Humanistic and Existential Personality Theories

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Finally, most have seen the benefits of humanism carries over into different professions. If you take a health class, you are likely to discuss Maslow’s hierarchy. If you study economic or business, you will also focus on moving upward in our lives in order to be more aware of who we are and where we fit in with the world. The same holds true with other professions, including literature, criminology, and history, among others, as the basis of humanistic thought strike an undertone in all of what is considered human (Heffner, 2015).

- What are the limitations of the humanistic theories in regard to their explanation of personality?

With the good, always comes the bad, and this theory is no different. The biggest criticism of humanistic thought appears to center around its lack of concrete treatment approaches aimed at specific issues. With the basic concept behind the theory being free will, it is difficult to both develop a treatment technique and study the effectiveness of this technique.

Secondly, there are those who believe humanistic theory falls short in its ability to help those with more severe personality or mental health pathology. While it may show positive benefits for a minor issue, using the approach of Roger’s to treat schizophrenia would seem ludicrous.

Finally, the humanistic theory makes some generalizations about human nature that are not widely accepted as complete. Are people good or are they’re some individuals who are not capable of this? Can we adequately argue that everyone follows the same levels as Maslow explained or are these levels, and even what they stand for, be determined by the individual? Why do some people seem to make negative choices even when positive solutions are staring them in the face? These questions plague humanistic thought, and the difficulty in researching the theory does not provide any freedom (Heffner, 2015).

- What are the strengths and limitations of May’s existential theory in regard to their explanation of personality?

There are many strengths that flow with May’s existential theory. Existential therapy allows patients to examine where their behavior has come from that may have been influenced by family, social conditioning, and the culture that they are brought up in. If the needs of a person cannot be satisfied or that personal goal cannot be met by interpersonal relations, that person may experience anxiety, frustration or depression. One of the limitations of May’s theory in the area of multicultural populations is that they are excessively individualistic, and they ignore the social factors that cause people problems. Even though people change internally, environmental circumstances and social factors such as discrimination, racism or oppression restrict a person’s ability to influence the direction of their lives. An example could be trying to get a homeless person off the streets and working in society, and the existential therapist consistently tells this homeless person that all they need to do is to make a choice to make their life better. The reality is that homeless person does not.

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References

Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Roberts, T.-A. (2013). Theories of personality (8th ed.). New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill

Heffner, C. L. (2015). Against the basic of science. Retrieved from

http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/humanistic_research/#.Vh8TISuPxnR