CARL ROGERS

• Person-Centered Theory


  Theory developed by Carl Rogers
• Carl Rogers - 1902-1987
• Carl Rogers' family background

  • Valued hard work, fundamentalist Christianity, following strict rules of behavior
  • Moved to farm to prevent children having close contact with others in city, suburbs
• Carl Rogers' education and early adulthood

  • Enrolled in ag program at UW, spent 6 months in China with YMCA program
  • Grew more tolerant of different customs in China
  • B.A. History 1924, only one psych class
  • Married Helen, a commercial artist, over objections of parents who recommended waiting until postgrad studies were finished
  • Moved to NYC for grad school - entered Union Theological Seminary
  • Took courses at Teachers College, Columbia; decided on grad work in psychology
• Actualizing Tendency


  The urge to expand, extend, develop, mature, to express and activate all the capacities of the organism
• Actualizing Tendency

  • We do not behave irrationally, as psychoanalysis assumed--we move with ordered complexity toward our goals
  • This tendency leads to complexity, independence, and social responsibility
  • The motivation intrinsic to each person is basically good and healthy
• Self-actualizing person

  • In touch with the inner experience that is inherently growth producing
  • Has a subconscious guide that evaluates experience for its growth potential
  • Draws people toward experiences that are growth producing and away from those that would inhibit growth
• Real self


  A person's true or real qualities, including the actualizing tendency
• Ideal self

  The experience of conflict between the real self and the ideal self
• Incongruence


  When a person experiences the real self as threatening
• Conditional Positive Regard

  Adults tell children to "be good" - e.g., be good, be respectful, be hard-working, etc. - "bad" behavior is punished or ignored
• Unconditional positive regard


  Giving the child loving acceptance regardless of behavior
• Person-Centered Therapy


  • Helps a person reconnect with their organismic valuing process
  • Direction comes from the client rather than from the therapist's insights
• Characteristics of successful therapy and relationships

  • Unconditional positive regard
  • Congruence
  • Empathic understanding
• Characteristics of successful marriages

  • Mutual trust, tolerance of separate interests, focus on shared uniqueness of each partner rather than roles
  • Greater mutuality, equality, honest communication
• Research shows high school and college students have higher self-esteem if romantic partners and friends possess characteristics of unconditional acceptance, empathy, and congruence
• People actively seek higher development
• A healthy person is a fully functioning person