PSYC 181 - Rogerian Theory PDF

Week of October 21 - Rogerian Theory 2-2-1 Rogers' theory of personality Basic Principles Begins with phenomenal field ○ World as it exists to person ○ You are at the center ○ Portion of field only aware of at a time depending on needs Consciousness...

Week of October 21 - Rogerian Theory 2-2-1 Rogers' theory of personality Basic Principles Begins with phenomenal field ○ World as it exists to person ○ You are at the center ○ Portion of field only aware of at a time depending on needs Consciousness ○ Differentiated and adequately symbolized ○ Bring pressing needs to forefront Reality is subjective ○ Our view of the world determines our behavior ○ External world affects us only when aspects are in the phenomenal field Internal frame of reference ○ See the world as other individual does All behavior is telic ○ Aim, purpose ○ Aim toward goals and values, satisfaction of current needs Present-centered focus ○ Needs in the present determine behavior, not past Actualization Tendency Only one motive ○ Movement toward actualization - fulfilling potential ○ One unifying need for all people Actualization need (Goldstein, 1963) ○ Unified, coherent goal ○ Coherent, consistent sense of self ○ All other needs fall under this Maintenance and Enhancement  ○ Maintain integrity, psych and physical, and growing ○ Fulfilled by satisfying specific needs Hungry - eat, Tired - sleep Connection - seek out belonging Life itself ○ This^^ characterizes life itself Organismic valuing process ○ Built in mechanism for actualization ○ Set values to behaviors that maintain and enhance We know what actions are good for us ○ Work automatically, spontaneously, effectively Emotion ○ Direct us to actions most fulfilling ○ Guide us to self actualization, they are road maps, guideposts ○ Two components Valence Positive versus negative quality of emotion Pleasant or unpleasant Intensity Strength of the emotion Rogers’ Central Question ○ How do adults get so uniquely messed up in their organismic valuing process? ○ Infants don’t have this problem ○ Emotional signals get mixed - process gets confused Adults not in touch with emotions Hard time knowing what’s important for actualization Basis of all neurosis 2-2-2 Rogers and the self The Self Unique to humans Structure within organism, in body, but different from organism A differentiated portion of the phenomenal field ○ Experience that is adequately symbolized ○ Gradient of autonomy We have control over - immediate personal control Arm falls asleep - not part of self ○ Values consistent with actualization Consistent values with our beliefs Self does not equal the organism ○ Some material is internalized, some not ○ Parts that are not are not part of self ○ Interjected psychological material is not part of self Other people’s beliefs ○ Volition, self endorsed material Self Structure Love as basic ○ Natural, basic desire and motive Need for positive regard ○ We want to be positively regarded by others ○ Can't be actualized if not Unconditional positive regard ○ Always loved by another - regardless of whatever Conditional positive regard ○ Loved, but under circumstances ○ Regard you IF thoughts, feelings, behaviors, align with what I want for you ○ Insidious parenting technique  Distortion ○ People distort feelings to be loveable Introjection ○ Introject caregivers values as ours ○ Adopt parent’s thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behaviors, to be loved Intrapersonal Incongruence Root of all maladjustment Caused by conditional positive regard from parents Maladjustment as incongruence ○ Occurs when actualization of organism is different from self Organism wants, vs needs ○ Congruence - ideal for health, no disconnect Full of passion, positive energy Maladjustment ○ Neuroses occur when self and organism try to actualize, but are inconsistent ○ Experience anxiety, physical tension, psychological disorganization ○ Disown our experience Eschew responsibility for our life The total Personality Self structure + organismic experience Overlap is Congruence Founded from unconditional positive regard Fully Functioning Person Mental health is the fully functioning person ○ Congruence Organismic valuing process is fully operative Emotions fully expressed and experienced ○ Experience psychological, physical, and social benefits  More accepting, open to others Opinions are not a threat to me 2-2-3 Person-centered psychotherapy Person Centered Psychotherapy Clarifying the phenomenal field ○ Client’s own field Therapist assumes actualization tendency in client ○ People’s defenses will fall apart naturally Climate must be “absent of