Chapter 12: Phenomenological- Humanistic Conceptions

1. Chapter 12: Phenomenological-Humanistic Conceptions

2. Part V: The Phenomenological-Humanistic Level

3. The Personal Side of the Science Some questions at the Phenomenological-Humanistic Level you might ask about yourself: What am I really feeling? How do I see myself? How do I see my parents? What do I feel about myself when I don’t meet my parents’ expectations? How is my real self different from the self I would ideally like to be? 12-3

4. The Personal Side of the Science What is my ideal self? Am I happy? Fulfilled? Where am I going? What is my identity? Who do I want to become? 12-4

5. Sources of Phenomenological-Humanistic Perspectives Humanistic psychology is devoted to promoting a “holistic psychology”, studying the individual as a unique whole person, focusing on subjective experience and the self Also emphasizes freedom of choice Known as the “third force” Developed as a reaction against the negativity of psychoanalysis and the deterministic nature of behaviorism 12-5

6. Defining Humanistic Psychology, Phenomenology, Existentialism Phenomenology refers to the study of consciousness and the experience of things and events as the individual perceives them Existentialism Human beings are free agents and responsible for their own behavior This responsibility is at the root of the deep dread and anxiety that characterizes human beings {Began with philosopher Kierkegaard} 12-6

7. Gordon Allport’s Functional Autonomy One of the first/influential to emphasize the uniqueness of individuals Critic of Freud’s emphasis on the role of sex and aggression Behavior is motivated originally by instincts, but later may sustain itself without providing any biological gratifications Maturity is measured by functional autonomy — the ability to separate behaviors from any earlier motive of infancy e.g., playing a violin each day does not have to be tied to any earlier motive of infancy 12-7

8. Gordon Allport’s Functional Autonomy The contemporaneity of motives asserted that motives should be understood by their role in the present, not the past Past is not important unless shown to be active in the present Historical facts about people’s past may be helpful to get a picture of their life course, but it does not adequately explain their conduct today “A pianist may have been spurred to mastery of the piano through the need to overcome inferiority feelings, but the pianist’s later love of music is functionally autonomous form its origins.” Overall, the individual is viewed holistically as an integrated, biosocial organism Not a “bundle of traits and motives” 12-8

9. Allport’s Functional Autonomy 12-9

10. Kurt Lewin's Life Space In field theory, an object is perceived based on the total context of its surroundings Developed within the context of social psychology Behavior determined by the person’s psychological life space {i.e., events that exist in the total psychological situation at the moment} rather than past events or enduring, situation-free dispositions What is perceived depends on the relationships among components of a perceptual field, rather than on the fixed characteristics of the individual components 12-10

11. Kurt Lewin's Life Space Lewin defined life space as the totality of facts that determine the behavior (B) of the person (P) in the psychological environment (E) Behavior is a function of the person and the environment: B = f(P, E) 12-11

12. Lewin's Life Space The principle of contemporaneity: only present facts can cause present behavior Not past (or future) events Permeable boundaries exist between the person and the psychological environment, and the life space and the physical world Can be easily crossed This means prediction is difficult: “one cannot be sure beforehand when and what facts will permeate a boundary and influence a fact from another region” Lewin rejected both the idea of unchanging traits and the concept of needs Lewin viewed behavior and development as both a function of the person and the psychological environment 12-12

13. Phenomenology and Existentialism: The Here and Now Two “big names” for the Phenomenological-Humanistic view: Carl Rogers: private experiences, subjective perceptions, and the self all have an important part in personality development Abraham Maslow: human growth motivation Moves the individual through hierarchical ordered degrees of health to ultimate self-actualization “Behavior is goal directed, striving, purposeful, and motivated by higher needs to realize or self-actualize one’s human potential rather than by primary biological drives alone” 12-13

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15. Phenomenology and Existentialism: The Here and Now Rogers’ and Maslow’s ideas were largely influenced by existential philosophers (e.g., Sartre) and existential psychologists like Rollo May Focus is on the “here and now” Existentialists argue each person is: a choosing agent a free agent a responsible agent “Our existence in life is given, but our essence is what we make of life, how meaningfully and responsibly we construct it.” The inevitability of death causes existential anxiety 12-15

16. Carl Rogers’ Self Theory Rogers emphasized the unique, subjective experience of the person The way one sees and interprets the events in life determines how one responds and deals with them To Rogers, behavior was goal-directed to satisfy the needs of the individual 12-16

17. Self-Actualization Rogers abandoned specific motivational constructs and viewed the organism as an organized whole “There is one central source of energy in the human organism; that it is a function of the whole organism rather than some portion of it; and that it is perhaps best conceptualized as a tendency toward fulfillment, toward actualization, toward the maintenance and enhancement of organism” (Rogers, 1963, p. 6). 12-17

