Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective which rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, drawing on the work of early pioneers like Carl Rogers and the philosophies of existentialism and phenomenology. As humanistic psychology and education grew in prominence, criticism rooted in Marxist social and economic analysis took shape, much of it directed at Maslow. Many criticisms of the humanistic perspective believe the judgements used by the psychologists are very subjective and allow the person judging to determine a certain person's "potential". Support and Criticism of Humanistic Psychology. Humanistic psychotherapy tells patients what most people have already been telling themselves. Among these we find Roy Wallis, who has criticized Humanistic psychology from a sociological perspective, including the movements approach to spiritual values (Rowan, 2001). Critics also believed that the individualism promoted in the humanistic perspective could cause selfishness. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (HON) is a developmental psychology theory proposed by Maslow(1943) Humanistic Science and Trancendent Experiences, By: A. H. MASLOW, Brandeis University Maslow was president of the American Psychological Association in 1967 Organizes groups of human needs into levels in a hierarchical structure, forming a pyramid. The overall point of contention for these critics is their charge that the excessive individualism of humanistic psychology and education is essentially elitist. Criticisms of Humanistic Perspective . In 1971, humanistic psychology gained its own distinct division of the American Psychological Association. Humanistic psychology (humanism) is grounded in the belief that people are innately good. Since it’s inception, humanistic psychology has drawn praise for helping place the power to control one’s own mental health in the individual’s hands. Humanistic psychology, a movement in psychology supporting the belief that humans, as individuals, are unique beings and should be recognized and treated as such by psychologists and psychiatrists. This type of psychology holds that morality, ethical values, and … Criticism of Humanistic psychology has come from several commentators. Humanistic psychology has also been criticized for lacking an integrated, clearly defined theory. The fourth principle mentions the concept of congruence which was defined by Virginia Satir as a condition of being emotionally honest during the heyday of humanistic psychology in the 1970s. Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective that rose to prominence in the mid-20th century in answer to the limitations of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory and B. F. Skinner's behaviorism.