The Humanistic Approach Carl Rogers The Humanistic Approach

Biography Carl grew up on a farm in Illinois, developing an interest in biology & agriculture. Expressing emotions was not allowed in the Rogers household & it took its toll on Carl who developed an ulcer at 15. Rogers went to the University of Wisconsin to study agriculture in 1919. He changed careers becoming interested in religious studies. He finished his degree and left for Union Theological Seminary in NY to become a minister.

Biography Rogers view of humanistic psychology was at odds with Freudian theory & behaviorism. He gained recognition when he won the APA award for distinguished scientific contribution in 1956. In 1963, he moved to LaJolla, California. Developed the Center for Studies of the Person. He continued his scientific efforts, writing, holding workshops, etc. until he died in 1987.

Carl Rogers: Person-Centered Approach Rogers believed that humans are basically good. He argued that we have an innate drive to reach an optimal sense of ourselves & satisfaction with our lives. He felt that the process by which we do this, not the end result is what matters. A person who does this is what he calls a “Fully Functioning Person.”

Basic Premise Humans are motivated through an innate potential to actualize, maintain and enhance the self Sees people as basically good

Experiential World Phenomenology The reality of our environment depends on our perception of it Subjective perception of reality

Personality No aspect is predetermined Actualizing tendency: Innate, but more influenced by social factors than biological Accounts for childhood, but later experiences are more important Optimistic, positive view of change as possible at any point over the lifespan

Emergence of Self-Concept Self-concept: How I see myself As infants grow, they develop the need for positive regard Positive regard: Acceptance, love and approval from others Child does not receive positive regard: fails to develop actualizing tendency fully

If we don’t do what our parents want us to do? Rogers argued that in these cases, parents withhold their love from us. As a result of this, children learn to abandon their true feelings, wishes, & desires, for those of their parents. This paves the way for us to become alienated from our true selves.

Unconditional Positive Regard Approval granted regardless of behavior Conditions of worth Conditional positive regard Positive self-regard Eventually grant positive regard to ourselves

Conditions of Worth & Unconditional Positive Regard Rogers argues that most of us grow up in an atmosphere where we are given love & support as long as we behave the way we are expected to. This is what he calls Conditional positive regard. The emphasis is that love is given conditionally (with a string attached).

Unconditional positive regard We need this to accept all parts of our personality. With this we know we are loved & valued for being who we are. Parents can do this, by making it clear that their love is not contingent on the child’s behavior (even when such behavior is abhored).

Incongruence Discrepancy between self-concept and aspects of experience Experiences inconsistent with how we see ourselves cause anxiety Psychological adjustment/emotional health

Basic Human Problem: The two needs are often in conflict Basic Human Problem: The two needs are often in conflict. Satisfying one may mean giving up the other. Effect on Personality: We get a false picture of who we are—our interests, motivations, goals, abilities. Our Two Selves Real Self (“Organism”): all our experiences (feelings, wishes, perceptions) Self-Concept: the person we think we are (e.g., “I am...”)

Defenses Rogers identifies only two defenses: 1. Denial – keeping a memory or impulse out of awareness – similar to Freud’s idea of repression 2. Perceptual Distortion – reinterpreting the situation so that it appears to be less threatening – covers many Freudian defense mechanisms

Person-Centered Therapy Represents a shift from medical model to growth model Strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship

3 Conditions in Person-Centered Therapy Conditions are necessary and sufficient for change Empathy Congruence/Genuineness Unconditional Positive Regard

Person-Centered Therapy: The Goal is Congruence Incongruence has many harmful effects. One is that it prevents self-actualization. You have to know who you are to fulfill your potential. The therapist tries to bring the self-concept closer to the real self: Self-Concept Real Self Congruence

Characteristics of Fully Functioning Persons (Self-Actualizing) Awareness of all experiences Live fully in the moment Trust own behavior and experience Sense of freedom in decision making Creative, flexible to change Recognition that difficulties will inevitably arise

Research in Rogers’ Theory Q-Sort Technique Client sorts large number of statements about self-concept into categories Goal: Reduce the discrepancy between the ideal and actual self Incongruence between perceived self and ideal self indicates poor emotional adjustment Failures to realize actualizing tendency can lead to maladjustment

Criticisms of Rogers’ Theory Ignores aspects of personality that client may be unaware of, but that still influence client’s behavior Ambiguous concepts: Self-actualizing tendency

Contributions of Rogers Research in psychotherapy Growth model Emphasis on developing self-concept in personality Conditions necessary for therapy accepted and used in many other schools of therapy