II.

Carl Rogers
I. Humanistic theory Carl Rogers
Psychology (1902-1987)
Third force in psychology
(Cf. psychoanalysis &
behaviourism)
Focus on higher end of
human experience
eg. creativity, human potential
Phenomenological
(subjectivity)
Introspective
Values unique person
(idiographic)
Non-deterministic: advocates
free-will
The Actualising The Core of
Tendency Personality is Positive
the directional trend
which is evident in all One of the most revolutionary
organic & human lifethe concepts to grow out of our
urge to expand, extend, clinical experience is the growing
develop, maturethe recognition that the innermost
tendency to express & core of mans nature, the deepest
activate all capacities of layers of his personality, the base
the organism, or the self of his animal nature, is positive
in natureis basically socialised,
(Rogers, 1961, p. 351). forward-moving, rational and
Acorn to oaktree model realistic
Human motivation is (Rogers, 1961, p. 91).
fundamentally growth-
directed & healthy
Why Human
Problems?
Negative socialisation
Conditional positive regard:
Children accepted by parents
when good & rejected when
bad
We develop the view: I ought to
be good, I have to be good
We lose touch with our true
nature (real self & actualising
tendency)
Develop an Ideal self: Who we
feel we should be (cf. superego)
Incongruity
Conflict between real & ideal
self
I am this but I should be that
Real self evaluated as a threat
Psychopathology & defence
mechanisms
Defensive masks (False selves)
Repression/denial: denying
awareness to ourselves of who
we really are
Therapy: reconnecting with
who we really are
Defensive Living
Unsatisfying
It seems to me that at
bottom each person is
asking, Who am I, really?
How can I get in touch with
this real self, underlying all
my surface behaviour? How
can I become myself?
(Rogers, 1961, p. 108).
Unconditional
Positive Regard
Healthy/positive socialisation
Parent etc. regards the person
positively irrespective of their
behaviour
Person distinct from behaviour
Allows child/client to explore their
experience & potentials
Outcome:Fully functioning person

the therapist feels this client

to be a person of unconditional
self-worth: of value, no matter
what his condition, his
behaviour, or his feelings
(Rogers, 1961, p. 185)
Fully-Functioning (3) Organismic trusting
Person Trusting oneself; not relying on
others
(1) Openness to experience doing what feels right (Rogers,
Non-censoring/non-defensive 1961, p. 189)
attitude (4) Experiential freedom
Receptive to both Subjective freedom of choice in each
subjective/objective experience moment
(2) Existential living (5) Creativity
an increasing tendency to live fully Creative products: eg. arts, science
in each moment (Rogers, 1961, p. Creative living: living non-habitually
188)
Living in the present; not past or
future
Non-static, constant process of
becoming
a direction, not a destination (p.
186)
Evaluation of Rogers Response:
Rogers Theory I am quite aware that out of
defensiveness & inner fear individuals
It has been my can and do behave in ways which are
experience that persons incredibly cruel, horribly destructive
have a basically positive anti-social, hurtful. Yet one of the
direction (Rogers, 1961, most refreshing and invigorating parts
p. 26). of my experience is to work with such
individuals and to discover the
Nave, overly-optimistic strongly positive directional
view of human nature? tendencies which exist in them, as in
What of wars, brutality all of us, at the deepest levels
etc? (Rogers, 1961, p. 27).
Evaluation of Rogers
Theory
Unconditional positive regard
irresponsible
eg. Greater drug experimentation
in children
Client-centered Therapy:
Contributed therapeutic
techniques
eg. uncond. pos. regard
Testable therapeutic concepts
eg. measurement of self-
perception, ideal-self, and
therapeutic effectiveness