THEORIES OF PERSONALITY (EC1)

MODULE 7 – CARL ROGERS and ABRAHAM MASLOW (MIDTERM)

HUMANISTIC APPROACH
LEIZEL C. DELA CRUZ, LPT

HUMANISTIC APPROACH
 Claims that people have the ability to shape their own destiny, and this is not driven by
biological, instinctive influences.
 Emphasize the wholeness or completeness of personality, rather than focusing on its structural
parts.
 What matters is how people view themselves.

Themes of Humanistic Theory

 Emphasis on personal responsibility and free will each of us is responsible for what happens to
us.
 The importance of the here and now rather than the past.
 Also emphasize personal growth and fulfillment moving towards bigger goals self-actualizing

Humanistic Theorists
 Carl Rogers
 Abraham Maslow

Abraham Maslow
 Humanistic psychologist who developed the hierarchy of needs
 Believed that self-actualization is the ultimate psychological need of reaching one’s potential.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

 According to Maslow (1943, 1954), human needs were arranged in a hierarchy, with
physiological (survival) needs at the
bottom, and the more creative and
intellectually oriented ‘self-
actualization’ needs at the top.
 Maslow argued that survival needs
must be satisfied before the
individual can satisfy the higher
needs. The higher up the hierarchy, the
more difficult it is to satisfy the needs
associated with that stage, because of
the interpersonal and environmental
barriers that inevitably frustrate us.
 Higher needs become increasingly
psychological and long-term rather
than physiological and short-term, as
in the lower survival-related needs.
 1st: Physiological needs are biological
requirements for human survival, e.g.,
air, food, drink, shelter, clothing,
warmth, sex, and sleep.
  2nd: Safety needs – people want to experience order, predictability, and control in their lives.
 3rd: Love and belongingness needs refers to a human emotional need for interpersonal
relationships, affiliating, connectedness, and being part of a group.
 4th: Esteem needs are the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy and include self-worth,
accomplishment, and respect.
 5th: Self-actualization needs are the highest level in Maslow’s hierarchy, and refer to the
realization of a person’s potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth, and peak
experiences.

Self-Actualization
 According to Maslow, self-actualization refers to the need to live up to one’s fullest and unique
potential
 Characteristics of self-actualized individuals:
 Self-aware and self-accepting
 Open, spontaneous, loving, and caring
 Not paralyzed by other’s opinions
 Focused on a particular task
 They are secure in who they are
 They enjoy work and see work as a mission to fulfill

Carl Rogers
 Approach to psychology was based on self-concept. Each individual has a self- concept, which
consists of his or her conscious thoughts and beliefs about himself or herself. His view is
referred to as person-centered.
 Believed that the most powerful drives are the ones to become fully functioning.
 To be fully functioning is to achieve optimal psychological adjustment, to live in the present,
getting the most from each experience.
 To help children become fully functioning requires that we offer them unconditional positive
regard.

Self-Actualizing Tendency
 Carl Rogers (1959) believed that humans have one basic motive, which is the tendency to self-
actualize – i.e., to fulfill one’s potential and achieve the highest level of “human-beingness” we
can.
 An example of the actualizing tendency is the “little voice” within us to try harder and never give
up.
 Some people believe that competitiveness cannot be taught; but rather is something that resides
inside a person.
 In other words, it is something you are born with, or is innate.

Self-concept
 How you think about yourself
 Affected by positive regard (conditional and unconditional) – the sense of be loved and valued by
other people

Self-image
 Self-image refers to individuals’ mental representation of themselves, shaped by personal
experiences and interactions with others.
  It’s how people perceive their physical and personality traits, abilities, values, roles, and goals.
It’s their understanding of “who I am.”
 How we see ourselves, which is important to good psychological health. Self-image includes the
influence of our body image on our inner personality.
 At a simple level, we might perceive ourselves as a good or bad person, beautiful or ugly. Self-
image affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves in the world.

Real self
 the real self includes self-awareness of who a person truly is.
 The real self represents a person’s genuine current state, including their strengths, weaknesses,
and areas where they might struggle.

Ideal self
 The ideal self is the version of oneself that an individual aspires to become.
 It includes all the goals, values, and traits a person deems ideal or desirable. It’s their vision of
“who I want to be.”

Self-worth
 Self-worth (or self-esteem) is the value or worth an individual places on themselves. It’s the
evaluative aspect of self-concept, influenced by the individual’s perceived successes, failures, and
how they believe others view them.
 High self-esteem indicates a positive self-view, while low self-esteem signifies self-doubt and
criticism.
 Rogers believed feelings of self-worth developed in early childhood and were formed from the
interaction of the child with the mother and father.

Conditional positive regard (with conditions)

 Person is valued and loved only when the he/she behaves in a way that is acceptable to others.
 Example: I will love you IF you get good grades.
 Can lead to incongruence – a state in which a child’s self-concept conflicts with their own
experience.

Unconditional positive regard (without conditions)

 An attitude of total acceptance toward another person despite their faults and failings
 This is needed for one to grow up healthy and be congruent.
 Based on acceptance, genuineness & empathy
 Unconditional Positive Regard means showing a child that they are loved, respected, and
accepted (this is positive regard) with no conditions attached.
 Congruence – A person’s sense of self is consistent with their emotions & experiences.
 Your real self is similar to your ideal self.
 This does NOT mean that parents must always agree with their child’s behaviour choices. But
they must never use love and acceptance as a means of pressuring the child into accepting their
views.
 Rogers said we should separate the child’s behaviors from the child’s self. We punish a child for
doing a bad thing, but never for being a bad child.
 Helping people achieve positive self-regard is one of the major goal of Rogers person-centered
therapy.