Summarize the criticisms and contributions of humanistic psychology.
Psychology is a branch of medical study which involves study of behavior and mind. It put emphasis on all the aspects of conscious and unconscious experiences and thought. A professional practitioner who treats patients through psychology is termed as psychologist.
Humanistic psychology is a branch of psychology, which emphasizes on the study of the whole behavior of a person. The humanistic psychologists study human behavior by observing their activities and also by analyzing why the person is enacting that ways.
There are several strengths and criticisms of humanistic psychology. One of the major negative points of humanistic psychology is that its concepts have been explained in an extremely vague manner. According to critics, subjective ideas and real experiences cannot be objectified. Also, an experience which is real for one person may not be real for another individual. The critics also pointed out that the conclusions derived from subjective experiences cannot be verified, hence making the research study unreliable.
However, the study has its own share of strengths too. One of the major supporting points is that it emphasizes on individual choice. The study satisfies the moral idea of the human existence. Finally, the study parameters provide psychologists with a flexible framework for observing human behavior. Based on the personal perceptions and feelings of a person, his case can be studied.