18. Self-Actualization Self-actualization is guided by the person’s desire to enhance the self Self-actualizing tendency – the striving to fulfill one’s innate capacities and capabilities Emotions aid adjustment by facilitating goal-directed behavior 12-18

19. Self-Actualization as a Need (Maslow) 12-19

20. Self-Actualization as a Need (Maslow) The Phenomenological-Humanistic Level views “healthy people” as those who: Become aware of and accept themselves, their feelings, and their limits Experience the “here-and-now”, are not anxiously stuck on the past or the future Realize their potentialities, have autonomy and are not trapped by expectations of others and society 12-20

21. The Self Self-concept - the image of oneself that develops from interactions with important, significant people in one’s life. Based on what people are told by others and how the sense of self is reflected in words and actions of important people in one’s life, such as parents, siblings, coworkers, friends, and teachers Real self – one’s perception of actual characteristics, traits, and abilities. Ideal self – one’s perception of whom one should be or would like to be. When these two systems are in opposition, the result is maladjustment The experiences of the self become invested with values 12-21

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23. Consistency and Positive Regard Perception is selective: We perceive experiences consistent with the self-concept Rogers assumed a universal need for positive regard – warmth, affection, love, acceptance, and respect that come from significant others in one’s life Vital to people’s ability to cope with stress and strive to achieve self-actualization – to find self-fulfillment and realize one’s potential Peak experiences - times in a person’s life during which self-actualization is temporarily achieved Fully functioning person – a person who is in touch with their own feelings and abilities and are able to trust their innermost urges and intuitions Stated another way: a person who is in the process of self-actualizing, actively exploring potentials and abilities, and are able to trust their innermost urges and intuitions 12-23

24. Consistency and Positive Regard Unconditional positive regard - positive regard that is given without conditions or strings attached. Necessary for people to be able to explore fully all that they can achieve and become (from others and self) Conditional positive regard – positive regard that is given only when the person is doing what the providers of positive regard wish. Implicit requirement for being loved Individuals may distort or disregard experiences violating their conditions of worth If there is significant incongruence between the self-concept and evaluation of an experience, defenses may fail 12-24

25. Self-Determination Some actions are controlled by external pressure or to gain external rewards Many actions that have intrinsic value for the individual: They are the result of self-determination Whether the individual thinks the action was external or internal may significantly affect feelings and subsequent motivation 12-25

26. Client-Centered Therapy Client-centered therapy seeks the harmonious interaction of the self and the organism The congruent therapist feels free to be himself and to accept the client fully and immediately and conveys this openness to the client Clients will become less afraid to face and accept their own feelings and experiences *Allows client to revise self-structure and achieve greater internal congruity and self-actualization Uses the relationship for growth Clients have the capacity and tendency to move forward toward maturity (i.e., self-actualizing tendency) A suitable psychological climate makes this tendency become actual rather than potential *Ultimately clients will be able to reorganize themselves in order to cope with life more constructively, more intelligently, and in a more socialized and satisfying way. *See self-actualization and fully functioning person 12-26

27. Client-Centered Therapy Unlike Freudian therapy, Rogerian therapists: Focus on understanding feelings rather than making interpretations Less focus on “objective measurements”, more on how each patient - and the therapist – feels Therapist is relatively “nondirective” Let the client direct the session while the therapist attempts to accurately reflect and clarify the feelings that emerge 12-27

28. Client-Centered Therapy Provide empathic understanding To truly understand the feelings and thoughts of the client (no matter how horrible) and accept them and the client Convey acceptance (unconditional positive regard) Genuineness is also an important factor in using the relationship for growth and change This requires awareness of one’s feelings; rather than presenting an outward façade of one attitude, while actually holding another attitude at a deeper or unconscious level 12-28

29. Common Themes and Issues 12-29

30. Potential for Growth, Change, and Freedom 12-30

31. Rogers Reflects on His Own Work Believed his main idea was that humans have within themselves the ability to understand, and alter, their self-concept in the right climate Regretted modern technology and de-emphasized biological drives Called for autonomy and self-exploration 12-31

32. Two Common Criticisms Some critics believe that the picture is a little too rosy, ignoring the more negative aspects of human nature E.g., how explain the development of sociopathic personalities who have no conscience or moral nature; or motivation behind terrorism? Difficult theory to test scientifically; little supporting research More of a philosophical view of human behavior rather than a psychological explanation 12-32

33. How Can I Create A Helping Relationship? See pp. 50-55 in Rogers (1995) 12-33