Carl Rogers Humanistic Psychology

I. 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  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 contd.  He changed his mind for 2 reasons:  --Intense study in religion made him question his own beliefs  --He took a psychology course at Columbia University.  Rogers left the seminary to study psychology at Columbia.  He held faculty positions at Ohio State, the U of Chicago, & U of Wisconsin.

Biography contd.  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 In 1963, he moved to LaJolla, California to found the Center for Studies of the Person. He continued his scientific efforts, writing, holding workshops, etc. until he died in 1987.

II. Humanistic Psychology  personality depends on what people believe & how they perceive the world. Your interpretations of the events in your life influence how your personality develops. People make deliberate conscious decisions about what to do with their lives.

Where did humanistic psychology come from? Two principle sources: 1. Existential philosophy- addresses many questions regarding the meaning of our existence, the role of free will, & the uniqueness of the human being. 2. Rogers & Maslow –started writing about their personal transitions from traditional psychology approaches to a humanistic perspective.

Key Elements of the Humanistic approach  1. Emphasis on personal responsibility  Argues we are ultimately responsible for our actions. Our behaviors represent personal choices. Humans are active participants in their lives. (e.g., when we knew we have complete a task, we often say, “I have to do this.”)

2. The Here and Now  We should fully experience life in the present, rather than focusing on the future or ruminating over the past.  To become fully functional, we need to live our lives as they unfold, not as we hope they will.  Motto: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

3. The Phenomenology of the Individual  Argues that no one knows you better than you do.  Therefore, a therapist needs to “listen” carefully to clients to see where they are “coming from.”  Problem: This view suggests that people are capable of understanding their own problems. If this is true, why would these people seek therapy in the first place!!!  What about people who are incapable of understanding their own problems???

4. Personal Growth  There is more to life than having all your immediate needs met.  This view argues that we need to growth, develop, & progress toward some satisfying state of being.  We strive to become a “fully-functioning” individual. This has also been called, “self actualization.”

On average, Humanistic Psychologists:  1. Do NOT conduct scientific research  2. Study unique individuals 3. Study growth experiences-when you’ve learned something significant. 4. Study peak experiences which are moments in which a person feels truly fulfilled, content, & at peace.

III. 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.”

A. What are the characteristics of a Fully Functioning Person?  1. These people are open to their experiences. They strive to experience life to its fullest & are willing to take some risks.  2. These people live in the present (here & now).  3. These folks trust their own feelings & instincts. They aren’t held back by old standards or concern for what others might think.  4. These folks are less concern with social conventions.

If we all have the potential to become fully functioning, why is there so much unhappiness in the world?  Rogers argued we often respond to anxiety with various defenses.  The defenses do succeed in reducing our anxiety, but in the process we lose touch with who we are & our ability experience life’s richness.

When does anxiety result?  When we come into contact with information that is inconsistent with the way we conceive of ourselves. You may believe you are a good student, tennis player, daughter/son, & nice person. Receiving information that conflicts with your self- concept, is threatening & creates anxiety. (“Hey, not everybody likes me. What’s wrong with them!!!”)

What happens when people receive information inconsistent with their self- concepts?  Rogers argued we receive this contradictory information below consciousness. He called this subception.  Information that is not threatening enters consciousness.  The most common defense for anxiety is distortion, a process by which you convince yourself that the person was either in a bad mood or is just a rude person.

What does distortion do?  It does not contradict your self-concept & reduces the anxiety.  Most extreme cases call for denial.  While distortion & denial reduce the anxiety, they stop you from reaching your full potential & experiencing life to its fullest.

B. 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).

What happens 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  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 it clear that their love is not contingent on the child’s behavior (even when such behavior is abhored).

Are parents & family the only source of Unconditional Positive Regard?  No other sources may come from close friends, coworkers, & therapists.

C. Person-Centered Therapy  Rogers argued that a therapist cannot possibly understand a client better than the client can.  The clients are responsible for changing themselves, not the therapist.  The goal of the therapy is to provide an atmosphere in which the client can help themselves.

How is successful therapy accomplished?  1. Therapists must create the proper relationship with their clients.  --be open & genuine with clients  --therapists must be themselves  2. Therapists must have unconditional positive regard for clients.  3. Help clients understand themselves through reflection. This requires that the therapist tell the client what they “hear” the client saying.