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7/31/2019 self actualisation

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Chapter Eleven

Self-Actualization and

Self-Determination


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Self-Actualization

Carl Rogers

Actualizationtendency to develop capabilities

in ways that maintain or enhance the organism

(present in all living creatures) Self-Actualizationpromotes maintenance or

enhancement of the self

Moves person toward greater autonomy and self-

sufficiency

Promotes congruence, organization, wholeness, and

integration in the person


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Self-Actualization (Continued)

Organismic value processmechanism

that evaluates whether experiences are

actualizing

If not, nagging sense that something isnt

right

If yes, person is operating as fully functional

person


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Need for Positive Regard

Strong motive for love, friendship, andaffection from important others

Unconditional Positive Regardgiven without

any conditions or contingencies Conditional Positive Regardgiven only in

situations that meet particular conditions Conditions of Worthconditions under which a

person is considered worthy of regard Conditional Self-Regardapplication of conditions

of worth to self


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Implications of

Conditions of Worth

Conflicts between self-actualization andfulfilling conditions of worth

Example: Desire to be a musician in conflictwith recognition of parents aspirations fortheir child to be a doctor

Sometimes hard to tell true desire from

conditions of worth Condition of worth is a precondition for

acceptance and is always coercive


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Self-Determination

Ed Deci

Three needs that must be satisfied for a

life of growth, integrity, and well-being

Autonomy (Self-determination)

Competence

Relatedness


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Self-Determination

Self-Determined Actionsdone because

of intrinsic value to self

Longer interest is maintained

Controlled Actionsdone to gain payment

or satisfy external pressure

Rewards can undermine intrinsic value of

some activities and turn them into controlledactions

Activities are resistant to this effect if the reward

informs you about your competency


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Need for Relatedness

Represents an intrinsic need

Characterized by genuine connectednesswith others and unconditional acceptance

Not a need based on pressure or demand

Not in conflict with autonomy


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Self-Concordance

Pursuit of goals that are consistent with core

values

These bring more contribution to a sense of

well-being Creates a positive spiral of benefit

Pursuit ofcore goals

Greater

effort

Higher

success

More

satisfaction

Higher

well-being


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Free Will

Emphasizes that people are free todetermine:

How they act

What to become If they are to be self-actualized or accept

conditions of worth

Reactance

assertion of freedom when athreat to freedom is perceived

Perceptions of free will can beexperimentally manipulated


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The Self

Development of the self represents

gradual differentiation during infancy

Self-Conceptset of qualities a person

sees as being a part of herself

Actualperception of the way you really are

Idealwhat you really want to be

Self-actualization creates a closer fit

between the actual and ideal selves


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Incongruity, Disorganization,

and Defense

Incongruencea disorganization in the self that is

detected by the organismic value process

Leads to anxiety Can cause low self-esteem

Ways to defend against anxiety of incongruence

Distortions of the experience

Rationalization

Prevent from reaching awareness

Denial

Avoid situations that trigger perceptions of incongruence


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Self-Esteem Maintenance

and Enhancement Defenses protect and maintain self-esteem

Conditions necessary for an event to have an effect onself-esteem Event attributable to you

Event must be interpreted as good or bad Defense against failures

Minimize negativity of event (wasnt so bad)

Resist attributions to stable qualities of self

Blame others, lack of effort, excuses

Enhancement through success Attribute to stable characteristics of self

Claim control of those characteristics


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Self-Handicapping

Acting in a way that creates condition forfailure

Hard goals and substantial risk of failure

represent threats to self-esteem Create an external situation on which

potential failure can be attributed and self-

esteem can be maintained No threat to stable qualities of the self


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Hierarchy of Motives

Abraham Maslow

Focused on most

well-adjusted, fullyfunctioning people

Examined

motivations and

how they are

organized

Self-

actualization

need

Esteem

needs

Love and

belonging needs

Safety and physical

security needs

Physiological needs


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Implication of Hierarchy

Low-level needs are more primitive anddemanding than higher-level needs

Power of motive forces decrease as you go up

the pyramid Higher-level motives represent more distinctly

human characteristics

Needs at lower level must be met before

attending to higher-level needs Low-level needs are deficit motivated and high-

level needs are growth motivated


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Self-Actualizers

Efficient and accurate in perceiving reality Accepting of themselves, others, and of nature

Spontaneous in thought and emotion, natural rather thanartificial

Problem-centered, concerned with eternal philosophical

questions Independent and autonomous when it comes to

satisfactions

Freshness of appreciation of ordinary events

Deep ties, but only with a few persons

Appreciate, for its own sake the process of doing things

Philosophical, thoughtful, nonhostile sense of humor

Maintain inner detachment from culture in which they live

Appear temperamental and even ruthless


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Peak Experiences

Times when actualization is clearlyoccurring

Heightened sense of connection to

elements in surrounding environment Clarity of perception

Distortion of time

Subjective feelings of awe, wonder, andecstasy

More common during work than leisure


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Existential Psychology

Emphasis on individuals personal experience inlife with a focus on the existential dilemma

Central constructDasein Translates as being-in-the-world

Conveys a sense of experience as an autonomous,separate, evolving entity in the world

Key issue in life is the inevitability of death Results in angst

How to respond to this realization

Nothingness Authentic Being


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Terror Management

Attempt to construct lives imbued with

meaning and value as a response to the

potential terror of mortality

Often define meaning by social and

cultural processes

Group identity is important

Rejection of indications of animal nature


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Assessment

Many assessment techniques

Interviewcontent analysis organizes

responses into meaningful groups

Q-SortSort items into piles that correspond

to particular criteria (e.g., most like you to

least like you)

Inventories for self-actualization, autonomy,and control


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Problems in Behavior

Problems arise from:

Incongruity and the negative affect that results

Living in order to meet conditions of worth

Not living in ways that promote self-

acutalization


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Therapy

Client-Centered Therapy:

Responsibility for improvement lies with client

Removes distractions, so self-actualization processes

can move client toward greater integration Therapist demonstrates unconditional positive regard

and empathy

Nonevaluative, rather therapist reflects with

Clarification of feelings Restatement of content

And then beyond therapy to personal growth to be a fully

functioning person


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Self-Actualization and Self-Determination:

Problems and Prospects

Emphasis on the uniqueness and validity of each personsexperience thats what most think of as personality

Optimistic and positive view of human nature leads people to be thebest they can be

Importance of fully appreciating your own life and being in contact

with your feelings through therapy or course corrections At first problems with lack of precision but more recent work has

provided more powerful support to overcome this and be taken moreseriously

Optimism, a virtue of this perspective, has also been criticized. So,

too has self-actualization as a goal for everyone

potential mutualchaos. But compare this optimism with writings of the existentialists

Free will taken for granted is a contentious point

All in all, things are looking bright for this approach based on thesuccess of self-determination, stereotype threat, terror management,and self-discrepancies