Roger's Theory

Question 1

Explain Roger’s Two Broad Assumptions

Formative Tendency

Answer 1

• Rogers proposed the concept of the “Formative Tendency,” a universal principle of evolution from simplicity to complexity.
• According to this principle, all matter, both organic and inorganic, has a natural inclination to evolve from simpler to more complex forms.
• Examples include the formation of galaxies, the crystallization of snowflakes, the development of complex organisms from single cells, and the evolution of human consciousness from primitive unconsciousness to organized awareness.
• The Formative Tendency suggests a creative process operating in the universe, leading to the emergence of increasingly intricate and organized structures over time.

Question 2

Explain Roger’s Two Broad Assumptions

Actualizing Tendency

Answer 2

• The actualizing tendency is a fundamental motivating force present in all living beings.
• It drives individuals towards fulfilling their potential and realizing their inherent capacities.
• It involves a holistic movement towards completion or fulfillment, addressing all aspects of an individual’s being.
• It covers both the maintenance and enhancement of the organism.
• Maintenance needs correspond to basic survival requirements such as food, air, and safety, as well as the resistance to change and the desire to maintain the status quo.
• Enhancement needs involve the desire for growth, learning, and development, expressed through curiosity, playfulness, self-exploration, and confidence in achieving psychological growth.
• Individuals have an innate creative capacity to solve problems and shape their self-concepts.
• Only humans possess the concept of self and the potential for self-actualization.
• Fulfilling the potential for growth, facilitates supportive relationships that are characterized by congruence empathy and acceptance.

Question 3

Self-Actualization

Answer 3

• Self-actualisation requires an understanding of the self.
• He suggests that infants develop a sense of self through personal experiences, distinguishing between positive and negative sensations.
• Self-actualization is a subset of the actualization tendency and is therefore not synonymous with it.
• As individuals grow, they strive for self-actualization, aligning their perceived self with their actual experiences.
• However, conflicts arise when their experiences and self-perception are incongruent, leading to inner tension. Rogers identifies two self subsystems: the self-concept and the ideal self.

Question 4

Explain Roger’s concepts

Organismic Self

Answer 4

• Portions of the organismic self may be beyond a person’s awareness or simply not owned by that person.
• For example, the stomach is part of the organismic self, but unless it malfunctions and causes concern, it is not likely to be part of one’s self-concept.

Question 5

Explain Roger’s concepts

Self Concept

Answer 5

• Aspects of one’s being and experiences that are perceived in awareness (though not always accurately) by the individual.
• The self-concept is not identical to the organismic self.

Question 6

Explain Roger’s concepts

Ideal Self

Answer 6

• One’s view of self as one wishes to be.
• The ideal self contains all those attributes, usually positive, that people aspire to possess.
• Psychologically healthy individuals perceive little discrepancy between their self-concept and what they would ideally like to be.

Question 7

Describe Roger’s 3 levels of awareness

First Level

Answer 7

• Some experiences are processed below the level of conscious awareness.
• Ignored experiences occur when individuals cannot attend to all stimuli, leading to some being disregarded.
• Denied experiences involve emotions or thoughts that are suppressed or hidden.
• For example, an ignored experience could be a person walking down a busy street, unable to notice every sight or sound.
• For example, a denied experience might involve a mother who never wanted children but hides her resentment and guilt, resulting in overly solicitous behavior toward her children.

Question 8

Describe Roger’s 3 levels of awareness

Second Level

Answer 8

• Certain experiences are accurately symbolized and freely admitted to the self-structure.
• These experiences are nonthreatening and align with the existing self-concept.
• For example, a pianist confident in his ability may readily accept praise from a friend about his playing skills.

Question 9

Describe Roger’s 3 levels of awareness

Third Level

Answer 9

• Distorted experiences occur when they clash with our self-perception.
• Individuals reshape or distort such experiences to align with their existing self-concept.
• For example, a talented pianist might misinterpret praise from a competitor they distrust as manipulation.
• This distortion serves to maintain consistency with their self-concept and protect against perceived threats to their identity.

Question 10

Critique of Roger’s Person-Centered Theory

Answer 10

• Rogerian theory has been highly productive in the realms of psychotherapy and classroom learning.
• However, its productivity outside these areas has been only moderate, particularly within the broader field of personality research.
• It receives an average rating for its ability to stimulate research activity in personality studies.
• Rogers’ theory is rated high on falsifiability due to its if-then framework, which allows for confirmation or disconfirmation through research.
• The precise language used in Rogerian theory facilitated research that tested its therapeutic principles for falsification, particularly at the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin.