Psychology of Learning Exam 3-6: Humanistic

Emphasizes present experience and the essential worth of the whole person. Promotes creativity and freedom of choice. Fosters belief that people can solve their own problems.

- Actualizing Tendency- Organismic Valuing Process (OVP)

The inherent need to survive, grow, and enhance the self. Striving to meet one's potential People strive for greater complexity, independence, and social responsibilityMotivation in each person is good and healthy (NOT aggressive and sexual!)What helps me grow?- phenomenological perspective

Whatever helps me grow depends on my own unique viewpoint of the world.

Inherent subconscious guide that evaluates experience for its growth potential. - It is our sense of what is good and bad for us.

(Infants choose nutritious food)To be self-actualized, we must pay attention to our OVP and avoid negative socialization messages- Creative person may lose this if they listen to messages that, say, drawing is a waste of time.

What the person who follows their OVP and is thus self-actualizing is striving to be.

- Openness to experience- Existential living- Organismic Trusting- Experiential freedom- Creativity

Some people use defenses to their everyday experience- Don't intellectualize insults/criticisms- Recognize, assess, and respond to them!Instead, people should be open to ALL experiences and accurately perceive them ("expanded consciousness")

Be flexibleTry to fully live each momentBe maximally adaptive! (Having "a flowing, changing organization of self and personality.")

The OVP is accurate! Trust your inner experiences at all times!- Decide what is right for you based on your own intuition, without dependence on outside authorities!

When someone loses touch with their inner feelings and values

You are ALWAYS free to choose how to act/think.

- Even in the most dire of circumstances, some people remain optimistic and form close, supportive social relationships.There may be determinism in the world, but one must always focus on what they CAN do in any particular situation.

Find new ways of living each moment! Don't get locked into "patterns," which are often maladaptive.

Everything that is happening at a given time

The part of experience that we symbolize, usually in words.

We may erroneously describe our experience, ignore our OVP, and NOT do what is good for us!

- Ideal and Real selves may be in conflict- Listening to OVP (ignoring socialization messages) should lead to congruence!- "To understand someone fully, we must look at how he/she is treated by others."

- Ideal self may be based on OVP and/or society!- Real self is who you are currently

- When children are made to feel worthy, because there is no discrepancy between selves, they are healthy.- Conditional love inhibits self-actualization (Choosing a major?)

- Rogers (1986) found that children receiving conditional love had increased anxiety, increased hostility towards others, and increased somatic complaints- So what can we do if conditional love has thwarted our self-actualizing process? Or if our real and ideal selves are not close to being uniform? Client-Centered Therapy!

The client ultimately knows what is best and how to get it! Goals of therapy:- To bring experience and awareness into congruence- To make self-actualization a life goalTechniques

Accept client's statements and give sincere impression that the client is worthy and valued.Must be non-directive, or else you'll mess up the fundamental process!

Therapist's behavior MUST match inner experiencesBe genuine!- Focus on whether the patient is following OVP

Repeat statements to try to fully understand clientGive words and symbols to feelings that are hard to express --> makes these parts of Self known (Especially important in cross-cultural situations)

Not ready for therapy

When therapy occurs

Continuing Growth; Usually after therapy

Communicates about externals rather than SelfFeelings are not recognized or ownedFear of close relationshipsNo desire for change

Problems are acknowledged, but seen as external and they take no responsibility for them.

Feelings are described in past tense or belonging to othersUnaware of contradictions between behavior and OVP

Much talk of Self and past feelingsPresent feelings not acceptedChoices seen as ineffective

Feelings acknowledged, but feared and only partly acceptedRecognizes differences between behaviors and OVPAdmits responsibility for patterns of behavior.

Feelings expressed in present tenseFeelings are frighteningNew personal constructs are madeDesire for "real me," even if imperfect

Experience of previous "stuck" feelingRich immediacy of experience and acceptance of itWill live "in the moment"Subjective experience replaces defined "problems"

New feelings experienced richly and immediatelyExperience is new and present, not related to pastSelf is the awareness of experiencingConstructs are loosely held; ready to be dismissedRich experience of choice

Given a pile of cards with personality descriptors, describe self and ideal self. High positive correlation when mentally healthy.

- Pre-therapy: -.

47- Post-therapy: +.59

- Some say that this technique is overly simplistic- Unconditional positive regard, if total, could lead to confusing world. (People fundamentally disagree with one another)

- OVP seems to overlook basic physiological drives (sex, aggression) (Underestimates evil in humankind)- Society DOES tell us some things that ARE good for us (e.g., speeding)- Self-actualization may not be solely beneficial (May foster selfishness and narcissism)

- Encounter groups between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland (16 hours!)- Prejudice changed over course of meeting (Working together with open discussion, we may increase our own self-worth and decrease hatred)

Traditional Education is lacking (teacher-centered, system is evaluative)Solutions:- Education should be based on trust; students should decide what and how to learn- No syllabus should be given!- No grades