Maslow's Model and Rogers' Model: Unconditional Positive Regards

With respect to the transformation and healing model in the third force, the key of transformation and healing resides in basic human needs and other’s responses in terms of Carl Rogers’ theory. Although Maslow proposes the importance of satisfying lower needs such as safety, belonging and love, and esteem need in order to accomplish self-actualization, Rogers focuses on needs for self-actualization and positive regard for self-actualization.

Maslow points out that it is important to fulfill lower needs and to exclude the following three limitations for self-actualization “(1) negative influences from past experience and resulting unproductive habits; (2) social influence and group pressure that often operate against our own taste and judgment; and (3) inner defenses that keep us out of touch with ourselves” (Farger & Fadiman, 2002, p. 355). These three limitations inhibit our self-actualization because each limitation is a factor to prevent lower needs from being satisfied. For instance, unproductive habits such as addiction to alcohol or poor diet may threaten physiological need. Also, group pressure may impede an individual achievement related to self-esteem need. In terms of Maslow’s model, enough supports to satisfy lower needs and to eliminate those three limitations are important for self-actualization.

On the other hand, Rogers insists on the importance of not only clients’ satisfying with basic human needs but also receiving other’s responses, which is “unconditional positive regard.” Unconditional positive regard means that we are accepted by others regardless of what we say or do. If our need for unconditional positive regard is satisfied, we are more able to be proud of ourselves and to accept our feelings. Regarding this point, Cain (2010) explains: “[W]hen clients feel predominantly accepted and consistently valued for who they are by their therapists or significant others, they are likely to develop positive and accepting views of themselves” (p. 22). In other words, therapists play an important role to fill with client’s self-esteem need for his or her to accomplish self-actualization.

As a conclusion, to exclude the three factors to impede self-actualization is a distinctive characteristic in Maslow’s approach, and unconditional positive regard is a key element for self-actualization in Rogers’s approach.                 　

Reference

1 Personality and Personal Growth

2 Person-Centered Psychotherapies