Humanistic Psychology Essay examples - 1165 Words

In general, human nature consists of three main parts: the mind (intellect), the body (biological makeup) and the spirit (emotional makeup). As the mind and the body are being well explored in behaviorism and psychoanalysis, the spirit of a person has been increasingly popular from the mid-20th century. In the early 1960s, a movement named third-force psychology started as a reaction to the defect of behaviorism and psychoanalysis to deal fully with the human condition (Hergenhahn, 2008). This third-force movement is humanistic psychology, which refers to the combination of the philosophy of romanticism and existentialism. Humanistic psychology instead paid more attention to each individuals potentials and highlighted the importance†¦show more content†¦The major difference between existential and humanistic psychology is that the former views human nature as neutral whereas the latter views it as basically good (Hergenhahn, 2008). There is no right to determine which o ne is correct. I prefer believing that people at birth are naturally kind-hearted. No one is born for being evil, and I think the reason why a man will become evil is their experiences in nurturing. This reminds me of the Three Character Classic that is one of the Chinese classic texts. The first four verses tell us the core of Confucianism: human nature is inherently good, which is similar to the humanistic psychology in the Western country. This idea was written in the 13th century and has come down to us. Although there are many other opposite statements of human nature, I believe that thinking positively is better, especially for health. When it comes back to existential psychology, the first person I want to talk about is Rollo May, an American existential psychologist. May (1967) and other existentialists emphasized the importance of freedom and life meaning. The dual aspect of human nature is that people exist physically in the sense and they also make the experiences meaningful by interpreting, valuing, and making decisions. In my opinion, people have the basic rights to make their own decisions. Because of the participation of humans, the tasks needed to be done become significant.Show MoreRelated Humanistic Psychology Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesClassical Greece and Europe of the Renaissance, when such affirmations were expressed. Humanistic Psychology is a contemporary manifestation of that ongoing commitment. Its message is a response to the denigration of the human spirit that has so often been implied in the image of the person drawn by behavioral and social sciences. Ivan Pavlovs work with the conditioned reflex had given birth to an academic psychology in the United States led by John Watson, which came to be called quot;the scienceRead MoreHumanistic Psychology Essay1421 Words   |  6 PagesClassical Greece and Europe of the Renaissance, when such affirmations were expressed. Humanistic Psychology is a contemporary manifestation of that ongoing commitment. Its message is a response to the denigration of the human spirit that has so often been implied in the image of the person drawn by behavioral and social sciences. Ivan Pavlovs work with the conditioned reflex had given birth to an academic psychology in the United States led by John Watson, which came to be called the science of behaviorRead MoreHumanistic Psychology Essay1631 Words   |  7 Pagescontributions to psychology, it has influenced the understanding and practices of the humanistic movement, specifically with the therapies for the different mental disorders. Psychoanalysis understands the unconscious behavior, behaviorism focuses on the conditioning process that produces behavior. Humanistic psychology focuses on the persons potential to act as a whole person in a nurturing environment by choice with receiving a positive way of life. The Humanistic Movement and PersonRead MoreThe Values Of Humanistic Psychology767 Words   |  4 Pagesvalues of Humanistic Psychology is its emphasis on human potential for growth. The perspective is hopeful one. It does not mean that humanistic psychologists overlook challenge and darkness in people’s lives (see Hoffman, 2009). I believe that our choice to value individual potential for growth and actualization provides openings for discovering the value(s) of challenges we face in life. Hoffman, E. (2009). Rollo May on Maslow and Rogers: No theory of evil. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 49(4)Read MoreEssay on Humanistic Psychology1101 Words   |  5 PagesAugustine was a saint and philosopher. Some of Augustine’s thought can be related to the practice of humanistic psychology. My professional focus is the psychotherapy category called Humanistic-Experiential. Humanistic-Experiential therapies are, â€Å"psychotherapies emphasizing personal growth and self-direction† (Butcher, et al, 2006). The humanistic approach places primary importance upon human interests, values, and most importantly the belief in human potentials (Schultz Schultz, 2009, pp297)Read MorePsychodynamic And Humanistic Theories Of Psychology1634 Words   |  7 PagesPsychodynamic and Humanistic Personality Theories The study of the human mind is an interesting topic to discuss about, we have many theorists that have come up with many different ideas or theories, in how to evaluate the mind of humans, two main ways to study the mind in psychology are psychodynamic approach and humanistic approach. Even though these theories are to evaluate human minds they have different views in how the mind works. In psychodynamic approach, the way the mind is viewed is thatRead MorePersonality, Psychology, And Humanistic Approach1362 Words   |  6 Pageshuman being (boundless.com). That is one of many ways of defining personality. When examining personality, there are four main approachable theories including: The Psychodynamic Approach, The Trait Approach, The Social-Cognitive Approach, and The Humanistic Approach. The Psychodynamic Approach was first approach by Sigmund Freud; he dealt with the understanding that personality came from our unconscious state of mind. And that unconscious state interacted to determine our thoughts, behaviors, andRead MoreOverview of Humanistic Psychology Essay1399 Words   |  6 Pages Humanistic Psychology is a psychological perspective that highlights the study of a person in whole. These psychologist look at human behavior not just through the eyes of the viewer, but also through the eyes of the client that has the behavior. These psychologist believe that an individuals behavior is associated to his or her intimate feelings and their self image. Humanistic psychologist accepts human beings are not just a commodity of the environment. These psychologist study human meaningsRead MoreHumanistic Psychology : Psychology And Psychology1748 Words   |  7 PagesHumanistic Psychology is a psychological sub-field which became prominent in the 20th century as a resp onse to the limitations of the psychoanalytic theory and behaviorism (Cherry, n.d.). The main purpose is to help patients gain a belief that all people are inheritably good. Its roots starts with Socrates and emphasizes an individual’s inherent drive towards self-actualization. Humanistic psychology utilizes a holistic approach to human existence and focuses on things such as creativity, free willRead MoreHumanistic Psychology And The Other Disciplines Essay1533 Words   |  7 PagesHumanistic psychology was created as a response to the limitations of the two forces already established, psychoanalytic and behaviorist psychology. One of the biggest differences between humanistic psychology and the other disciplines is that it views humanity in a holistic and optimistic manner rather than in fragmentations. One of the most significant and founding theorists of this humanism force was Carl Rogers. His contributions to the field, research on personality, and his psychotherapy te chniques