic philosophy as old as Aristotle. Humanistic psychology has sometimes served as an ideology, and has been compared with religious traditions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, although these Eastern approaches describe self-actualization as requiring considerably more effort than humanism. Closer to home, humanism is compatible with the individualism and optimism of U.S. culture. In contrast to psychoanalysis, which regards instincts as dangerous and needing suppression for civilization to function, humanists assume human nature is inherently good and that suppression itself causes difficulties.
Humanists have been criticized for underestimating the evil in humankind. Some critics suggest the idea of self-actualization fosters selfishness or narcissism rather than promoting what Adler called “social interest”.
Humanistic psychologists are more interested in process and change than in measuring individual differences. In clinical settings, humanistic therapists prefer not to make a diagnosis if possible. By emphasizing the goals of behavior rather than the mechanisms by which behavior occurs, humanists are teleological, as opposed to deterministic. The challenge to humanism is to be able to be rigorously, scientifically teleological.
Humanists are generally uncomfortable with the constraints of the traditional scientific method. They are criticized for failure to produce a cumulative, empirical body of research. Ongoing efforts to add science to the humanistic emphasis on well-being are consolidating under a movement called positive psychology.
Reference - Theories of Personality - Understanding Persons, Susan Cloninger, The Sage Colleges, 6th editionThis article is part of Personality Course series. If you miss previous articles, you can find them below.
Can you explain it in a simple term, I read it rapidly without to understand with the traditional methodology.
It is about true self. The 5 bullets points explain perfectly. Unfortunately, psychology can not be explained in simple terms.