Concept Of Self-actualization Research Articles

Solitude Without Loneliness: Understanding Loneliness in Terms of Psychological Separation

The reason why fear of loneliness is not ubiquitous is because loneliness is essentially an experience of “ego-separation.” Ego-separation exists on a continuum. While it may be extreme in some people, some people may experience little or no ego-separation, and so be less prone to loneliness. On the contrary, such people embrace and relish solitude and inactivity, with no distressing effects. I refer to Maslow’s concept of self-actualization and my own research on the state of “wakefulness.” I conclude that positive psychological development should involve a healthy relationship to solitude and inactivity.

Early Muslim Scholars’ Conceptions of Character Development and Contemporary Applications in Mental Health and Well-being

Well-being, as a comprehensive phenomenon related to an individual’s emotional response and life satisfaction, has a vital importance for human beings today. Contemporary perspectives, such as the domain of positive psychology, have shifted from a pathology-oriented perception of well-being and have made efforts to include psychological and spiritual aspects in the picture. The aim of these modern approaches is to activate mechanisms of change and build positive qualities within a person. Similarly, the Islamic tradition has long emphasized the importance of physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being, with the spiritual dimension at the center of the purpose of personal development. Both modern psychological and Islamic theological perspectives consider character development as essential for increasing well-being. While modern psychology uses character development only as a tool to achieve self-actualization, an Islamic perspective includes, within the concept of self-actualization, the notions and objectives of purification from the evils of the world and the self and attaining the pleasure of God. Islamic scholars in the classical period emphasized the importance of keeping a balance between good and bad character traits within the conception of human well-being. This chapter will discuss the mechanisms and approaches to character development suggested by early Muslim scholars, such as Abu Zayd al-Balkhi (9th century), Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (112th1th century), Al-Razi (13th9th century), and Birgivi (16th16th century), as well as discuss possible contemporary applications in the light of modern psychological studies. It will put forth strategies for Islamically informed character development and their potential for implementation within Islamically-integrated psychotherapy and well-being counseling within contemporary contexts.

Coming to Terms with “Self-Actualization”: The Reception of Kurt Goldstein in Humanistic Psychotherapy

The ideals and practices of self-improvement aimed at achieving a sense of self-realization of our lives have permeated popular culture since the mid-20th century, largely due to the work of American humanistic psychologists. This paper delves into the popularization of these notions, arguing that they partially stem from a particular American appropriation of the German neurologist and psychiatrist Kurt Goldstein’s concept of self-actualization. First, the paper examines Goldstein’s encounter with American psychology, tracing his early interest in psychotherapy, the stages of his forced migration to America, and the reception of his work within American psychology. Second, it offers an analysis of the interpretations and applications of Goldstein’s holistic approach and its concept of self-actualization by humanistic practitioners, notably Abraham Maslow’s theory of motivation and Carl Rogers’s client-centered approach to psychotherapy. Finally, the paper closes with a critical discussion of the distinction between Goldstein’s approach, which emphasizes the creative process of a “coming to terms” between organism and environment, and humanistic psychotherapy, which underscores individual responsibility.

Self-actualization in Postcolonial Novel: A Study on V. S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr. Biswas

The aims of this study are to unfold the characteristics of self-actualization as reflected in A House for Mr. Biswas, a novel by V.S. Naipaul and to measure the range to which Mr. Biswas as a postcolonial character succeeded to reach to self-actualization. Self-actualization is a postcolonial term which indicates the desire to achieve one’s greatest potentials. The study has used the theory of Abraham Maslow who describes his concept of self-actualization in his theory of Hierarchy of Needs. The approach of this study is qualitative. V. S. Naipaul’s A House for Mr. Biswas is a representative one among the postcolonial novels which possesses major aspects of postcolonial literature. Mr. Mohun Biswas, the protagonist of the novel successfully reach the level of self-actualization although he has some limitations. Mr. Biswas carries the significant aspects and features of a self-actualizing person.

