<P> One of humanistic psychology's early sources was the work of Carl Rogers, who was strongly influenced by Otto Rank, who broke with Freud in the mid-1920s. Rogers' focus was to ensure that the developmental processes led to healthier, if not more creative, personality functioning . The term' actualizing tendency' was also coined by Rogers, and was a concept that eventually led Abraham Maslow to study self - actualization as one of the needs of humans . Rogers and Maslow introduced this positive, humanistic psychology in response to what they viewed as the overly pessimistic view of psychoanalysis . </P> <P> The other sources of inspiration include the philosophies of existentialism and phenomenology . </P> <P> The humanistic approach has its roots in phenomenological and existentialist thought (see Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Merleau - Ponty and Sartre). Eastern philosophy and psychology also play a central role in humanistic psychology, as well as Judeo - Christian philosophies of personalism, as each shares similar concerns about the nature of human existence and consciousness . </P> <P> For further information on influential figures in personalism, see: Emmanuel Mounier, Gabriel Marcel, Denis de Rougemont, Jacques Maritain, Martin Buber, Emmanuel Levinas, Max Scheler and Karol Wojtyla </P>

One of the humanistic personality theory is most important concepts is