Which of the following is a criticism of the humanistic perspectives on personality?

• A. They lack scientific rigor and are difficult to test empirically.
• B. They overemphasize the influence of unconscious motives.
• C. They ignore the role of environmental reinforcement in shaping personality.
• D. They focus too much on biological determinants of behavior.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the humanistic perspective on personality, which emphasizes individual experience, personal growth, and self-actualization rather than unconscious motives or biological factors.
2. Review common criticisms of the humanistic approach, focusing on its methodological aspects rather than content, such as how it is studied and tested.
3. Recognize that one major criticism is that humanistic theories often lack scientific rigor because their concepts are abstract and subjective, making them difficult to measure or test empirically.
4. Compare this criticism with other options: unconscious motives relate more to psychoanalytic theory, environmental reinforcement is a focus of behaviorism, and biological determinants are emphasized in biological or trait theories.
5. Conclude that the criticism about lacking scientific rigor and empirical testability best fits the humanistic perspective, as it highlights the challenge of applying strict scientific methods to its concepts.