Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · Psychology
Course version: 1PS0 · Version from Sept 2017
Understand the Humanistic Theory of Self, including strengths and…
Full specification wording
The self: 7.1.3 Understand the Humanistic Theory of Self, including strengths and weaknesses of each theory: a. humanistic explanations of the development of self-esteem b. humanistic explanations of the development of personality Rogers (1951) c. conditional positive regard d. unconditional positive regard e. conditions of worth f. congruence g. incongruence h. Maslow (1943) hierarchy of needs
The Humanistic Theory of Self focuses on personal growth and self-esteem.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1PS0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 6
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The Humanistic Theory of Self focuses on personal growth and self-esteem. Rogers (1951) explained personality development through the self-concept. Unconditional positive regard (love without conditions) fosters healthy self-esteem, whereas conditional positive regard creates conditions of worth, where individuals feel they must meet expectations to be valued. Congruence occurs when the ideal self aligns with the actual self, leading to well-being. Incongruence causes distress. Maslow (1943) proposed a hierarchy of needs, culminating in self-actualisation. Strengths include the positive focus on free will; weaknesses include the lack of objective measurement and potential cultural bias towards individualistic societies.
What earns the marks
- Define unconditional and conditional positive regard and explain their impact on self-esteem.
- Explain how conditions of worth develop and affect personality according to Rogers (1951).
- Distinguish between congruence and incongruence in relation to the actual and ideal self.
- Describe the stages of Maslow's (1943) hierarchy of needs, from physiological needs to self-actualisation.
- Evaluate humanistic theories by discussing strengths (e.g., holistic approach) and weaknesses (e.g., unscientific concepts).
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing congruence with unconditional positive regard.
Put it right: Congruence is the alignment of the actual and ideal self, while unconditional positive regard is receiving acceptance from others without conditions.
Misordering Maslow's hierarchy. Correction: Ensure the needs are ordered correctly from bottom to top: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation.
Treating humanistic concepts as easily measurable.
Put it right: Acknowledge that concepts like self-actualisation and congruence are subjective and difficult to test scientifically.
Exam tips
- Use a diagrammatic description of Maslow's hierarchy to help structure answers about humanistic explanations of motivation and self-esteem.
- Apply Rogers' concepts to real-life scenarios, such as a parent only praising a child for good grades, to illustrate conditional positive regard.
- When evaluating, contrast the humanistic approach's emphasis on free will with more deterministic psychological theories.
Try the lesson
The start of the The self: 7.1.3 Understand the Humanistic Theory of Self, including strengths and weaknesses of each theory: a. humanistic explanations of the development of self-esteem b. humanistic explanations of the development of personality Rogers (1951) c. conditional positive regard d. unconditional positive regard e. conditions of worth f. congruence g. incongruence h. Maslow (1943) hierarchy of needs lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
According to Rogers' humanistic theory, what is the definition of 'unconditional positive regard'?
Listen
The Humanistic Theory of Self focuses on personal growth and self-esteem. Rogers (1951) explained personality development through the self-concept. Unconditional positive regard (love without conditions) fosters healthy self-esteem, whereas conditional positive regard creates conditions of worth, where individuals feel they must meet expectations to be valued. Congruence occurs when the ideal self aligns with the actual self, leading to well-being. Incongruence causes distress. Maslow (1943) proposed a hierarchy of needs, culminating in self-actualisation. Strengths include the positive focus on free will; weaknesses include the lack of objective measurement and potential cultural bias towards individualistic societies. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Define unconditional and conditional positive regard and explain their impact on self-esteem. Explain how conditions of worth develop and affect personality according to Rogers (1951). Distinguish between congruence and incongruence in relation to the actual and ideal self. Describe the stages of Maslow's (1943) hierarchy of needs, from physiological needs to self-actualisation. A common slip: Confusing congruence with unconditional positive regard. Instead, Congruence is the alignment of the actual and ideal self, while unconditional positive regard is receiving acceptance from others without conditions. Exam tip: Use a diagrammatic description of Maslow's hierarchy to help structure answers about humanistic explanations of motivation and self-esteem.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Unconditional positive regard
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Conditional positive regard
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Congruence
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Incongruence
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See every definition
- Unconditional positive regard
- Receiving acceptance from others without conditions, which fosters healthy self-esteem.
- Conditional positive regard
- Love given only on conditions, creating conditions of worth where individuals feel they must meet expectations to be valued.
- Congruence
- When the ideal self aligns with the actual self, leading to well-being.
- Incongruence
- A mismatch between the actual and ideal self, which causes distress.
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Test your understanding of The self: 7.1.3 Understand the Humanistic Theory of Self, including strengths and weaknesses of each theory: a. humanistic explanations of the development of self-esteem b. humanistic explanations of the development of personality Rogers (1951) c. conditional positive regard d. unconditional positive regard e. conditions of worth f. congruence g. incongruence h. Maslow (1943) hierarchy of needs
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