1. Psychology 3051 Psychology 305A: Theories of Personality Lecture 18 1

2. 2 1. According to Rogers’ person-centered theory, what is a fully functioning person? 2. How does a person become fully functioning? 3. What therapeutic approach did Rogers develop to help people become fully functioning? 2 The Organismic Perspective

3. By the end of today’s class, you should be able to: 3. identify the conditions that are necessary to become fully functioning. 4. define the term “conditions of worth.” 3 3 1. describe Roger’s notion of the “actualizing tendency.” 2. identify the characteristics of a fully functioning person.

4. 4 6. describe the 3 conditions that are necessary for therapeutic change in client-centered therapy. 5. identify defense mechanisms that are used by individuals who are not fully functioning. 4 7. discuss Rogers’ fulfillment of the 3 conditions that are necessary for therapeutic change, as illustrated in the film “Three Approaches to Psychotherapy.”

5. 5 According to Rogers’ person-centered theory, what is a fully functioning person? Rogers believed that humans are driven by one “master motive,” the actualizing tendency. The actualizing tendency subsumes all other motives: 5

6. “There is one central source of energy in the human organism … and it is perhaps best conceptualized as a tendency toward fulfillment, toward actualization, toward the maintenance and enhancement of the organism” (Rogers, 1963). 6

7. 7 Rogers described the “fully functioning person” (FFP) as an individual who is engaged in the process of self-actualization. This individual need not be fully self- actualized. Rogers (1961) maintained that the fully functioning state is “a direction, not a destination.” 7

8. 8 How does a person become fully functioning? Rogers believed that humans have an innate need to be accepted and receive love and affection from others. He referred to this as the need for positive regard. Rogers theorized that, in order to become fully functioning, an individual must receive unconditional positive regard—acceptance, affection, or love that is given freely, without conditions. 8

9. 9 Rogers argued that an individual who receives unconditional positive regard in the formative years develops unconditional positive self-regard—an ability to view her- or himself favorably under all conditions. 9

10. 10 An individual with unconditional positive self-regard is able to accept diverse experiences, trust her or his own judgments, and act in accordance with his or her own desires and wishes. Accordingly, the individual with unconditional positive self-regard develops the attributes necessary to engage in self-actualization and be fully functioning. 10

11. 11 Rogers believed that an individual cannot become fully functioning if s/he receives conditional positive regard—acceptance, affection, or love that is given only under certain conditions. Rogers referred to conditions put forth by significant others for earning positive regard as conditions of worth. 11

12. 12 Rogers argued that an individual who experiences a multitude of conditions of worth in the formative years develops conditional positive self-regard—an inability to view her- or himself favorably under all conditions. 12

13. 13 An individual with conditional positive self-regard distorts personal experiences, disregards her or his own judgments, and acts in accordance with the desires and wishes of others. Accordingly, the individual with conditional positive self- regard develops attributes that prevent him or her from engaging in self-actualization and becoming fully functioning. 13

14. 14 What therapeutic approach did Rogers develop to help people become fully functioning? Rogers suggested that most people encounter incongruities or discrepancies between their self- concept and their experience. These incongruities produce anxiety—an “uneasiness or tension whose cause is unknown” (Rogers, 1959). 14

15. 15 The FFP reduces incongruities by incorporating new experiences into her or his self-concept. The individual who is not fully functioning reduces incongruities by employing defense mechanisms: denial and distortion. In an effort to minimize this anxiety, people try to reduce the incongruities that they experience. 15

16. 16 Rogers developed a therapeutic approach to help people who are not fully functioning: Client-centered therapy. Client-centered therapy is also referred to as “nondirective therapy” because the therapist does not interpret the patient’s problem or provide a specific course of action. Instead, the therapist creates an environment in which the patient can solve his or her own problem. 16

17. 17 Rogers maintained that a therapist must satisfy 3 conditions in order to create an environment in which a patient can solve her or his own problem: 1. Therapist congruence 2. Unconditional positive regard 3. Empathetic understanding 17

18. 18 “I have found that it does not help … to act as though I were something that I am not …. It does not help to act calm and pleasant when actually I am angry and critical. It does not help to act as though I were permissive when I am really feeling that I would like to set limits …. It does not help to act as though I were acceptant of another person when underneath that exterior I feel rejection.” With respect to therapist congruence, Rogers (1959) wrote: 18

19. 19 Empathetic understanding is communicated by restating the feelings and contents of the patient’s statements. Example: 19

20. 20 Patient: I just don’t know which classes to take next year. I wish someone could make those decisions for me. Therapist: You are looking for someone to tell you what to do. Patient: Yes, but I know that’s impossible. Nobody can decide what’s right for me if even I don’t have a clue. Therapist: You find it exasperating that you are having so much trouble deciding on a class schedule. Patient: Well, none of my friends have this much trouble making decisions. 20

21. 21 Therapist: You feel that your situation is not normal; it’s not like the experiences of your friends. Patient: Yeah, and it makes me mad. I should just be able to pick four or five courses and stick with my decision, but I can’t seem to. I know it’s silly. Therapist: You think it is a trivial thing, yet it makes you angry that you cannot seem to make the decision. Patient: Well, you know, it really is trivial, isn’t it? I know I can always change classes if they don’t work out. I guess I just need to try them out. Therapist: You see some options, that you can get out of a class if it isn’t right for you. 21

22. 22 1. According to Rogers’ person-centered theory, what is a fully functioning person? 2. How does a person become fully functioning? 3. What therapeutic approach did Rogers develop to help people become fully functioning? 22 The Organismic Perspective