The Humanistic Perspective

Concepts and Theories

The Third Force To oversimplify the

matter somewhat, it is as if Freud supplied to us the sick half of psychology, and we must now fill it out with the healthy half.

Maslow 1968

Physiological

Safety

Belongingness

Esteem

Self-

Actualization

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Types of Needs Basic Needs or

deficiency needs Metaneeds, our desire

to grow and use our capacities to the fullest

Physiological Needs Needs for food, water, air,

etc. These are the most

“prepotent” needs One function of civilization

is to satisfy these needs so we can focus on the higher ones

Behavioral research usually studies at this level

Safety Needs Needs for safety,

order, security, etc. Focused on after

physiological needs met

Belongingness & Love Needs

The need for affiliation, for friends, supportive family, group identification, intimate relationships

This level and higher ones often not satisfied even in affluent countries

Need to receive and to give love

Esteem Needs Need to be held in high

regard by self and others (not just “self-esteem”)

comes from mastery, achievement, adequacy, feelings of competence, confidence, independence

Ideally this need met by the deserved respect of others

Self-Actualization Needs A person must actualize,

that is make real, what exists inside them as a potential

Most other theorists wouldn’t see this as a need Freud would predict people

would stop at lower needs This may increase tension

yet “capacities clamor to be used”

Exceptions to the Hierarchy Esteem taking precedence over love

Person who ignores and ruins relationships in order to achieve

More extreme reversals Artists who have

produced their greatest works in times of dire physical need

More extreme reversals Martyrs

People who sacrifice their safety and lives for higher good

Peak and Plateau Experiences A peak experience is a

brief feeling of fully living that brings joy and excitement

Peak and Plateau Experiences Plateau are less

intense but still satisfying as they bring a heightened appreciation of life and tend to be more enduring

Both involve a transcendence of ordinary perceptions

Peak and Plateau Experiences “If I could teach a person only one thing, it

would be to live each day as if its were the last day of their life”

Maslow