Carl Rogers

(1902-1987)
K.THIYAGU, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod
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)
 ROGER’S SELF THEORY

Carl Rogers dealt with college students with

adjustment problems
 Me
NOTHING IN THE
WORLD IS BIGGER
THAN A PEOPLE

Except a Person
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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)
An important tool in human
self-actualization is the
development of an image of
oneself, or the self-concept.
 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
 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
Rogers’s view of personality structure
 Incongruence

Real Self Ideal Self

 Moving Towards Congruence

Real Self Ideal Self

 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.

 Rogers’ Person-Centered Perspective
Rogers agreed that people have natural tendencies to grow,
become healthy, move toward self-actualization

Genuineness:
The 3 conditions
Being honest, direct, not using a façade.
that facilitate
growth
(just as water, Acceptance /
nutrients, and light Unconditional Positive Regard:
facilitate the growth Acknowledging feelings, even problems,
of a tree): without passing judgment;
honoring, not devaluing.
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)
Genuineness

•Being open with your own feelings.

•Dropping your facade.
•Being transparent and self-disclosing.
 Acceptance /
Unconditional Positive Regard:

An attitude of acceptance
regardless of circumstances.

Accepting yourself or others

completely.
 Rogers: Self Theory cont.:
 Positive regard: love, sympathy, warmth,
acceptance, and respect, which we crave from
family, friends, and people important to us

 Conditional positive  Unconditional

regard: positive
regard we receive if
we behave in certain
acceptable ways
positive regard:
warmth, acceptance
& love that others
show you regardless
of your behavior
 UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD

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.
 CONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD

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.
Empathy

 Listening, sharing,
understanding and
mirroring feelings and
reflecting their meanings.
 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
 Critiquing the Humanist Perspective
What about evil?

 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

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.
 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.
Thank You

Jai Bharat!