threat” ○ To permit adequate symbolization Agape ○ You must love your client ○ Not eros, but agape I want you to fulfill your potentials Necessary and sufficient conditions of Psychotherapy ○ Unconditional positive regard Non judgemental, non possessive care of client All thoughts are acceptable Not all behavior though Allows client to express all feelings and experiences ○ Empathy Most important Ability to fully identify with client’s point of view See world from client’s internal frame of reference How they feel Amplify and clarify client’s meaning without our own biases Accurate Empathy ○ Genuineness Therapist congruence  Real and true to self as person (the therapist) No facade Therapeutic Technique Rogerian technique has two main ingredients ○ Reflective listening Serves goal of empathy Helps client get clear of thoughts and feelings Two components Mirroring ○ Reflects back to client what therapist heard ○ Content Sticks with what person says, the content ○ Affect Reflect feeling of client Amplifying ○ Bumps up the feeling ○ Trust in Client Must trust client’s actualization tendency Believe tend towards actualization in the context No wrong moves the client can make They know what they need intuitively ○ Reflection vs Interpretation Reflection - therapist attempts to stick with intended meaning of client Interpretation not needed ○ Validation of experience Understanding of feelings ○ Accepting and prizing experience vs behavior All experiences, thoughts, feelings are acceptable and to be prized But not all behaviors Harmful to self, others, or destruction of property  ○ Why is this approach so difficult? Hard to stay with another person’s experience without distorting it We often dismiss people’s feelings ○ Client outcomes Positive outcomes Client approaches life with self integrated goals and values Aware of threats in environment More aware of own needs Seeks to maintain and enhance the self 2-2-4 Play therapy The emotional language of children - they don’t have the verbal skills for therapy Expression of children’s phenomenal field Must fully accept all feelings of unconditional positive regard Major contributors ○ Virginia Axline, Hiam Ginott, Clark Moustakas Play and Symbolization Two types of kids in therapy ○ Internalizers Neuroses from repression - unwanted thoughts, feelings, memories that get buried Repressions cause neuroses Aim is to elicit the child’s feelings Create permissive environment for child to play and give full expression ○ Externalizers Cause problems in the world Hard to control their impulses Must separate feelings from behaviors  Limit Setting ○ Limits are genuine, not arbitrary (on the externalizers) Hear the rationale for why the limit is in place Child can internalize the limit ○ Facilitate expressing unpleasant emotions in a healthy way 2-2-5 Student-centered education Conventional learning/education ○ Largest impediment to person’s education ○ Learning irrelevant things and being tested on them ○ Student has no control on what is learned - passive learning Student-centered (significant) learning ○ Students want to learn - self initiated ○ They follow their own questions and interests ○ Relevant to student, engaged with enthusiasm, not easily forgotten ○ Personal involvement Locus of evaluation ○ External is teachers decide what needs to be learned and evaluating ○ Internal - teachers discover needs of students and empathic to those needs Promote confidence, self esteem, intrinsic motivation for learning Components of significant learning environment ○ Genuine Teachers don't hide behind facade ○ Accessible Teachers hear needs, interests, etc of students ○ Prize and cherish teachers ideas and opinions ○ Trust that students want to learn That they have intrinsic motivation ○ Must empathize Students are human - they have ups and downs  Experience and perspective of students - especially those struggling 2-2-6 Authentic relationships Relational Incongruence ○ Unhealthy relationships ○ Intrapersonal Between awareness and experience Not letting self be aware of your experience ○ Interpersonal Experience and communication What You experience and what you present to others You may be aware, but you don’t present yourself truthfully Law of interpersonal relationships ○ Unclear speech occurs when what one person says doesn’t match another person’s experience ○ If my communication is unclear, best others can do is return that ○ Unhealthy, but viewed as normative - not to express how you truly feel ○ Not genuine Transparency ○ Healthy ○ Put yourself out there, willing to be seen truthfully Existential risk ○ Honesty, but risky ○ Promotes deeper relationships