Psychology2016

518 CHAPTER 13

The Third Force: Humanism and Personality

As first discussed in Chapter One, in the middle of the twentieth century the pessimism

of Freudian psychodynamic theory with its emphasis on conflict and animalistic needs,

together with the emphasis of behaviorism on external control of behavior, gave rise to a

third force in psychology: the humanistic perspective.

Carl Rogers and the Humanistic Perspective

13.7 Describe how humanists such as Carl Rogers explain personality.

The humanistic perspective, led by psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham

Maslow, wanted psychology to focus on the things that make people uniquely human,

such as subjective emotions and the freedom to choose one’s own destiny. As Maslow’s

theory was discussed more fully in Chapter Nine, in this chapter the discussion of the

humanistic view of personality will focus on the theory of Carl Rogers. A brief overview

of the humanistic perspective is also offered in the video Humanistic Personality Theory.

CC

Watch the Video Humanistic Personality Theory

“It’s always ‘Sit,’ ‘Stay,’ ‘Heel’—never ‘Think,’
‘Innovate,’ ‘Be yourself.’”
© The New Yorker Collection 1990 Peter Steiner
from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved.

humanistic perspective
the “third force” in psychology
that focuses on those aspects of
personality that make people uniquely
human, such as subjective feelings
and freedom of choice.

self-actualizing tendency
the striving to fulfill one’s innate
capacities and capabilities.

self-concept
the image of oneself that develops
from interactions with important
significant people in one’s life.

Practice Quiz How much do you remember?

Pick the best answer.

1. According to the behavioral theory, personality primarily consists of
   a. unconscious forces.
   b. learned responses.

c. biologically driven traits.

d. personal choices.

2. Albert Bandura considers ____ as a person’s
   expectancy of how effective his or her efforts to accomplish a goal
   will be in any particular circumstance.
   a. self-image c. self-awareness
   b. self-esteem d. self-efficacy


3. You have walked in late to class, and your psychology professor
   is explaining how one personality theorist sees personality as a

relatively stable set of potential responses to various situations. You

know immediately that your professor is talking about the theories of

a. Julian Rotter. c. Albert Bandura.

b. B. F. Skinner. d. John Watson.

4. Nina appreciates compliments about her new photography business
   but really values constructive criticism, as she can then address
   particular issues. According to Julian Rotter, Nina has a(n)
   a. strong self-concept. c. internal locus of control.
   b. real self. d. external locus of control.

Both Maslow and Rogers (1961) believed that human beings are always striv-

ing to fulfill their innate capacities and capabilities and to become everything that their

genetic potential will allow them to become. This striving for fulfillment is called the self-

actualizing tendency. An important tool in human self-actualization is the development of

an image of oneself, or the self-concept. The self-concept is based on what people are told