English class

Student: Chiticaru Ana-Maria

Specialization: Psychology, anul I
Class: 14LF191

Relationship Between the Humanist Education and Psychology

Psychical development is influenced by heredity, environmental factors and especially by

education. Modern psychology has established, after a long research process, that environmental
and educational factors act through internal mental conditions. A lesson, an information, a
reward, a punishment become formative for a good, conscientious student, for one who has
strived to learn the lessons.

Education is the specific human activity that diversifies the relationship between human
and his environment, society. The educational process is realized as a qualitative process, and at
one side is society, with its level of development, and the educators (parents, teachers), the
school as an institution, and at the other side is the child. Education is well understood by
children with highly developed skills. Therefore, the effects of education are greatly amplified
due to capabilities, especially since they are formed in structures of high sensitivity and interests.
At the same time, mediocre children need a more support from education, great efforts to
progress and develop themself. Because of these reasons, it is important to have psychological
knowledge and also to have knowledge about the detection of the psychic structures which can
be used in these cases.

Humanistic psychology began in ancient Greece and has continued until nowadays, and
over the time, it has been explored by many people. Therefore, in the 19th century, Kierkegaard
illustrated the role of high individual consciousness, and Nietzsche explored the ways in which a
person can overcome values and limits. In the twentieth century, Buber highlighted a different
relationship, based on empathy and mutual sympathy between people, and Heidegger believed
that people are able to create opportunities to live better. More than that, Sartre believed that
nothing could stop humand from becoming what they want to be.

Humanistic education could not be included in either behaviorism or Freudian psychology,

because the psychological current. Thus, Freudian psychology ignores people's motivation and
focuses on the human gene, and behavioral behaviors did not take into account the emotional
responses of students and their personality. Abraham Maslow supported humanistic psychology
and focused on the self-actualization. He believed that people can discover themselves by
triggering feelings of love, anxiety, hatred, joy, sadness. However, negative states can be the end
of learning, not just the beginning.

Humanities education refers to the fact that personal and cognitive development can take
place simultaneously. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi argued that effective activities cannot be carried
out without personal problems being resolved. In this sense, education aims to teach subjects to
avoid boredom and anxiety, to reevaluate their opportunities, to turn problems into advantages.
Rogers identified aspects that make individuals able to develop. This can be done by becoming
aware of the emotional importance. He believed that as long as the experience is positive,
everyone can learn.
 Psychological applications are necessary for self-actualization, and emotions, intellect,
body work together. Martin E.F. Seligman argued that affectivity is a support for problem
solving because it generates optimism. In addition, transcendentalists encourage learning based
on intuition, feelings, thoughts and images, because they realize the creative image.

Because of the discoveries in the field of neurology, humanists consider that

consciousness is a neural activity, personality is a genetic activity. At the same time, humanists
believe that each personality is unique, and neurologists claim through certain studies that in
order to overcome negative emotions it is important to have a good cognitive development.
Therefore, the role of schools is to help students overcome impulsivity, to find solutions to
problems.

In conclusion, humanities education argues that personal and cognitive development can
take place simultaneously, and the educational environment and cognitive development help the
subject to evolve on a personal level.