What key aspect does humanistic psychology focus on?

Humanistic psychology primarily emphasizes understanding personal growth and the human experience. This approach centers on the belief that individuals have an inherent drive toward self-actualization and realizing their full potential. Humanistic psychologists, such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, focus on concepts like self-awareness, personal responsibility, and the importance of feelings and subjective experiences.

This perspective contrasts sharply with other psychological schools of thought that may prioritize unconscious processes, social influences, or cognitive functions. For instance, psychoanalytic theories delve into the unconscious mind and its impact on behavior, while cognitive psychology is concerned with mental processes such as thinking, memory, and problem-solving. Additionally, social psychology examines how external pressures affect behavior, which is not the central focus of humanistic psychology. Thus, the emphasis on personal growth and the holistic understanding of human experience distinctly identifies humanistic psychology from these other areas.