PSYCHSHELF

What Is the Humanistic Approach? Humanism is a perspective in psychology that looks at the whole person. Instead of focusing solely on symptoms or conditioning, it emphasizes free will, self-efficacy, and the drive toward self-actualization, the idea that people naturally strive to realize their potential and lead meaningful, fulfilling lives. It emerged in the 1950s as a reaction to two dominant forces of the time: psychoanalysis (with its emphasis on unconscious conflict) behaviorism (with its focus on observable conditioning) Humanists argued these perspectives were too pessimistic or too narrow and underplayed personal choice and growth. Two names anchor the approach: Abraham Maslow , who proposed the hierarchy of needs Carl Rogers , who developed client-centered therapy and the idea of unconditional positive regard. Other influential figures include Rollo May and ErichFromm . Key belief: humans are good, and many psychological problems reflect detours from the ...

Behaviorism in Psychology: Definition, Theories, and Examples If you’ve ever flinched at the sound of a dentist’s drill, started craving popcorn when the movie starts, or picked up a habit from a friend without even realizing it. Congratulations, you’ve experienced behaviorism in action. Behaviorism is one of psychology’s most influential schools of thought. It focuses on studying observable behavior rather than hidden thoughts or feelings . Behaviorists believe that by understanding how our environment shapes us, we can explain, predict, and even change behavior. In this article, we’ll break down behaviorism’s key ideas, famous experiments, and real-world applications all in a way that’s easy to follow and backed by examples you can relate to. What is Behaviorism? In the early 20th century, psychology was shifting away from asking people to “look inside their minds” (introspection) and instead began focusing on behaviors that could be seen, measured, and tested .  Behav...