The Humanistic-Existential Perspective

The HumanisticExistential Perspective
Humanism
The view that people of free choice, self-
fulfillment, and ethical behavior

A reaction to the rat race spawned by
industrialization and automation
Self-awareness
Is the hub of the humanistic-existential
search for meaning
Abraham Maslow and the

challenge of self-actualization
Abraham Maslow
Humanistic psychologist
Argued that people also have a conscious
need for self-actualization

Because people are unique, they must
follow unique paths to self-actualization
Self-actualization
The innate tendency to strive to realize
ones potential
Carl Rogerss self theory
Carl Rogers
Humanistic psychologist (1902-1987),
wrote that people shape themselves

through free choice and action
Two of his major concerns are the selfconcept and self-esteem
Self-Concept
Consist of our impressions of ourselves and
our evaluations of our adequacy
Frames of Reference
We all have unique ways of looking at
ourselves and the world
Self-Esteem
Reflects the esteem in which others hold
us
Parents help children develop selfesteem when they how them:

Unconditional positive regard a
persistent expressions of esteem for the

value of a person, but not necessarily an
unqualified acceptance of all of the
persons behaviours
Conditional positive regard judgment of
another persons value on the basis of the

acceptability of that persons behaviors
Conditions of worth standards by which
the value of a person is judged
Each individual has a unique potential,

children who develop conditions of
worth must be somewhat disappointed
in themselves
According to Rogers, anxiety often stems

from recognition that people have
feelings and desires that are inconsistent
with their distorted self-concept
Rogers believed that the path to selfactualization requires getting in touch
with our genuine feelings, accepting
them, and acting on them. This is the
goal of Rogerss method of
psychotherapy, client-centered therapy.
He also believed that we have mental

images of what we are capable of
becoming - that is, self-ideals
Evaluation of the
Humanistic-Existential
Perspective
We tend to treasure our conscious

experiences
Ironically, the primary strength of the
humanistic-existential approaches-their
focus on conscious experience-is also
their main weakness
The Sociocultural
Perspective
The view that focuses on the roles of

ethnicity, gender, culture, and
socioeconomic status in personality
formation, behavior, and mental
processes
Individualism versus Collectivism:

Who am I (in this cultural setting)?
Individualists
A person who defines herself or himself in terms of
personal traits and gives priority to her or his own

goals
Collectivist
A person who defines herself or himself in terms of
relationships to other people and groups and gives

priority to group goals
The seeds of individualism and collectivism are

found in the culture in which a person grows up
Acculturation, Adjustment,
and Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is connected with patterns

of acculturation among immigrants
(Phinney & Baledelomar, 2011)
Acculturation
The process of adaptation in which
immigrants and native groups identify with

a new, dominant culture by learning about
that culture and making behavioral and
attitudinal changes
Evaluation of the
Sociocultural Perspective
The sociocultural perspective provides

valuable insights into the roles of
ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status in personality
formation. It enhances our sensitivity
to cultural differences and expectations
and allows us to appreciate the
richness of human behavior and
mental processes.
Measurement of Personality
Physicians have an easy time of it

measuring heart rate and blood
pressure
Psychologists, biologists, and
neuroscientists find it easier to
measure electricity in the brain or
substances in the blood than to
measure psychological concepts such
as intelligence, depression,
extraversion, or emotional stability
Validity of a test is the extent to which it

measures what it is supposed to measure
Reliability of the test is the stability of ones
test results from one testing to another
Standardization
In psychological testing, the process by which
one obtains and organizes test scores from

various population groups, so that the results of
a persons completing a test can be compared
to those of others of his or her gender, in his or
her age group, and so on
Objective tests
Test whose items must be answered in a
specified manner; tests whose items have

concrete answers that are considered
correct
Forced-choice format
In which respondents are asked to indicate
which of two or more statements is more
true for them or which of several activities
they prefer
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality

Inventory (MMPI)
contains hundreds of items presented in a
true-false format.
Is designed for use by clinical and
counseling psychologists to help diagnose
psychological disorders
Scales were constructed empirically that
is, on rather than psychological theory
Projective test
A psychological test that presents ambiguous stimuli
onto which the test-taker projects his or her own

personality in making a response
The Rorschach Inkblot Test

created in 1921 by Hermann Rorschach.
is apsychological testin which subjects'
perceptions ofinkblots are recorded and then

analyzed usingpsychologicalinterpretation,
complexalgorithms, or both.
used to examine personality and emotional
functioning.
The Thematic Apperception Test

Was developed in the 1930s by Henry
Murray and Christiana Morgan

It consists of drawings that are open to
various interpretations.

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The HumanisticExistential Perspective

fulfillment, and ethical behavior

search for meaning

Abraham Maslow and the

need for self-actualization

Carl Rogerss self theory

wrote that people shape themselves

our evaluations of our adequacy

ourselves and the world

Parents help children develop selfesteem when they how them:

persistent expressions of esteem for the

Conditional positive regard judgment of

another persons value on the basis of the

Each individual has a unique potential,

According to Rogers, anxiety often stems

He also believed that we have mental

We tend to treasure our conscious

The view that focuses on the roles of

Individualism versus Collectivism:

personal traits and gives priority to her or his own

relationships to other people and groups and gives

The seeds of individualism and collectivism are

Self-esteem is connected with patterns

immigrants and native groups identify with

The sociocultural perspective provides

Physicians have an easy time of it

Validity of a test is the extent to which it

In psychological testing, the process by which

one obtains and organizes test scores from

specified manner; tests whose items have

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality

onto which the test-taker projects his or her own

The Rorschach Inkblot Test

perceptions ofinkblots are recorded and then

The Thematic Apperception Test

Murray and Christiana Morgan

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