The Art of Actualization

Two personality psychologists, Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, used the concept of self-actualization in their theories of personal growth (Schultz & Schultz, 2019). Rogers believed all people have an actualization tendency, a desire to seek higher forms of cognitive complexity (Kim, 2018). Similar viewpoints may be found in the ancient philosophy of Taoism as well as the writings of Plato (Lin, 2011; Bloom, 1968). Also in line with Roger’s theory are the findings that the brain naturally seeks perceptual unity (Griffith & Davidson, 1966; Hunt & Schooler, 2019). Brain areas like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the default mode network are tied to levels of self actualization (Forrest, 2001; Yangmei et al., 2017). Maslow believed self actualized people have peak experiences such as moments of deep connection with the universe (Yaden et al., 2017). Lowering one’s latent inhibition may be a way to increase the frequency of peak experiences (Carson, Higgens, & Peterson, 2003).

Recent Developments in Understanding Spirituality as Exemplified by the Concept of Self-Transcendence

The recent history of science has witnessed many shifts of paradigms. One of the major changes has been observed in the shift of spirituality, transforming from a traditional faith-based notion to a more secular or postmodern one. These changes are confusing for many modern people as they are not able to follow these rapid developments. This article is an attempt at providing a conceptual framework to understand the changes that the notion of spirituality has undergone using the concept of self-transcendence and its two major dimensions: vertical and horizontal. This model will serve to evaluate different ways of defining spirituality in both theology and the social sciences and to indicate the provenience of their roots in both disciplines. In conclusion, self-transcendence will be compared with the concept of self-actualization.

Metapatologi Abraham Maslow Menurut Perspektif Al-Quran

The hierarchical theory of multilevel needs, which was initiated by Abraham Maslow as the founder of Humanistic Psychology, is not yet fully understood. Above the need for self-actualization which occupies the last rung of the basic needs theory, Abraham Maslow stated his concept of metaneeds as the highest need. The theory of high needs (metaneeds) is an abstract need of the human soul which means being above the need for self-actualization. The concept of high needs is not as popular as the concept of basic needs. It even seems forgotten. This is because the Western view which is rooted in materialistic philosophy requires science to be in the empirical realm (sensory experience) and rejects belief in transcendental and unseen things. This is what makes the final concept of human needs initiated by Abraham Maslow like hanging and stopping until the concept of self-actualization alone. Therefore, it can be said that metaneeds (high needs, spiritual needs) are the missing rung in the unified whole concept of Abraham Maslow's ideas about motives and motivation. Maslow's metaneeds include truth, unity, harmony, justice, self-autonomy (independence), uniqueness, kindness, ease, simplicity, joy, and meaning in life in values (religion). If the need for things that are noble and abstract is not fulfilled, it can lead to metapatology or mental illness which in the language of the Koran is known as mental illness which has an impact on hardness and harshness of the heart. Keywords: Abraham Maslow, metaneeds, metapathology, humanistic psychology

Portrayal of Maslow’s Self-Actualization in Kafka’s ‘A Hunger Artist’

<span>Because of his creativity, Kafka’s works have discussed and analyzed by the scholars for years. Interpretations of Kafka’s work has been done in various field of study, and among his writings, ‘A Hunger Artist’ isconsidered as the most transparent and clearest piece. However, the piece shows many bewildering complication of details. The artist’s obsession towards fasting has raised a number of questions; if he is into fasting then why he has to exhibit himself? This research aims to analyze the artist’s peculiar behavior by using Maslow’s concept of self-actualization. Maslow believed that in order to be able self-actualizing, a person must be brave enough to leave his comfort zone. This study shows that the artist fails in achieving Maslow’s concept of self-actualization as he stubbornly cling to the easiest thing he knows how to do, fast. Being able to fast more than forty days is not the expression of self-actualization because fasting is the comfort zone that he refused to let go.In addition, the artist’s obsession towards the spectator’s admirationhas prevent him from enjoying the exploration of his life and he lives in a constant depression. Ironically, the artist dies in hunger, an art that he totally masters.</span>

