Person-Centered Approach

Theory Overview
Congruence (realness, genuineness, transparency, authenticity,
openness)
Acceptance (respect, unconditional positive regard)
Empathic understanding (a deep understanding for the feelings
and meanings of the other)
(Motschnig-Pitrik I & Santos, 2006)

History:
Rogers was a professor at the University of Ohio 1940 when he developed the “non-directive” method of approaching
clients. This was influenced by students he worked with from 1928-1940 in a Child Study Department in Rochester. He
used the client-center approach along with teaching it for years getting data on how it can influence the therapeutic
relationship by fostering growth in the individual.

Around 1963 he worked at the Western Behavioral

Science Institute where he then applied the person-
center approach to multiple facets of applying it to
education, business, leadership, cross-cultural communications, and group work.
He traveled the world refining the person-centered process and learning of how
impactful this approach is across all cultures as he influenced leadership figures in
other countries. By using person-centered approach to all relationships,
communication is enhanced with multicultural populations as demonstrated by
workshops and encounters Rogers led in the 1980s all over the world.

He adapted person-centered to fit an educational setting by renaming it “student-

centered” causing the teachers to become facilitators instead of instructors.

https://www.adpca.org/content/history-0

Implications
Students have greater results in self-growth with higher self-confidence, creativity,
respect towards self and others, openness to their experience in an environment where
the facilitators hold to the 3 core conditions.
(Motschnig-Pitrik & Santos, 2006)

According to a study conducted by Cornelius-White (2005), by using the person-

centered approach with his classroom, students were able to enhance their knowledge
on multicultural competence through self-initiated communication in the classroom of diverse students working in groups,
or self-initiated projects of reading about multicultural concerns when the A student in this particular study reported “A striking
topic was one of many presented by the facilitator they could choose from. issue in the way this class influences my perceptions of
culture is the non-traditional manner in which the class
is conducted…. It is in itself an affirmation of what is
being taught…. It makes me not just learn, but live the
class” (Cornelius-White, 2005).
  Fallacies in person-centered approach
 1. Human’s willingness to disclose (Rogers focused more on self-knowledge rather than self-
disclosure)
 2. The assumption that self-disclosure is reciprocal
 By reciprocating self-disclosure, intimacy is grown, but withholding disclosure could
cause a rupture in the relationship over time.
 3. The assumption of the desire for a supportive as opposed to defensive climate
 “Defensive characteristics include evaluation, control, strategy, neutrality, superiority,
and certainty.”
 (Hickson III & Couvillion, 1991)
 Challenging & Time concerns

References
 Motschnig-Pitrik I & Santos (2006). The Person Centered Approach to Teaching and Learning as
Exemplified in a Course in Organizational Development.
https://www.zfhe.at/index.php/zfhe/article/view/117/164
 Motschnig-Pitrik, Renate, & Mallich, Katharina. (2004). Effects of Person-Centered Attitudes on
Professional and Social Competence in a Blended Learning Paradigm. Educational Technology &
Society, 7(4), 176-192.
 CORNELIUS-WHITE, J. H. D. (2005). Teaching Person-Centered Multicultural Counseling:
Collaborative Endeavors to Transcend Resistance and Increase Awareness. Journal of Humanistic
Counseling, Education & Development, 44(2), 225–239. https://doi-
org.proxy.lib.utk.edu/10.1002/j.2164-490X.2005.tb00033.x
 Hickson III, M., & Couvillion, M. B. (1991). Three Fallacies in the Teaching of Person-Centered
Interpersonal Communication. Florida Communication Journal, 19(2), 9–14. Retrieved from
http://proxy.lib.utk.edu:90/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=
34970276&scope=site
 History: https://www.adpca.org/content/history-0
Additional Resources
 https://youtu.be/mmgOxMsBaJI