Personality Psychology Lecture 8Outline of Last Lecture Phenomenology Carl Rogers Client Centered TherapySelf-Actualizing TheorySelfThe Self-Concept core/true self non-intuitive selfActual self vs Ideal selfCongruence and IncongruenceOutline of Current Lecture AdjustmentSelf-actualization Assessment of Self-Concept Q-sort technique Research design exampleSemantic DifferentialIncongruence and Defensive processes Denial vs distortionSymbolized Growth and DevelopmentPositive regard vs positive self regard Unconditional positive regard Conditions of worthClient centered therapyCurrent LectureAdjustmentThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Self-actualization—moving towards basic drive we have to be all that we can beAssessment of Self/Self-Concept Measures a persons sense of self, used in research, see if theres change over time Q-Sort Technique—measure self, 100 cards each indicative of a personality characteristic (words or statements) o Stephenson, 1953o Person given cards and asked to place them on a scale of not at all to very much like me and in betweeno People are told they can only put so many cards on outer extremes but most cards have to be in the middle—preset limit on number of cards you can put on the ends (extremes)o Sort them on how they see themselves now AND how they would like to see themselves—can tell if theres congruence or incongruence Research design exampleo Therapy groups with some controls there (experimental group)o Control groups with only controls (control group)o Tries to see if client centered therapy results in change in how the person sees themselveso Variable—exposure to client centered therapy, 6-12 months later reassessing people 29 people dido Did people in therapy change more than people who weren’t in therapyo Control groups—rule out changes that might occur just because of time-lapse or because they were responsive to being part of research project (placebo effect)o Conclusion: greater level of congruence for people who went to therapy, constructive change in persons personality characteristics (more congruent)Semantic Differential Osgood, 1957 Subject rates “my self” or “my ideal self” on items presented on a polar adjective scaleo People rate themselves on a scale of good-bado Test on meaning of words, applying individuals understanding of meanings of words as they relate to themselves Measure how people see themselves in objective quantifiable way Way for person to describe themselves and see if they see certain aspects of themselves as goodor badIncongruence and Defensive Processes Difference between how we experience things and what we communicate  Conflicting feelings/ideas aren’t abnormal or symptomatic of incongruence but when we are UNAWARE of incongruence then it can put people off balanceo Come into awareness and recognize that have opposing feelings and accept that then it puts you on track towards congruenceo Become out of balance when fail to recognize experiences/environment as things that are part of the selfDenial DistortionEvent experienced below threshold of awareness--don’t let yourself be aware of whats happeningReshape experience to fit into existing self-concept--aware of experience but reshape it*like defense mechanism Distortion—for good OR bad qualitiesSymbolized—consciously and freely admitting experiences into self-structure  Symbolized experiences are nonthreatening and consistent with the self Willingness to change, self is stable but changing  Ex. Thought you weren’t good at math but then got a good grade so maybe good at mathGrowth and Development Continues throughout life course Small children are highly congruent—exhibit feelings readily Development of personality focused on how others evaluate us and see us Do parents provide environment for optimal psychological growth—does it lead to congruenceo Congruence subject to environmental influences especially parentsPositive Regard vs Positive Self-Regard Positive regard—basic psychological need to being loved, liked, accepted by another persono Individual needs to first make contact with another person—can be positive or negativeo Contact=minimal experience necessary to become a person o *prerequisite for positive self-regard Positive self-regard—experience of prizing or valuing oneself, experience positive regard in orderto form foundation for own positive-SELF regardo If what child experience from other people positive regard then feel this wayo Once is established, then person can continue to nurture it themselves Unconditional positive regard—person liked, loved, accepted no matter whato Really goodo Children who have this develop strong positive self-regard Conditions of worth (conditional positive regard)—loved and accepted ONLY if meet others expectations and approval, become criterion by which we accept or reject our experienceso Impedes ability to be congruent Fully functioning person: one who self-actualizes Self-actualizing is a process that never ends Experiences congruence Most fundamental personality process, forward looking tendency Person is open to all experiences good and bad, taking everything in from phenomenological field and not distorting Accepting range of emotions and allowing oneself to feel them all Live fully and richly in every moment Participating in life and not just observing Trust in own organism—experience congruence, they choose more intuitive experiences  Person is free to make their own choices—comes from themselves, power within, doesn’t come from other people Creative and live constructively Person may still face difficulties Person/Client-Centered Therapy Client as expert How therapist structures environment is essential to personality change  Make real and ideal self more aligned Qualities of therapisto Unconditional positive regardo Nonjudgmental o Empathic listening—trying to see things the way the other person sees themo Reflective listening—“what I hear you saying is”, repeating back what the client is saying but not giving direct advice on WHAT exactly to do, repeating back what they’re saying but adding insightful commentso Therapist has to be open and accepting of client, being highly congruento