Motivation and emotion/Lectures/Growth psychology

Lecture 11: Growth psychology
This is the eleventh lecture for the motivation and emotion unit of study.

Overview

This lecture considers:

psychological motivation for personal growth and self-actualisation
humanistic psychology and positive psychology

Take-home message:

Focusing on strengths and encouraging growth is more productive than trying to cure weakness

Outline

Paradigms in psychology
Humanistic psychology
- Self-actualisation
- Actualising tendency
Positive psychology
- Happiness
- Meaning
Criticisms

Paradigms in psychology

Psychology is a young science compared, for example, to physical and medical sciences. Although psychological questions have been philosophically debated for millenia, the systematic application of modern scientific principles to psychological problems was first developed in the late 19th century.

Several paradigms of thinking have evolved since in psychology (Fleuridas & Krafcik, 2019; Sutich, 1968):

1st force: Psychoanalytic - explains behaviour through psychodynamic processes
2nd force: Behaviourism - an empirical approach countering vagaries of psychoanalytics
3rd force: Humanistic - addresses limitations of behaviourism with a holistic view
Contemporary developments:
- Cognitive psychology
- Social psychology
- Neuroscience
4th force: Transpersonal - explores spiritual and transcendent experiences that go beyond the self
Emerging forces:
- Ecopsychology
- Indigenous/decolonising perspectives

Humanistic psychology

Humanistic psychology was championed by Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and many others during the 1950s and 1960s.

Maslow became known for his description and investigation of self-actualisation. Rogers pursued similar ideas, emphasising the fully functioning person and the organismic valuing process.

Self-actualisation

Self-actualisation refers to the fulfilling of one's potential and is understood as the highest motivation. A seed may have the genetic potential to grow into a large, healthy tree, but the outcome will depend on its opportunity and nurturing. Similarly, human beings have inner motivation to achieve their physical and psychological potential (e.g., manifest their unique talents and abilities).

But Maslow argued that less than 1% of people self-actualise. Why? It might be too much of a challenge to just meet basic needs, let alone higher needs. Or people might get stuck/obsessed with the lower needs and not connect to the higher meaning/purpose.

Actualising tendency

Rogers argued that humans have an innate will to growth that guides people to undertake new and challenging experiences.

A fully functioning person uses their organismic valuing process (like an inner compass; see Figure 1) to determine whether specific experiences will promote one's growth or not.

A person is most likely to develop full functioning when offered unconditional, rather than conditional, positive regard during their upbringing and subsequent social relations.

A fully functioning person experiences congruence between their ideal and actual self.

Positive psychology

Positive psychology emphasises identification and development psychological strengths and uses a scientific approach to promoting psychological wellbeing.

Happiness

Types

Originally proposed by the Ancient Greeks (Aristotle) and reiterated by Martin Seligman, happiness can be understood as consisting of three components:

Hedonic pleasure (the good life) - these are intense, short-term pleasure, but positive affect is about 50% heritable, difficult to change (see hedonic treadmill), and subject to habituation; it is arguably the shallowest form of happiness
Eudaimonia (the engaged life) - this is a deeper satisfaction which comes from intrinsic engagement in creative and interesting problems that drawn on strengths and talents, but also nurture learning and development. In this type of happiness, people experience psychological flow.
Meaning/purpose (connection with values) - this is the deepest and most important aspect of happiness. It is having a reason/purpose for being, a why to live for, a passion often for something bigger, beyond the self.

World Happiness Report

The lecture discusses the World Happiness Report:

Imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top
The top of the ladder (10) represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder (0) represents the worst possible life for you
On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?
What do you estimate the global average satisfaction score is out of 10 (based on equal weighting of 143 countries)?
What do you estimate the Australian average life satisfaction is out of 10?
Where do you think Australia ranks out of 143 countries?

Explanatory factors (descending order of importance):

GDP per capita
Social support
Healthy life expectancy
Freedom to make life choices
Perceptions of corruption
Generousity

Meaning

Existential psychology emphasises the importance of meaning for motivation and wellbeing.

Viktor Frankl (see Figure 2) goes as far as arguing that meaning/connection to a higher purpose is the key/essential ingredient for optimal psychological functioning and wellbeing.

Logotherapy was developed by Frankl as a psychotherapeutic method which helps people connect with meaning in their lives.

These ideas are famously captured in Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning which is commonly in the top recommended psychology books.

Criticisms

Incomplete: Humanistic view emphasises only one part of human nature. People also have potential to harm themselves and others.
Unscientific: Humanistic theorists use vague and ill-defined constructs (less true of positive psychology).
Ambiguity of inner guides: Origins and accuracy of actualising tendency unclear, challenging its reliability for guiding behaviour.

Multimedia

Maslow on peak experiences (YouTube) (4:02 mins): An interview with Maslow about his research on peak experiences
The new era of positive psychology (Martin Seligman, TED/YouTube) (19:49 mins): Explains the origins, purpose, and promise of positive psychology
Viktor Frankl: Search for meaning (YouTube) (4:22 mins): On the importance of meaning in people's lives

Readings

Chapter 15: Growth motivation and positive psychology (Reeve, 2018)

Slides

Growth psychology (Google Slides)

Recording

Lecture 11 (2024)

References

Fleuridas, C., & Krafcik, D. (2019). Beyond four forces: The evolution of psychotherapy. Sage Open, 9(1), 2158244018824492. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018824

Fredrickson, B. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218

Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., Sachs, J. D., De Neve, J.-E., Aknin, L. B., & Wang, S. (Eds.). (2024). World happiness report 2024 (12th ed.). https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/

Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. Harper & Brothers.

Maslow, A. H. (1971/1976). Farther reaches of human nature. Penguin.

Sutich, A. J. (1968). Transpersonal psychology: An emerging force. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 8(1), 77–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/002216786800800108 Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centered therapy: Its current practice, implications and theory. Constable.

Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.5

Seligman, M. E. P., Rashid, T., & Parks, A. C. (2006). Positive psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 61(8), 774–788. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.8.774

Sutich, A. J. (1968). Transpersonal psychology: An emerging force. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 8(1), 77–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/002216786800800108

External links

Authentic happiness (University of Pennsylvania)
Happiness and why we want it (Nancy Etcoff, TED, 20:00 mins)
PERMA™ theory of well-being and PERMA™ workshops (upenn.edu)
Shiny happy people (Brad Lemley, Discover Magazine, 2006)
The happiness lab with Dr. Laurie Santos (podcast; pushkin.fm)
What does it mean to be self-actualized in the 21st century? (Scott Barry Kaufmann, Scientific American, 2018)
World happiness report (worldhappiness.report)