What is Personality?

 Created by Melanie Bublak

Carl Rogers formulated theories on human personalities that according to Baron (2002) have played an important role not only in the emergence of humanistic psychology, but his theories have remained influential over time.

Rogers theory is based on a simple point concerning human nature. Rogers believed that human beings naturally had positive characteristics and will always gravitate toward becoming what Rogers described as a “fully functioning person” (Baron, 2002, p.405). This is a person who has a healthy personality.

The characteristics of the fully functioning person are as follows:

1. Openness to experience.

2. Existential living.

3. Organismic trusting..

4. Experiential freedom.

5. Creativity

Human beings have an innate aspect to their personality which can be described as the actualizing tendency, which Rogers has labeled the real self. “It is the “you” that, if all goes well, you will become” (http://www.ship.edu/%7Ecgboeree/rogers.html).

In contrast to the fully functional person, Rogers has recognized that outside factors can influence a person’s personality development. One such phenomenon Rogers refers to as conditions of worth. In addition, a person receives conditional positive regard, which leads to conditional positive self-regard. These aspects are conditioned by society and unfortunately do not take into account the individual. Thus, the individual develops an ideal self. The difference between the ideal self (what I should be) and the real self (what I am) causes incongruity, which causes neurosis.

References:

http://www.ship.edu/%7Ecgboeree/rogers.html

Baron, R. A. (2002). Essentia

ls of Psychology. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

What is Personality

Measuring Personality

Causes of Psychopathology

Life Experiences

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