Page 406 - Understanding Psychology

humanistic psychology:
a school of psychology that emphasizes personal growth and the achievement of maximum potential by each unique individual
self-actualization: the humanist term for realizing one’s unique potential
Humanistic psychology may be viewed as a rebellion against the rather negative, pessimistic view of human nature that dominated person- ality theory in the early 1900s. Psychoanalysts emphasized the struggle to control primitive, instinctual urges on the one hand and to come to terms with the demands of the superego, or conscience, on the other. The behaviorists, too, saw human behavior in mechanistic terms: our actions are shaped by rewards and punishments. Humanistic psychologists object to both approaches on the grounds that they demean human beings— Freud by emphasizing irrational and destructive instincts, Skinner by emphasizing only external causes of behavior. In contrast, the humanists stress our ability to create and live by personal standards and perceptions.
Humanistic psychology is founded on the belief that all human beings strive for self-actualization—that is, the realization of our potentialities as unique human beings. Self-actualization involves an openness to a wide range of experiences, an awareness of and respect for one’s own and other people’s uniqueness, accepting the responsibilities of freedom and com- mitment, a desire to become more and more authentic or true to oneself, and an ability to grow.
ABRAHAM MASLOW: GROWTH AND SELF-ACTUALIZATION
Abraham Maslow (1908–1970) became one of the guiding spirits of the humanistic movement in psychology. He deliberately set out to create what he called “a third force in psychology” as an alter- native to psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Maslow tried to base his theory of personality on studies of healthy, creative, self-actualizing people who fully utilize their talents and potential rather than on studies of disturbed individuals.
When Maslow decided to study the most pro- ductive individuals he could find—in history as well as in his social and professional circles—he broke new ground. Psychotherapists developed the theo- ries of personality discussed earlier after years of working with people who could not cope with everyday frustrations and conflicts. In contrast, Maslow was curious about people who not only coped with everyday problems effectively but who also created exceptional lives for themselves, people like Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Maslow found that although these people sometimes had great emotional difficulties, they adjusted in ways that allowed them to become
HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY
Figure 14.11 An American First
Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in major league baseball and became a hero to millions. Here he steals home. How does Robinson’s life reflect the humanist ideal of self-actualization?
392 Chapter 14 / Theories of Personality