PSYC 4520 1st Edition Lecture 19Outline of Last Lecture I. Roots of Humanistic PsychologyA. Existential psychologyII. Key Elements of the Humanistic ApproachA. The humanistic approachB. Personal responsibilityC. The here and nowD. The phenomenology of the individualE. Personal growth III. Carl RogersA. Who was Carl Rogers?B. The fully functioning personC. Anxiety and defenseD. Conditions of worth and unconditional positive regardIV. Abraham MaslowA. Who was Abraham Maslow?B. Motivation and the hierarchy of needsC. Misconceptions about Maslow’s hierarchy of needsD. The study of psychologically healthy peopleThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Outline of Current Lecture I. The Psychology of Optimal ExperienceA. What makes people happy?B. Optimal experienceC. Optimal experience and happiness in everyday activitiesII. Application: Person-Centered Therapy and Job SatisfactionA. Person-centered therapyCurrent LectureI. The Psychology of Optimal ExperienceA. What makes people happy?i. Psychologist Mihaly Czikszentmilhay knew that simply lacking problems does not make us truly happy. He said that opportunities for happiness lieall around us in the everyday, routine activities in our lives.ii. He asked people to identify an experience that made them feel truly alive and was truly enjoyable. Their answers varied widely, but they used similar terms to describe their different experiences.B. Optimal experiencei. Czikszentmilhay’s participants discussed becoming so involved in their activities that nothing else mattered. The activity required all of their attention. Though each step automatically flowed to the next, the task was challenging and required concentration. Reaching their goal gave participants a sense of mastery, but the real pleasure came from the process. Czikszentmilhay refers to these moments as optimal experience.ii. Because people describe a feeling of being caught up in a natural, effortless movement from one step to the next, psychologists may refer to the experience as “flow.” Optimal experiences are intensely enjoyable but usually not restful: most flow experiences are demanding.iii. The flow experience is described similarly by people of all ages/cultures. It is a cornerstone of humanism because it involves the meaninglessness of life: in these experiences, we take responsibility and give life meaning. C. Optimal experience and happiness in everyday activitiesi. We generally have little free time, raising the question: when will we experience flow—during work or leisure? Research says that although we experience flow in leisure time, flow experiences more often occur at work. A challenging job gives us chances to experience a sense of mastery, accomplishment, and enrichment.II. Application: Person-Centered Therapy and Job SatisfactionA. Person-centered therapyi. Rogers said that a therapist cannot understand clients as well as clients understand themselves, and clients must change themselves. He said thata therapist’s job is not to change the client but to provide an atmosphere within which clients may help themselves: person-centered therapy. ii. So, therapists must create the proper relationship with their clients. They must be open and real: congruence. Therapists should be themselves; this includes being honest (but not cruel). Clients see when a therapist is not being real, and the subsequent mistrust can ruin the relationship.iii. This relationship also requires unconditional positive regard from the therapist. Clients must feel free to express all of their thoughts without fear of rejection. The therapist may not approve of everything clients say/do, but because therapists always accept clients, clients acknowledge/change their faults. Therapists must also be empathetic. iv. Humanistic therapists use many techniques with their clients, including active listening, reflection, and appropriate self-disclosure.1. Active listening/reflection: The therapist helps clients translate their feelings into words. Then, the therapist paraphrases/ restates the client’s words to confirm both of their understanding and direct clients’ attention to what they are saying.2. Self-disclosure: Rogers believed that in order for the client to disclose personal information, the therapist must as well (appropriately). Research shows that we share information at the same level as the other person; therefore, if a therapist remains secretive, this will encourage the client to hold back