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Humanistic theory: Rogers and Maslow

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Humanistic psychology focuses on the whole person and their drive to grow. Rogers (1951) and Maslow (1943) explain how we can reach our potential.

Rogers (1951): positive regard

Unconditional positive regard: being loved and accepted for who you are, whatever you do.
Conditional positive regard: love and approval that depend on behaving in certain ways ('I'll love you if you get good grades').
Conditions of worth: the conditions we feel we must meet to be valued by others. They can push us to act in ways that are not true to ourselves.
Rogers said conditions of worth create incongruence (a gap between self-image and ideal self). Unconditional positive regard helps congruence and growth. His client-centred therapy gives clients unconditional positive regard.

Maslow (1943): hierarchy of needs

Maslow said needs are arranged in a hierarchy, often drawn as a pyramid. Lower needs must usually be met before we focus on higher ones.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: both theories are positive and focus on growth and free will. Rogers' ideas led to counselling and client-centred therapy, which many people find helpful. Maslow's hierarchy is easy to apply, for example schools providing breakfast so pupils can focus on learning.
Weaknesses: ideas such as self-actualisation are hard to measure scientifically. People do not always follow Maslow's order: some put creativity or helping others before safety. Both theories reflect individualist Western values, so may not fit all cultures. Maslow based self-actualisation on a small number of people he chose himself.
Worked example

A pupil cannot concentrate in lessons because she has not eaten. Use Maslow's hierarchy to explain why.

  1. Food is a physiological need, at the bottom of the hierarchy.
  2. Until lower needs are met, higher needs such as esteem (doing well in class) get less attention.

Answer: Her physiological need (hunger) is unmet, so she cannot focus on higher needs like learning and achievement.

Key idea

Rogers (1951) said unconditional positive regard helps congruence, while conditional positive regard creates conditions of worth and incongruence. Maslow (1943) placed needs in a hierarchy: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, self-actualisation. Both are positive but hard to test.

The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.

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