Humanistic Approach Essay

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SAQ humanistic perspective answered by a student page 1 of 5 10 Short answer questions from the humanistic perspective and suggested answers by a student. Question 1. A: Identify one theoretical explanation of behavioural change from the humanistic perspective related to one topic of your own choice.(4 marks) B:How effective is the explanation? (4 marks) A: One theoretical explanation of behavioural change from the humanistic perspective is unconditional positive regard, i.e. , liking and accepting all of another person’s feelings and selfconcept; a non-judgemental and non-possessive caring for, and prising of another person. This may lead to behavioural change during e.g. therapy according to Rogers but it is also important in explaining behavioural changes in a child. An unconditional positive regard from significant others is important if the individual is to become congruent (i.e. moving towards the ideal of selfactualisation). Unconditional positive regard takes place when the person feels that all about him/her is seen as equally valued and that there are no ‘conditions of worth’ to use a Rogerian concept. B: This theoretical explanation of unconditional positive regard has been applied in explanations of outcome of child rearing and child development with the Coopersmith(1967) study, which was designed to assess the origins of self -esteem. In his study, 9 to10 year-old white middle class boys filled out the self-esteem Inventory and provided ratings of their parents, staff members interviewed mothers, and mothers filled out questionnaires. The results indicated that positive regard from parents was a major factor in the development of self-esteem. The study has been criticised for a biased sample but all the same, it gives some valuable ideas of the origins of self-esteem in a Western cultural context. It can thus be argued that, unconditional positive

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