Humanistic Theory of Personality

Basic Idea

Humanistic perspective - the perspective that
looks at the whole person and their uniqueness

- begins with the existential assumptions that

people have free will and are motivated to
achieve their full potential and
self-actualization

Psychologists

Otto Rank (1884-1939)
● Freud’s colleague
● Patient-centered therapy
● Emotions exist in the “here and now”
● Emotions are necessary for treatment

Psychologists

Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
● Father of humanism
● Psychoanalysis and behaviorism

○ Focused too much on the “sick side”

● Hierarchy of needs

Psychologists

Carl Rogers (1902-1987)
● Environment needs to be right
● Self image
● Childhood

○ positive/negative regard

● Congruence

Psychologists

Rollo May (1909-1994)
● Humanism + Existentialism
● Stages of life

○ Innocence, Rebellion, Decision, Ordinary,

Creative

● Anxiety

Psychologists

Key Terms

Authenticity - The quality of being authentic
Self-Actualization - It is the desire to grow psychologically and
fulfil one's full potential
Self-Concept - An idea of the self constructed from the beliefs
one holds about oneself and the responses of others
Self-Awareness - It’s the ability to focus on yourself and how
your actions, thoughts, or emotions do or don't align with your
internal standards.
Phenomenology
Free Will - Humans make choices and are not determined by
biological or external forces
Hierarchy of Needs - A five-levelled hierarchical sequence is
basic needs to be satisfied before higher

A great way to understand
Humanistic psychology is, when
someone goes to see a
therapist and they start the
first session off by using the
Maslow’s Hierarchy. They start
from the bottom at
Physiological and build their
way up to Self actualization.

VIsual Clue

Sources

https://www.simplypsychology.org/humanistic.html

https://www.britannica.com/science/humanistic-psychology

https://study.com/learn/lesson/humanistic-perspective-example-fou
nder.html
https://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/rollo-may.html
https://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html
https://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/otto-rank.html
https://positivepsychology.com/abraham-maslow/#humanistic-abraham
-maslow