1. “What a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization."
Humanism
Abraham Maslow quotes
“What a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization."
"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself."
"The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short."

2. What is humanism? Emerged around same time as Cognitive Ψ (1950’s)
“Humanised” Ψ
Main theorists include: Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Clark Moustakas
Termed “the third force” the other two being behaviourism and psychoanalysis
Abraham Maslow
Carl Rogers
Clark Moustakas

3. Humanism: Main assumptions
Humans are essentially different from other animals as they have “free will” – the ability to choose, control and direct our own lives
Free will; part of the free-will v determinism debate in Ψ
The best way to understand human experiences is to study the individual
Free-will: We are free from constraints to do what we want (humanism)
Determinism: all behaviour is determined by external and internal forces acting on the person
(e.g. behaviourism and psychodynamic)

4. Free-will versus determinism
Are we free spirits who can achieve what we want in life or is our destiny determined?

5. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow (1954) proposed that we are all motivated to meet certain needs.
We move from the lowest level (basic/physiological) through the hierarchy to the highest level (self-actualisation)

6. Why is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs useful to know about?

7. Applying Maslow Pick 1 work environment
How are each of the levels met in that environment?
What factors/things can impact on these needs being met?

8. Carl Rogers
Argued we are all born with an in-built need to grow and develop our full potential
Key term: Positive regard
People are inherently good and creative.
They become destructive only when a poor self-concept or external constraints override the valuing process

9. Positive regard
Positive regard refers to how we feel valuedby others. 2 types:
Conditional positive regard. You feel valued but it is conditional on someone else (e.g. praise from others)
Unconditional positive regard. You feel valued regardless of others (e.g. you make a mistake but it doesn’t affect you)

10. Carl Rogers 5 components of the fully functioning person
1. Open to experience: both positive and negative emotions accepted. Negative feelings are not denied, but worked through (rather than resort to ego defence mechanisms).
2. Existential living: in touch with different experiences as they occur in life, avoiding prejudging and preconceptions. Being able to live and fully appreciate the present, not always looking back to the past or forward to the future (i.e. living for the moment).
3. Trust feelings: feeling, instincts and gut-reactions are paid attention to and trusted. People’s own decisions are the right ones and we should trust ourselves to make the right choices.
4. Creativity: creative thinking and risk taking are features of a person’s life. Person does not play safe all the time. This involves the ability to adjust and change and seek new experiences.
5. Fulfilled life: person is happy and satisfied with life, and always looking for new challenges and experiences.

11. In small groups:
In relation to health and social care (e.g. residential home)
How can the level of the hierarchy be met?
What sorts of things can stop someone meeting that level?