Self-Actualization of the Main Characters in Ford County, by Grisham

This research aimed to obtain a deep depiction of self-actualization on the main character in Ford County the stories written by Grisham This research is a study of the psychology of literature, which is analyzed objectively by using the psychological theory of humanistic. The research refers to the combination between motivation theory of Maslow especially in Hierarchy of human needs and the concept of self-actualization by Rogers. In data analysis techniques, qualitative data in the form of expressions, utterances and occasions are needed through the content analysis method and analyzed through a structural literature approach based on the concept of literary theory. The focus of the study is self-actualization of the main characters, which can be observed from the seven short stories of Ford County. The focus of the study then would be divided into sub-focuses, which tends to the hierarchy of human needs, they are physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Another sub-focus is the concept of self-actualization’s achievement in forms of openness for experience, personal existence, strong belief, freedom, and creativity. The result of the research indicates that the main characters of the stories like Rogers, in Blood Drive, and Mack in Fish Files have D-Motivation in their Self-Actualization. Then the main characters of the stories like Raymond in Fetching Raymond, Sidney in Casino, Stanley in Michael Room, Gilbert in Quite Heaven and in Adrian Funny Boy, reflects B-Motivation in their own self-actualization.

Consideration of the applicability of person-centered therapy to culturally varying clients, focusing on the actualizing tendency and self-actualization – from East Asian perspective

ABSTRACTThe applicability of the Person-centered Approach to psychotherapy (i.e. PCA) toward culturally varying clients is often claimed to be limited, as it has developed based on Rogers’ ideas that are often accused of being culturally biased. In particular, Rogers’ concept of self-actualization with its emphasis on personal autonomy and independence has been subject to the criticism that it reflects Western individualistic cultural emphases on the view of the independent self while disregarding the view of the interdependent self that is prevalent in non-Western collectivistic cultures.This article explores Rogers’ concept of self-actualization, evaluating the applicability of the PCA toward both Western and non-Western cultural contexts. Arguing for its applicability to culturally varying clients, it suggests that organismic potentialities of individuals involve the tendencies toward both independence and interdependence that may be manifested by the actualizing tendency in different ways, influenced by different cultures. Therefore, although what clients aim to achieve in terms of self-actualization may be different, therapists need to focus on what is universal in relation to self-actualization, that is, the actualizing tendency that is the motivation for therapeutic change. It also explores what focusing on the client’s actualizing tendency would mean and involve in multicultural counseling.

Rogers and Goldstein redux: the actualizing person responding to trauma and loss

ABSTRACTCarl Rogers’ concept of actualization is discussed in relation to neuropsychiatrist Kurt Goldstein’s concept of self-actualization, both of which explain the inherent capacity of the human organism for growth through adversity. It is argued that Rogers’ organismic perspective is compatible with the existential-ontological elements of Goldstein’s holistic, biological conception of the human organism. There is, however, a fundamental difference in their concepts of actualization and their metaphors of self-healing that reflects their dissimilar clinical milieus and philosophico-existential perspectives. Rogers’ metaphor of self-healing calls up the client’s organismic experiencing in a therapeutic relationship whereas Goldstein’s refers to the patient and pathology that is an indication of lawful variations of the normal self-regulating process. Their concepts of actualization are considered in relation to six existential-ontological dimensions of human experience delineated by Hersch. It is argued that they provide a more in-depth understanding of an individual’s experience than the dominant biomedical models of disease. This process is illustrated by drawing on the self-reported experiences of persons with traumatic brain injury concerning the extent of their recovery and post-traumatic growth. Considered together, the legacies of Goldstein and Rogers span biology and phenomenology, existential philosophy and humanistic psychology.

