PSYCH 2B03 Lecture 5: PSYCH 2B03 - Carl Rogers (Lecture 5)
25 May 2018
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Carl Rogers’ Self Theory
Lecture 5
The Phenomenal Field
• Rogers believed we all live in & experience a slightly different version of reality based
on our phenomenal field
• Phenomenal field – set of sensations, cognitions, emotions, memories, etc. that are
presently conscious to us or can be readily brought into consciousness. This field is how
we experience various phenomena in the world
o The things in our phenomenal field contribute to our growth, development, &
personality
Outline of Development
• We only have one motive: the actualizing tendency – innate need to fully realize all our
potentials, instinct to grow/develop/become who we fully are
o This is an energy source that powers our life choices & behaviours
• The organismic valuing process (OVP) is our “inner compass” that guides us towards
fulfilling experiences and away from those inconsistent w/ the actualizing tendency
o Provides us w/ sense of direction we should take to grow fully into ourselves
o We all have one and it’s unique to us – only we know what’s right for ourselves
o Similar to the archetypes in Jung’s theory
• The Self is what the OVP guides us to develop into
o The self is everything that makes you, you. Infants are born w/o a self but
overtime they realize different parts of the phenomenal field and the self begins to
develop
o The self will ALWAYS develop, but the OVP determines which direction it
develops in
• In order to develop properly, children need unconditional positive regard. This is
receiving love and being cared for by people regardless of who they are; the love is
unconditional
o Parents typically give this to their children
o It is not necessary for the self to develop, but it is for appropriate & proper
development of the self
o If the child does something bad, parents should still love them. It is not the child
that’s bad, it’s their behaviours
Conditions of Worth & the Ideal Self
• If there is conditional positive regard, there are conditions of worth – ways in which
the individual must behave & feel to receive positive regard
• Most people experience conditional positive regard. They believe they will only be
loved/respected if they do/don’t do certain things (conditions of worth)
o Ex. Children being told by parents they’re being a bad girl/boy if they do certain
things teaches them positive regard is conditional
• There may be things we want to do & could help us develop into our best selves if we
bring them into the phenomenological field, but we don’t b/c it’s against conditions of
worth
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Document Summary
This field is how we experience various phenomena in the world: the things in our phenomenal field contribute to our growth, development, & personality. Infants are born w/o a self but overtime they realize different parts of the phenomenal field and the self begins to develop: the self will always develop, but the ovp determines which direction it develops in. In order to develop properly, children need unconditional positive regard. It is not the child that"s bad, it"s their behaviours. If there is conditional positive regard, there are conditions of worth ways in which the individual must behave & feel to receive positive regard: most people experience conditional positive regard. They believe they will only be loved/respected if they do/don"t do certain things (conditions of worth: ex. This is bad b/c it"s someone else"s ideal. Their job isn"t to try to make them feel better.
