Humanistic Theory

Humanistic Theory Vs. Learning Theory

Two of the several personality theories discussed in Chapter Two are humanistic and learning. These two theories vary greatly yet do have a few similarities. Both have strong supporters as well as harsh criticizers. No one theory is able to be applied to every single individual so having a variety to work with and be knowledgeable in is ideal, this knowledge will allow the psychologist a basic understanding of why his or her client is the way he or she is.

One of the key points that the humanistic theorist believes is that individuals are born with the ability to make positive choices that will benefit him or her. This ingrained ability is oftentimes thwarted by others acting on their own convictions and with their own motives (Dombeck, 2008). These influences are negative and can be intentional or unintentional, but the patient needs to overcome these influences and learn to react to the basic instinct that he or she has, the instincts that allow one to make a decision centering solely on his or her happiness and not someone else’s. An example of this theory occurs when a parent pushes his or her children to further their education by attending college, and the child does, rather than enter directly into the workforce as he or she initially would have liked. These individuals are never fully happy with themselves because they are always trying to please someone else.

The key thought of learning theorists is that individual’s actions are based on his or her observations of others. One learns that certain actions will elicit rewards and punishments by watching. These reactions are controlled from outside oneself and stored in memory for future reference. An example of this theory is a basketball player who spends all game on the court playing well and then does not make his or her free-throw shots; he or she feels as if the day was unsuccessful. In this example, the player was influenced by his or her fans...