1. The Phenomenology of Being
Rogerian Personality Theory

2. Phenomenological Approach
Individual perception of self & world
Person-centered
Motives key but not all tension reducing
Clinical work emphasized
Developing self-awareness

3. Carl Rogers Humans are inherently good, rational
Underlying motive is to self-actualize
Research approach was phenomenological
Unique (conscious), subjective perceptions key
idiographic
Clinical observations valuable but not sufficient
Objective experimentation & observation

4. Structure The self World viewed through the self-concept
Self-concept: Conscious, organized, consistent patterns of perceptions & meanings
Develops through interactions w/ others & the world
Changes but always organized & integrated: Me
Ideal v. actual
Measured using Q-sort, self-report scales
World viewed through the self-concept

5. Process Change emphasized Motivated to seek self-actualization (ideal)
Simple to complex
Dependence to independence
Rigidity to flexibility & freedom
Reduce tension & enhance pleasure/satisfaction
Differences come from inherent potential & strategies used to seek potential

6. Rogers and Self Actualization

7. Personal Growth (Ryff)
Recode: 1, 4, 6, 10, 13, 14
1 = 6 Low < = 61
2 = 5 High > = 73
3 = 4
4 = 3
5 = 2
6 = 1
Add up all 14 items

8. Personal Growth
High Scorer: Has a feeling of continued development; sees self as growing and expanding; is open to new experiences; has sense of realizing one's potential; sees improvement in self and behavior over time; is changing in ways that reflect more self knowledge and effectiveness.
Low Scorer: Has a sense of personal stagnation; lacks sense of improvement or expansion over time; feels bored and uninterested with life; feels unable to develop new attitudes or behaviors.

9. Self-Consistency Motivated for Incongruence produces anxiety
Consistency w/in self-concept
Congruence between self-concept & experiences (ideal & actual)
Incongruence produces anxiety
Distortion & denial

10. Self-Verification Theory (Swann)
Seek experiences that confirm self-concept
Maintain sense of control & predictability
Interpersonal interactions (spousal abuse)
Affect
Cognition (attention, memory)

11. Reaction paper 11: Self-Consistency
Do you think you seek consistencies between your self-concept and behavior or experiences? In your life have you ever behaved in ways that were harmful to you but were consistent with your self-concept?

12. Growth Positive regard Health associated w/ unconditional
Condition v. unconditional
Health associated w/ unconditional
Congruence between ideal & actual self
Move towards potential (& not conditions of worth)

13. Strengths & Limitations
Important aspects
Holistic emphasis
Subjective + objective
change
Limitations
Excludes key Vs
Few objective measures
Observational bias

14. Baumeister What is crystallization of discontent (COD)?
Have you ever experienced COD?
How are commitments made?
How is this relevant to COD and change?
Empirical evidence to support COD as causing change?
How might this work?
How might change be maintained?

15. Baumeister Do you think COD causes personality changes?
What might be most likely to change?