Maslow’s Unacknowledged Contributions to Developmental Psychology

Few readily identify Maslow as a developmental psychologist. On the other hand, Maslow’s call for holistic/systemic, phenomenological, and dynamic/relational developmental perspectives in psychology (all being alternatives to the limitations of the dominant natural science paradigm) anticipated what emerged both as and in the subdiscipline of developmental psychology. In this article, we propose that Maslow’s dynamic systems approach to healthy human development served as a forerunner for classic and contemporary theory and research on parallel constructs in developmental psychology that provide empirical support for his ideas—particularly those affiliated with characteristics of psychological health (i.e., self-actualization) and the conditions that promote or inhibit it. We also explore Maslow’s adaptation of Goldstein’s concept of self-actualization, in which he simultaneously: (a) explicated a theory of safety versus growth that accounts for the two-steps-forward-one-step-back contiguous dynamic that realistically characterizes the ongoing processes of being-in-becoming and psychological integration in human development/maturity and (b) emphasized being-in-the-world-with-others with the intent of facilitating the development of an ideal society by promoting protective factors that illustrate Maslow’s safety, belonging, and esteem needs. Finally, we dialogue with the extant literature to clarify common misgivings about Maslow’s ideas.

The Social World of Self-Actualizing People: Reflections by Maslow’s Biographer

Maslow’s concept of self-actualization has been a bulwark of humanistic psychology for more than 50 years, and has increasingly gained international appeal beyond its original nexus within the United States. His description of the high achieving characteristics of self-actualizing men and women has influenced theorists and practitioners in such fields as counseling, education, health care, management, and organizational psychology. Through these same decades, Maslow’s formulation has also been criticized as promoting a hyperindividualistic, even narcissistic, orientation to personality growth. Because Maslow by temperament and intellectual style expressed himself in an ever-evolving set of speeches and writings that were seldom explicit about interpersonal relations, his actual outlook on the social world of self-actualizers has remained elusive. The focus of this article, therefore, is how Maslow depicted self-actualizing people with regard to five major interpersonal dimensions of life: friendship, romantic love, marriage and lasting intimacy, parenthood, and communal service. By pulling together Maslow’s comments primarily in his published works, and secondarily in his unpublished works-in-progress, it is possible to explicate his tacit viewpoint. Doing so will not only help dispel the misconception that Maslow depicted self-actualizers as loners or even hermits but also guide future theory and research on personality growth.

The short index of self-actualization: a factor analysis study in an Italian sample

The concept of self-actualization has been the subject of much theoretical speculation over the years. The essential meaning entails the discovery of the real self and its expression and development. As for the instruments available to measure the construct, there are currently several scales considered to be suitable to this end. However, many of these have been considered too long or presented problems with inadequate validation. This is the reason why a short index of self-actualization has been developed (Jones & Crandall, 1986). This index, best known as the Short Index of Self-Actualization or the Self-Actualization Scale (SAS), is now a widely used short form to measure self-actualization. The present study provides a psychometric analysis of the SAS, in order to highlight its strengths and weaknesses and to offer a starting point to a further and broaden investigation.

Quality of life theory III. Maslow revisited.

In 1962, Abraham Maslow published his book Towards a Psychology of Being, and established a theory of quality of life, which still is considered a consistent theory of quality of life. Maslow based his theory for development towards happiness and true being on the concept of human needs. He described his approach as an existentialistic psychology of self-actualization, based on personal growth.When we take more responsibility for our own life, we take more of the good qualities that we have into use, and we become more free, powerful, happy, and healthy. It seems that Maslow's concept of self-actualization can play an important role in modern medicine. As most chronic diseases often do not disappear in spite of the best biomedical treatments, it might be that the real change our patients have for betterment is understanding and living the noble path of personal development. The hidden potential for improving life really lies in helping the patient to acknowledge that his or her lust for life, his or her needs, and his or her wish to contribute, is really deep down in human existence one and the same. But you will only find this hidden meaning of life if you scrutinize your own life and existence closely enough, to come to know your innermost self.

