Humanistic Approach (Carl Rogers)

1. Carl Rogers
(1902-1987)
K.THIYAGU, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod

2. Born January 8, 1902
Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
Died February 4, 1987 (aged 85)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Nationality American
Fields Psychology
Alma mater University of Wisconsin–Madison
Teachers College, Columbia University
Known for The Person-centered approach
(e.g., Client-centered therapy,Student-centered
learning,Rogerian argument)

3. ROGER’S SELF THEORY
Carl Rogers dealt with college students with
adjustment problems

4. Me
NOTHING IN THE
WORLD IS BIGGER
THAN A PEOPLE
Except a Person

5. The humanistic approach states that the self is composed
of concepts unique to ourselves. The self-concept includes
three components:
1. Self worth (or self-esteem)
2. Self-image
3. Ideal self .

6. Self worth (or self-esteem) –
• what we think about ourselves.
• Rogers believed feelings of self-worth
developed in early childhood and were
formed from the interaction of the child with
the mother and father.

7. Self-image –
• How we see ourselves, which is important to
good psychological health.
• Self-image includes the influence of our body
image on inner personality.
• At a simple level, we might perceive ourselves as a
good or bad person, beautiful or ugly.
• Self-image has an effect on how a person thinks,
feels and behaves in the world.

8. Ideal self –
• This is the person who we would like to be.
• It consists of our goals and ambitions in life, and
is dynamic – i.e. forever changing.
• The ideal self in childhood is not the ideal self in
our teens or late twenties etc.

9. Humanistic Perspectives
 Carl Rogers: Person Centered Therapy
Viewed personality structure in terms of
“self-concept” or the beliefs about ones
own behavior, nature, and qualities
Incongruence is the degree of difference
b/w self-concept and actual experience (if it
is accurate, it is congruent)

10. An important tool in human
self-actualization is the
development of an image of
oneself, or the self-concept.

11. Rogers: Self Theory
Self or self-concept
refers to how we see our describe
ourselves
positive negative
tend to act, feel, tend to act, feel &
think optimistically & think pessimistically
Constructively & destructively

12. Rogers: Self Theory cont.
 Two kinds of selves: (2 important components of the
self concept are the real self and the ideal self)
Ideal Self Real Self
based in our hopes & based on actual
wishes; how we would like experiences;
to see ourselves how we really
see ourselves

16. Rogers’s view of personality structure

17. Ideal SelfReal Self
Incongruence

18. Real Self Ideal Self
Moving Towards Congruence

19. Carl Rogers’s
Person-Centered Perspective
People are basically GOOD.
Need Water, Sun and Nutrients to Grow into a big Oak Tree.
We need genuineness, acceptance and empathy for us to grow.

20. Rogers agreed that people have natural tendencies to grow,
become healthy, move toward self-actualization
Acceptance /
Unconditional Positive Regard:
Acknowledging feelings, even problems,
without passing judgment;
honoring, not devaluing.
Rogers’ Person-Centered Perspective
Genuineness:
Being honest, direct, not using a façade.
Empathy:
tuning into the feelings of others, showing
your efforts to understand, listening well
(NOT sympathy: people need to be heard,
not to be pitied)
The 3 conditions
that facilitate
growth
(just as water,
nutrients, and light
facilitate the growth
of a tree):

21. Genuineness
•Being open with your own feelings.
•Dropping your facade.
•Being transparent and self-disclosing.

22. Acceptance /
Unconditional Positive Regard:
An attitude of acceptance
regardless of circumstances.
Accepting yourself or others
completely.

23. Rogers: Self Theory cont.:
 Conditional positive
regard: positive
regard we receive if
we behave in certain
acceptable ways
 Unconditional
positive regard:
warmth, acceptance
& love that others
show you regardless
of your behavior
 Positive regard: love, sympathy, warmth,
acceptance, and respect, which we crave from
family, friends, and people important to us

24. Vijay was thinking about becoming a math teacher, a computer or
an elementary school teacher. While Vijay’s parents had told him
that what he wanted to become was up to his and that they would
love him no matter.
UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD

25. Ravi knew that he was going to be a doctor. Ravi’s parents had made
it very clear to him as a small child that they expected him to become
a doctor. He as under the very strong impression that if he tried to
choose any other career, he would lose his parents’ love and respect.
CONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD

26. Empathy
 Listening, sharing,
understanding and
mirroring feelings and
reflecting their meanings.

27. Evaluating
Humanistic Perspectives
Contributions
 self-perception is key to personality
 consider the positive aspects of human nature
 emphasize conscious experience
Criticisms
 too optimistic about human nature
 promotes self-love and narcissism

28.  Some say Rogers did not appreciate
the human capacity for evil.
 Rogers saw “evil” as a social
phenomenon, not an individual
trait:
 “When I look at the world I’m
pessimistic, but when I look at
people I am optimistic.” –Rogers
Critiquing the Humanist Perspective
What about evil?
Humanist response: Self-
acceptance is not the end; it
then allows us to move on
from defending our own
needs to loving and caring
for others.

29.  For Roger, a person who is in the process of self-
actualizing, actively exploring potentials and
abilities and experiencing a match between real
and ideal shelves, is a fully functioning person.
 Fully functioning people are in touch with their
own feelings and abilities and are able to trust
their innermost urges and intuitions. To become
fully functioning, a person needs unconditional
positive regard.

30. Thank You
Jai Bharat!