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Phenomenological Perspective - Stresses on the importance of our perceptions of ourselves and our world in understanding personality; the perspective emphasizes that for each individual, reality is what is perceived .

Humanistic Perspective - Mostly widely known phenomenological approach to personality The humanist perspective stresses the person's capacity for personal growth, freedom to choose one's own destiny, and positive qualities.

• Stresses Present and future over past

Contents 1 Working Definition 2 Methodology 3 Criticism 4 Personality Disorders 5 Carl Rodgers (1902-1987) 6 Abraham Maslow (1908-1870) 7 William Sheldon (1954) 8 Comments

Working Definition

• Conscious experience
• Consider whole person & the positive bent of human nature
• Personality contains a well of 'potential' that can be developed into the fullest

Methodology

• Clinical experiences
• Experiments
  • Scorned by some humanist

Criticism

• Difficult to test
  • Self actualization not well defined
  • No sure how to study this concept empirically
• Too optimistic
• Overestimating the freedom and rationality of human nature
• Encourage self-love and narcissism

Personality Disorders

Intensified by the emphasis on the self and independence in American culture.

Pendulum swung too far toward individualism in Western Civilization.

Carl Rodgers and Abraham Maslow were two of the leading architects of humanistic perspective.

Carl Rodgers (1902-1987)

Worked in the 1960s

• 'Conditional Positive Regard - Rodger's term for love and praise being withheld unless the individual conforms to parental or social standard.
• Rodgers feels people have difficulty accepting their own true feeling
• Unconditional Positive Regard - Rodger's term for accepting valuing, and being positive toward another person regardless of the person's behavior.
• Self-Concept - Central theme in Rodger's and other humanists' views; self-concept refers to individual's overall perceptions of their abilities, behavior, and personality.
• If we are empathic and genuine, we can help others develop more positive self-concept.

Abraham Maslow (1908-1870)

Hierarchy of Motives - Individual's main kinds of needs must be satisfied in the following sequence: physiological needs, safety needs, the need for love and belongingness, the need for esteem, cognitive needs, aesthetic needs, and the need for self-actualization.

• Physiological Needs
• Safety Needs
• The Need for Love and Belongingness
• The need for Esteem
• Most people stop matures after developing a high level of esteem
• Cognitive Needs
• Aesthetic Needs
• The Need for Self-Actualization
  • Highest and most elusive of Maslow's needs, is the motivation to develop one's full potential as a human being.
  • Few reach self-actualization

William Sheldon (1954)

Theory of body types and personality.

• Endomorph - soft, round, large stomached person who is released, gregarious, and food loving.
• Mesomorph - Strong, athletic, and muscular person who is energetic, assertive, and courageous.
• Ectomorph - tall, think fearful person who is fearful, introverted, and restrained.
• Stomatotype theory - precise charts of an individual';distinct body types, which in turn are associated with certain personality characteristics.
• Problems
  • (Cortes & Gatti (1970)) - No significant relationship between body type and personality
  • Many people simply do not fit into the neatly packaged category
  • Only 1, 2, or 3, categories to describe individuals ignores the rich diversity and complexity of human characteristic.

Comments