Remembering Maslow: Reflections on a 1968 Interview

Five selections from an interview with Abraham Maslow are presented here. These five excerpts, each introduced with commentary by the author, include such topics as Maslow’s early experiences in psychology, his problems with timidity and isolation, the inspiration for his concept of self-actualization, and his gradual withdrawal from many of life’s pleasures to devote more time to his work. Also discussed are the difficult theoretical problems he faced following his discovery that many individuals do not move automatically into the sphere of self-actualization after all other needs have been gratified. The final selection presents Maslow’s views on the development of third-force psychology and its future. Finally, a coda is presented, giving attention to the vastly different psychological and social realities that have evolved since 1968, when the interview was held. The implications of these changing realities are discussed as they relate to humanistic psychology and its future.

Spirituality and Alcoholism: Self-Actualization and Faith Stage

ABSTRACT This article looks at the relationship between Maslow's concept of self-actualization and Fowler's stages of faith of recovering alcoholic adult children of alcoholics. There were 17 respondents: 10 self-actualized (S-A) and 7 not self-actualized (NS-A). The S-A respondents were in the higher faith stages indicating a transformative conversion process. Data on current life functioning demonstrated correlation between S-A, faith stage, and current behaviors. Discussion addresses two key and interconnected concepts-an innate dynamic force to search for God and the surrender of self as a grieving process-and their implications for ministry.

Animal Rights Versus Humanism

The present article examines a concern I have had for some time about the compatibility of humanistic psychology with the emerging animal rights movement. Beyond working out my position, the paper has the additional educational and, frankly, political purpose of bringing animal rights issues to the attention of humanistic psychologists. The article applies certain concepts of contemporary animal rights philosophy, notably "speciesism," to both the philosophy of humanism and humanistic psychology. While on a philosophical level, certain concepts are discussed that would likely block a rapprochement, I feel that humanistic psychologists as individuals are likely to extend their compassion to non-human animals. A review of philosophical humanism reveals that its important concept of individuality excludes non-human animals. Within this conception, animals simply are not individuals. In fact, animals are employed as a categorical foil representing precisely the absence of reason and relative autonomy, hallmarks of individuality. In humanistic psychology, the concept of self-actualization is open to similar charges. A compatability and, hence a reconciliation, is suggested through a phenomenological rendering of empathy, a second concept critical to humanistic psychology.

Beyond self-actualization

The concept of self actualization in Humanistic Psychology, as developed by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, is compared and contrasted with the concept of self-realization in Vedandic Hinduism and the two major schools of Buddhism-Thervada and Mahayana. The first part of the paper deals with the theoretical views of Maslow and Rogers and their philosophical foundations. The second part of the paper deals with common elements and differences among the schools of Eastern philosophies. Finally, the concept of self actualization in Humanistic Psychology is compared and contrasted with the concept of self-realization in the three Eastern philosophies covered in this paper. It is concluded that the two concepts complement each other and provide us with a broader view of self-development than each view by itself. Implications for counseling are brought out.

Family Background, Socioeconomic Attainment, and the Ranking of Self-Actualization Values

Abstract This paper examines the interrelationships connecting family background, socioeconomic attainment, and the evaluation of a set of life goals that focus on the concept of self-actualization. Based on a national sample of Canadians from 1981, the findings suggest modest class differences in the perceived importance of self-actualization, with those from the higher strata somewhat more likely to stress this value orientation. Multivariate analyses are performed to assess how much of the class difference in value rankings is attributable to the current socioeconomic attainments of the respondents and how much can be traced, alternatively, to the respondents' earlier class status, as indicated by the socioeconomic backgrounds of their parents. The findings suggest that respondent's education has the greatest direct effect on value differences among the past and current socioeconomic variables considered. However, parents' educational and occupational statuses are found to have appreciable indirect influences on respondents' self-actualization attitudes, lending provisional support to an intergenerational transmission interpretation of value differences between classes. Age is also revealed to have a notable influence on the general pattern of results when it is introduced into the analysis. Consideration is given to the implications of the findings for understanding the adoption and retention of dominant values by individuals in differing class positions or socioeconomic circumstances.