Ch.5, Rogerian Phenomenological Theory Flashcards
Phenomenological Theory:
one that emphasizes the individual’s subjective experience of his or her world
Rogerian view of the unconscious
Emphasizes conscious perceptions of the present NOT UNCONSCIOUS, and interpersonal experiences across the life course NOT just in childhood, people’s capacity to grow toward psychological maturity
Phenomenal Field:
space of perceptions that makes up our experience is a subjective construction that can never be objective
Congruence:
conscious experience and goals align with inner, viscerally felt values
Rogerian view of the self
The self is a personality structure because it endures over time and characterizes the individual
Self does NOT independently control behavior
Self is CONSCIOUS: not unconscious like Jung and Freud suggested
Actual Self: the individual in the present
Ideal Self: how the individual wants to be
Self-Concept:
organized and consistent pattern of perceptions
Q-Sort Technique:
psychologist administering the test gives the test taker a set of cards; sort these cards according to the degree to which each statement is descriptive of themselves
Advantages of Q sort technique
^Strikes a balance between fixed (nomothetic) and flexible measures; standardized in that the same cards are given to every individual, but they are scored differently depending on where the cards were placed
Can be used to assess actual self and ideal self: first ask which cards represent the actual self, then which ones represent the ideal self
Semantic Differential:
an individual rates a concept on a number of seven point scales defined by polar adjectives; flexible regarding the exact concepts/scales that are used (specifically useful to measure multiple personalities)
Self-Consistency:
an organism seeks to maintain its own self-structure, individual develops a value system which has the individual’s valuation of the self at the center
Should be congruence between the self and experience; between what people and how they view themselves
Subception:
we can be aware an experience that is discrepant with the self concept before it reaches consciousness; we react defensively and attempt to deny awareness to experiences that are dimly perceived to be incongruent with the self-structure
Rogerian view of defense mechanisms
Two defensive processes: distortion of the meaning of experience and denial of the existence of the experience
What did Roger classify as conditions for change?
Two people at least in minimal contact
The client is in a state of incongruence
Therapist is congruent in that relationship with the patient
The therapist holds unconditional positive regard for the client
The therapist experiences an empathetic understanding of the client’s internal frames of reference
The client perceives the therapist’s unconditional regard
CANNOT BE JUDGEMENTAL
Being supportive does not mean supporting the behavior it means supporting the individual
What is Roger’s most important contribution to therapy?
The realtionship between the client/therapist is central to the process of behavior and personality change: empathic understanding (compassionate for the person–have to find somewhere in you the ability to represent to yourself what the person may have gone through) warmth/respect/gentleness, and genuineness (telling the person what you see, what you understand, need to be direct but gentle) **THIS IS FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE, MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF ROGERS THEORY, STILL USED TODAY, USED IN ALL THERAPY ACROSS THE WORLD**
How does Rogers explain the steps of psychopathology?
(2) Defensive Processes RESPONSE TO THE INCONGRUENCE, ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE INCONGRUENCE : perceptual distortions, denial to awareness or combo of both (allow anxiety to become subconcious, but the person is dysfunctional)’
^^Different denial from Freud: Rogers did not focus on the unconscious; he assumed the existence of one but did not believe that it was as critical to psychological theory
Would accept Freud’s projection and possibly Freud’s rationalization as well
(3) RESULT IS Disorganization: when defenses are not enough, the threat becomes fully conscious and the self becomes disorganized: CAUSES CONFUSION, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION, people question whether they have purpose/whether they are doing the right thing
