CHAPTER 11: CARL ROGERS PERSON-CENTERED THEORY

Formative Tendency

all matter, both organic and

inorganic to evolve from simpler to more complex

forms.

Actualizing Tendency

- tendency only applicable to humans because people are motivated by innate tendency to actualize, maintain and enhance the self.

- Refers to the organismic experiences of the individual.

- The need for maintenance: similar to the lower steps on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It includes such basic needs as food, air, and safety; but it also includes the tendency to resist change and to seek the status quo.

- Enhancement/need for enhancing the self: need to become more, to develop, and to achieve growth

Self-Concept

all those aspects of one’s being and one’s experiences that are perceived in awareness (though not always accurately) by the individual.

Conditions of Worth

BARRIERS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH:

experiences and behaviors are perceived as acceptable only if they meet with approval from others.

- External evaluations: Our perceptions of other people’s view of us

Incongruence

BARRIERS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH:

a discrepancy between a person’s self-concept and aspects of his/her experience.

- Vulnerability: when they are unaware of the discrepancy between their organismic self and their significant experience

- Anxiety: a state of uneasiness or tension whose cause is unknown

- Threat - they signal to us that our organismic experience is inconsistent with our self concept.

Defensiveness

BARRIERS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH:

- the protection of the self- concept against anxiety and threat by the denial or distortion of experiences inconsistent with it. There are two chief defenses:

- Distortion: we misinterpret an experience in order to fit it into some aspect of our self-concept.

- Denial - we refuse to perceive an experience in awareness, or at least we keep some aspect of it from reaching symbolization.

Disorganization

BARRIERS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH:

Behavior is still consistent with the self-concept but the self concept has been broken and thus the behavior appears bizarre and confusing.

Distortion

we misinterpret an experience in order to fit it into some aspect of our self-concept.

Denial

we refuse to perceive an experience in awareness, or at least we keep some aspect of it from reaching symbolization.

Congruence

CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPY:

- exists when a person’s organismic experiences are matched by an awareness of them and by an ability and willingness to openly express these feelings.

this involve:

- Feelings

- Awareness

- Expression

Unconditional Positive Regard

CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPY:

experiencing a warm and positive attitude towards what is the client. A therapist with unconditional positive regard toward a client will show a non possessive warmth and acceptance, not an effusive, effervescent persona.

Empathy

CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPY:

- temporarily living in the other’s life, moving about in it delicately without making judgements.

CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPY:

congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathy