Final answer:
The approach believing in the natural progression towards personal growth, self-acceptance, and self-actualization is the Humanistic Approach, pioneered by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, who emphasized free will and self-determination.
Step-by-step explanation:
The psychological approach that posits people naturally move in the direction of personal growth, self-acceptance, and self-actualization is the Humanistic Approach. Noteworthy figures in humanistic psychology, such as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, focused on the growth potential of individuals, suggesting that everyone has an innate desire to achieve their highest potential and become the best they can be.
Maslow's renowned 'hierarchy of needs' culminated in self-actualization, representing the achievement of our fullest potential. Rogers contributed by emphasizing the importance of a person-centered approach and provided frameworks for understanding how an individual can achieve their personal best through self-acceptance and personal growth.
Both theorists emphasized free will and self-determination, challenging deterministic perspectives such as the Psychodynamic Approach of Freud and the Behaviorist Approach which focused solely on observable behaviors.