• Psychology

Humanistic psychology

The humanistic approach has its roots in existentialist thought (see Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre). The founding theorists behind this school of thought are Abraham Maslow, who presented a 'hierarchy of human needs'; Carl Rogers, who created and developed 'client centered therapy' and Fritz and Laura Perls who helped create and develop Gestalt therapy. Gestalt psychologists claim to consider behaviour holistically - "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" - although critics such as Karl Popper have presented forceful arguments against the proposition that entities can be apprehended as wholes.

Humanistic psychologists use a narrow definition of humanism. The American Humanist Association, for example, has had as members many psychologists whom humanistic psychologists would not consider humanist, B. F. Skinner being perhaps the most prominent example.

See also

• cognitivism (psychology)
• critical psychology
• Human potential movement
• positive psychology

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