L3 - Personality theories: Humanistic Flashcards
What do humanistic theories of personality incorporate?
existential philosophy, which follows the belief that we are responsible for creating our own purpose and meaning in life.
What are humanistic theories characterised by?
- an emphasis on personal growth
- positive conceptualisation of human nature
- focused on the present rather than the past
- highlights personal responsibility in individuals’ choice
- emphasises the individuals and that their experiences are unique
Who was Carl Rogers, what did he develop and what did his research focus on?
famous humanistic psychologist
developed the theory of personality
focused on client-centred therapy and the therapeutic relationship
How did Rogers view the role of the therapists?
emphasised that they act as a facilitator for the client to improve their personal growth and reach self actualisation.
He believed that in order for this to be effective, therapists need to show unconditional positive regard, genuineness and empathy
What are the core features of Rogers’ theory?
1) each person has their own subjective view of reality
2) the way we perceive a situation depends on various factors e.g., mood, personality, beliefs, past experiences
3) in order to understand the individual we have to understand how they see the world
How does Rogers’ theory differ from the logico-empirical approach?
Rogers’ theory values all perceptions as valid and true for the individual, focusing on personal experience.
The logico-empirical approach, however, evaluates perceptions as either correct or incorrect based on objective evidence and measurable facts.
What is self-actualisation?
The primary motivator for humans.
It’s the process of realising and fulfilling your full potential in order to become the best version of yourself.
What did Rogers believe about self-actualisation and how did it differ from Maslow’s idea?
Rogers believed that issues with mental health stemmed from a block to our actualising potential,
whilst Maslow believed that it was due to specific needs not being met (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) for example, love and belonging.
Explain Rogers’ theory of self-concept and the two key featured within it.
The idea that individuals have a perception of themselves which influences their behaviour and experiences.
The 2 key features are:
Self-concept–> our perception of who we are
Real self –> who we actually are
Rogers believed that mental well-being depends on how similar the perception is to who we actually are
What does congruence and incongruence mean in terms of self-concept?
Incongruence –> when there’s a gap between the real self and the self-concept, resulting in deterioration in mental health
Congruence –> when the real self aligns with the self-concept
What is unconditional positive regard and how does it link to self-concept?
Accepting and valuing a person for who they are and this is essential for things like self worth
This helps a person develop a healthy self-concept as the individual feels loved and accepted as they are which encourages self-acceptance, resulting in congruence
What are conditions of worth and how do they link to self-concept?
expectations or standards places on a person (often by others) in order to gain unconditional positive regard.
These conditions can negatively affect a person’s self-concept as it may cause them to behave in ways to meet other people’s expectations rather than their own.
This can create incongruence
What was Rogers’ overall goal from therapy?
a fully functioning person
What were Rogers’ 6 core conditions of therapy?
1) Client and therapist must be in psychological contact
2) Client is in a state on incongruence
3) Therapist is congruent in the relationship
4) Therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client
5) Therapist experiences an empathetic understanding of the client
6) Client perceives the therapists unconditional positive regard and empathy for them
What are the 7 stages of the therapeutic relationship
1) the client’s talk is about other people mostly, not themselves
2) although the client begins to talk about feelings, they don’t refer these feelings to themselves
3) client begins to talk about themselves, usually things they’ve done in the past
4) client begins to express their feelings in a less confident manner about the present, but is fairly descriptive
5) client begins to live their feelings in the counselling session
6) client fully accepts their feelings and explore them freely
7) final stage where the client accepts their feelings and more open to the feelings of others.
