Humanistic Psychology and Theories

Paper Summary:

The paper focuses on humanistic psychology exploring its history and the theories associated with Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow as integral to the humanistic concepts. The paper also examines the application of these ideas in therapy, as well as discusses the importance of humanistic ideas in relation to change.

Outline:
Introduction
History
Carl Rogers
Abraham Maslow
Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Prior to the rise of existentialism the behaviorists and practitioners of Freud's psychoanalytic theory dominated psychology (Descarvalho, 1991, p. 7). The issue with these approaches to comprehending the human condition was that they cased to include people as they truly existed in the world (Descarvalho, 1991, p. 7). Psychoanalytic theory suggested that all people had certain traits and that they could be measured based on facts about human beings. Behaviorism suggested, on the other hand, that people could be manipulated by their environment, or others within that environment, and essentially controlled to become something that was predetermined. However, a small group of psychologists cast aside these theories, claiming that what they lacked was a focus on people as living, breathing and free beings (Descarvalho, 1991, p. 7; Schmuck & Schmuck, 1974, p. 278). People, these theorists suggested, had needs and were essentially good, regardless of the events in life that might cause them to go astray. According to Descarvalho (1991) Gordon Allport, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Rollo May, and James Bugental were the founders of humanistic psychology, with Rogers and Maslow becoming two of the most influential humanists of their time (p. 2; Korchin, 1976, p. 323). These theorists were not well received in the realm of psychology, yet, they had the ability of transforming psychological practice and adding an American approach to existentialism that altered perceptions of psychological theory."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Demorest, A. (2005). Psychology's grand theorists. Mahwah: Erlbaum.
• Descarvalho, R. (1991). The founders of humanistic psychology. New York: Praeger.
• Kiel, J. (1999). Reshaping Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Journal of Instructional Philosophies. 26(3): 167-188.
• Korchin, S. (1976). Modern clinical psychology. New York: Basic.
• Moss, D. (1999). A historical and biographical sourcebook. Westport: Greenwood.

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• Research Paper # 68912 : "Current Manifestations of Humanistic Psychology"
• Essay # 55104 : "Humanistic Psychology"
• Case Study # 101565 : "Existential-Humanistic Psychology"

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