Humanistic self: free will + drive to grow
The humanistic approach rests on three claims: people have free will, not biology or the unconscious; an inborn drive to grow towards self-actualisation; and the whole person studied as they experience themselves. Self-esteem develops from the regard others show — free builds it, conditional wears it down — and personality forms as the self-concept takes shape from experience: a fully functioning person where regard was free, a defensive one where conditional.
Rogers (1951): one chain, not five terms
Rogers' five terms (c-g) are one causal chain, and the marks are in the links. Conditional positive regard: acceptance only when you behave as others want. Unconditional positive regard: acceptance whatever you do. Conditions of worth: the internal rules you take on to deserve acceptance. Congruence: a close match between self-image and ideal self; incongruence: a large gap. Conditional regard breeds conditions of worth, which bend the self-image and open the gap.
Maslow (1943): the order is the theory
Maslow explained the self as a climb through five needs, each met before the next: physiological (food, water, sleep), safety (shelter, routine), love and belonging, esteem (self-esteem, achievement), and self-actualisation (becoming all you can be). The justification mark: an unmet lower need blocks everything above. Self-esteem sits at level 4, out of reach while lower needs are unmet. Levels 1-4 are deficiency needs, level 5 a growth need, never finished.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Congruence/incongruence get mangled
The most reported weakness on Topic 7, and pure definition precision. Congruence is not congregating or compliance — nothing to do with agreeing with others; incongruence is not congruence and not self-actualisation. Safe habit: name the two things compared and whether they match. Congruence = self-image and ideal self match closely; incongruence = they do not, leaving a gap.
Congruence answers drifted into "congregate", "congregation" and compliance (June 2022 P2 Q14). Incongruence was answered as congruence or as self-actualisation (June 2024 P2 Q15 — the report mislabels its own question heading, but the question is incongruence).
"Positive" regard is not being cheerful
Candidates read 'positive' in 'positive regard' as good — not creditworthy. Regard is how far someone is accepted and valued by another. The marks sit on the word in front: conditional (only when you behave as wanted) versus unconditional (whatever you do), and on conditions of worth — the rules the child takes on. Keep self-esteem apart from self-concept and confidence.
Candidates believed "positive" simply means good (Nov 2020 P2 Q15). The marks live in unconditional positive regard and conditions of worth (June 2023 P2 Q17). Self-esteem was confused with self-concept, confidence and positive regard (June 2019 P2 Q16).
Listing Maslow levels is only half
Candidates reproduce the pyramid, name all five levels, and stop. The list is AO1; the justification is the rule making it a hierarchy — each level met before moving up, so an unmet lower need blocks everything above. Apply it: place a scenario detail on a level and say what the level below does to it. Self-actualisation is becoming all you can be, not a prize for success.
The justification mark comes from the sequential requirement, each level met before moving up (June 2022 P2 Q17, repeated at June 2023 P2 Q15).
Unconditional regard is not "no rules"
Two misreadings. Unconditional positive regard does not mean letting a child do anything: Rogers separates behaviour from person, so a parent can stop the behaviour while never withdrawing warmth — the regard is unconditional, not the rules. And self-actualisation is not being happy or successful; it is becoming everything you are capable of, different for everyone.
Positive regard misread as simply meaning good (Nov 2020 P2 Q15), and incongruence answered as self-actualisation (June 2024 P2 Q15).
Naming the character is not application
On a scenario question, credit comes from the scenario's own detail — not the person's name or the stem repeated. To apply Rogers, quote the words given ('her father only praises her when she comes top' is a condition of worth) and name the chain link it shows. Because AO3 cannot be awarded without AO2, a generic answer forfeits the evaluation marks too.
The character's name alone is not application (June 2022 P1 Q4b, repeated June 2023 P2 Q25); repeating the stem is not application (June 2024 P2 Q10); AO3 needs AO2 present (June 2023 P2 Q31).
Strength/weakness stated, not justified
On strength and weakness items, identification without justification is penalised — naming the point is only half. "It has practical applications" stops too early. Finish it: the idea that conditions of worth cause low self-esteem led to counselling giving unconditional positive regard, rebuilding an honest self-image. The test is a because or so that does real work.
Identification without justification on strength and weakness items (June 2024 P1 Q11b and Q15b).
AO2 before AO3 on the 9-mark Assess
On the 9-mark Assess the ceiling is AO3, and AO3 cannot be awarded without AO2 — so apply first: quote the scenario's words and name the chain link, not the name or stem. Then evaluate with named lenses and close with a judgement. Prose only; no bullet points.
Read the command word
Three command-word failures, each fixed by one clause. "Explain a strength" needs the point plus a because. "Describe the difference" needs a connective (whereas), not two definitions, which scores one of two. "Describe" for 2 marks needs two unique points, not one reworded.
Bank one real strength and weakness
For AO3, one developed strength and one weakness beat labels. Strength: practical value — the theory led to client-centred counselling. Weakness: terms like congruence and self-actualisation are subjective, hard to measure and hard to test. Then judge with a conclusion.
Humanistic approach — an explanation of the self built on free will, an inborn drive to grow towards self-actualisation, and studying the whole person as they experience themselves.
Self-esteem — how much a person values and likes themselves. Not the same as self-concept, confidence, or positive regard.
Conditional positive regard — acceptance and approval given only when the person behaves in the way other people want.
Full notes, flashcards, Q&A and the topic quiz for every premium subject.
Premium plans are US$8.99/month or US$49.99/year — first month free.
Studying with a parent's blessing? Show them this.
