Humanistic psychologists study how people are influenced by their self-perceptions and the personal meanings attached to their experiences. That does not mean, however, that this school of thought attaches primary import to past experience. The humanist movement in psychology keeps its focus on the present.
Humanistic psychologists are not primarily concerned with instinctual drives, responses to external stimuli, or past experiences. Rather, they consider conscious choices, responses to internal needs, and current circumstances to be the critical components that shape human behavior. This school of psychology is very much focused on the "now," the notion of living in the moment that is at the core of Buddhist teachings.
Humanistic Psychology and other Theories
Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective that emphasizes the study of the whole person. Humanistic psychologists look at human behavior with the primary perspective coming not through the eyes of the observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the behaving. Humanistic psychologists believe that an individual's behavior is connected to his inner feelings and self-image.
Unlike the behaviorists, humanistic psychologists believe that humans are not solely the product of their environment. Humanistic psychologists study human meanings, understandings, and experiences involved in growing, teaching and learning. Unlike psychologists who follow the cognitive theory of psychology, the humanists emphasize characteristics that are shared by all human beings such as love, grief, caring, and self-worth.
The Growth of Humanistic Psychology
There have been many theorists who have contributed to the development of humanistic psychology. A Dr. Combs writing in 1949 helped to develop the field of phenomenology. Phenomenology is the belief that a person will behave in a manner consistent with his perceptual field. In other words, reality is not inherent in the event, but in the individual's perception of the event. Humanistic psychologists draw on this phenomenological belief because they strive to take into account a person's perception of an event when studying human behavior.
In the mid 1950s, Abraham Maslow made a major contribution to the body of work underlying humanistic psychology. He emphasized the need for psychology to focus on human potentialities rather than just human deficiencies; he desired a more positive approach toward psychology. Maslow's work has helped in the understanding of motivation and self-actualization, one of the goals of humanistic education.
In 1954, Dr. Morris posited that humans are able to think about their thought process and then criticize and correct it. He asserted that people can think about their feelings and are not just conscious but self-conscious. With self-awareness, humans struggle to better themselves. Morris's focus reinforced the humanist precept that people are free to choose their behavior.
Humanist Psychology and Education
The rise of humanist psychology led to the development of educational theories based on its principal conceptualization of human mental function. That in turn led to the establishment of schools that structure their teachings on the humanist model. Many of them continue today and remain a significant segment of the educational community. Probably the most visible of humanist educational institutions in this country are the Montessori schools.
