12: Rogers - Humanism / The Fully Functioning Person

Question 1

single “force of life” in Rogers’ theory - built-in motivation present in every life form to develop its potentials to the fullest extent possible

Answer 1

the actualizing tendency

Question 2

an evolutionary inner sense which guides us in the direction of health and growth, draws us towards experiences best fitted to suit these needs

Answer 2

organismic valuing

Question 3

Rogers’ term for feelings like love, affection, attention, nurturing, etc. which we instinctively value

Answer 3

positive regard

Question 4

Rogers’ term for self-esteem and a positive evaluation of oneself built from experiencing the positive regard others show us

Answer 4

positive self-regard

Question 5

social phenomenon where during childhood, parents/teachers/peers/etc. only give us what we need if we show we are “worthy” of it

Answer 5

conditions of worth

Question 6

receiving love, affection etc. on certain conditions (if you “behave”) - conditions may not always be fair or healthy

Answer 6

conditional positive regard

Question 7

only being able to appreciate yourself if meeting up with standards others have applied to you, rather than if truly actualizing our potentials - usually unable to meet them and therefore unable to have self-esteem

Answer 7

conditional positive self-regard

Question 8

in Rogers’ theory, the aspect of your being that is founded in the actualizing tendency, with organismic valuing, positive regard and self-regard - if all goes well, the person you will become

Answer 8

real self

Question 9

in Rogers’ theory, sense of self developed from conditions of worth that are out of step with actualizing tendency and organismic valuing, only receiving conditional positive regard and self-regard - always out of our reach and unable to be met

Answer 9

ideal self

Question 10

the gap between the real self and the ideal self, who you are vs. who you “should” be - the greater the gap, the more suffering (essentially Rogers’ term for neurosis) - feeling as though the real self is threatening

Answer 10

incongruity

Question 11

a situation in which there is incongruity between your self-image and your immediate experience (between ideal and real self)

Answer 11

threatening situation

Question 12

emotional condition when you are expecting a threatening situation - signal that indicates trouble ahead

Answer 12

anxiety

Question 13

attempts to psychologically “flee” from threatening situations and anxiety (denial and perceptual distortion) - every time one is used, it widens the gap between the real and ideal self

Answer 13

defenses

Question 14

psychological defense that involves blocking out a threatening situation altogether to avoid anxiety

Answer 14

denial

Question 15

psychological defense that involves reinterpreting the situation so that it appears less threatening, similar to rationalization (ex. student blaming the teacher for his poor grades)

Answer 15

perceptual distortion

Question 16

In Rogers’ theory, a state that occurs when one’s defenses become overwhelmed, shattering their sense of self and leading to bizarre behavior with little consistency

Answer 16

psychosis

Question 17

Rogers’ term for a healthy individual - possesses qualities of openness to experience, existential living, organismic trusting, experiential freedom, and creativity

Answer 17

fully-functioning

Question 18

quality of a fully-functioning individual - accurate perception of experiences/feelings and ability to accept reality, tolerate ambiguity (opposite of defensiveness)

Answer 18

openness to experience

Question 19

quality of a fully-functioning individual - ability to live in the present moment and stay in touch with reality (not overly fixated on the past or future)

Answer 19

existential living

Question 20

quality of a fully-functioning individual - allowing self to be guided by organismic valuing, trusting your real self and doing what comes naturally

Answer 20

organismic trusting

Question 21

quality of a fully-functioning individual - feeling “free” to decide when presented with choices and taking responsibility for one’s choices

Answer 21

experiential freedom

Question 22

quality of a fully-functioning individual - wanting to contribute to the actualization of others and find new ways to make positive changes in the world (generativity)

Answer 22

creativity

Question 23

Rogers’ original term for his brand of therapy - idea that the therapist should not lead the client, but rather be there for them as the client directs the progress

Answer 23

non-directive

Question 24

1st name change to Rogers’ brand of therapy - client still directs the progress of therapy, though Rogers acknowledges the influence of the therapist on them as a source of guidance

Answer 24

client-centered

Question 25

most common modern term for Rogers' brand of therapy - "supportive, not reconstructive" - if client desires greater independence, they cannot be dependent on therapist forever

Answer 25

Rogerian therapy

Question 26

technique in Rogerian therapy that allows therapist to communicate to the client that they're listening, understanding, and caring - translating statements of distress to explore feelings beneath ("I hate men" -> "did a man hurt you?")

Answer 26

reflection

Question 27

1st quality of an effective therapist - genuineness, honesty with client

Answer 27

congruence

Question 28

2nd quality of an effective therapist - the ability to feel what the client feels

Answer 28

empathy

Question 29

3rd quality of an effective therapist - acceptance, unconditional positive regard towards the client

Answer 29

respect

Question 30

Rogers' terms to characterize the 3 qualities of an effective therapist (congruence, empathy, respect)

Answer 30

necessary and sufficient

Question 31

Rogers' term for the broad general tendency toward development in nature (movement from simple to complex)

Answer 31

formative tendency

Question 32

an individual's understanding of existence and how they experience life - principles which inspired Rogers' theory

Answer 32

phenomenology

Question 33

total caring and valuing of a person for who they are, without any conditions of worth (not connecting worth to good behavior)

Answer 33

unconditional positive regard