Personality: characteristics, development, and psychological dimensions

Rogers saw all people as unique and basically good individuals. Everyone is trying to be the best for the society as a whole. It was only when they were unhealthy or mentally ill that these people did terrible things, such as criminal acts. Rogers thus assumed that all mentally healthy human beings, like all living beings, are motivated to develop and to put their efforts toward optimal health. This mandates that people have to be strong and resilient when confronted with challenges. Yet, Rogers admitted, such a resiliency typically develops from the nurturance of others. Thus, if someone is mentally ill, it is more than important to treat this person with kindness. This will help the person get better.

Therapists, therefore, need to value their clients in a positive manner, regardless of their behaviors, or what is called self-actualization. This self-actualization is strengthened by three important factors: Empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. If all people have the same goals, then one needs to look at others just as they would at themselves. The therapists need to understand, or feel a sensitive empathy, for each of their clients' feelings. It is only with a deep understanding of others that one can truly accept them; the client thus feels acknowledged and free to communicate and share inner feelings, many of them never shared before. Similarly, with empathy and understanding, during the therapy, the therapist needs to be congruent. That is, honest and real in his/her interactions with the client. There is no facade or pretence between the therapist and the client. Authenticity is most important. Lastly, the therapist must characterize unconditional positive regard or be nonjudgmental in his/her regard. The therapist may not always approve of the client's behavior, but the therapist always approves of the personhood of the client. The client is accepted as he/she is at the moment.

Therapy with Rapist

Client: I don't know whether I'll be able to talk about it yet or not. Something -- I mean -- like it's a feeling -- a horribly strong feeling of anger and guilt together. I know this doesn't make sense. I don't know how to say it. When I see a woman on the street alone, I start thinking about how I can do it and get away with it.

Therapist: It sounds like your anger takes control. It's kind of like a physical thing too, right? Let me have this, because I need it badly.

Client: Yeah,

Therapist: Do you want to say anything more about what you mean about this? Does it give you feelings of anger?

Client: I don't know whether I quite know what happens. I mean, like I'm not there, like I'm a different person.

Therapist: Somehow not a part of you

Client: (Confused) It feels like, I don't know, like I sort of, have a feeling of strength and yet feel wrong. I shouldn't

Therapist: It's all right, go on. The behavior is wrong, but let's separate that from your feelings.

2) Rogers relates in On Becoming a Person that it is more effective when he can listen acceptingly to himself and can be himself. He learns to know what he is feeling at any moment, to realize that he is angry or feels rejection toward a person; or that he feels warmth and affection. He becomes more adequate in letting himself be what he is. As a result, it thus becomes easier to accept himself as an imperfect person, who definitely does not function all the time the way he would like to function. This seems to be a strange direction in which to move. This process seems to have value because the curious paradox is that when he accepts himself as he is, then he changes. He has learned this from himself and from his patients, people cannot change, move away from who they are until they thoroughly accept what they are. Then change comes about almost unnoticed. It's a feeling of self-acceptance. It's okay that you let people manipulate you. It's okay that you feel anxious when you go into class. If you can accept yourself as you are and give yourself permission to have difficulty with it, then change will come.

3) Cognitive complexity is an aspect of an individual's cognitive functioning that is defined at one end by the use of many constructs with many relationships to one another (complexity) and at the other end by the use of few constructs with limited relationships to one another (simplicity).

The cognitive simplicity/complexity finds that there are differences in personality in terms of cognitive style. Individuals who are high in cognitive complexity have a greater ability to make predictions about others' behavior. They can more readily recognize differences between themselves and others, are more empathic, can multitask, problem solve and deal better with inconsistent information in constructing others than do people high in cognitive simplicity. Cognitive simplicity or low-level cognitive complexity is reflected in simplistic, stereotypical and incohesive perception and interpretation. The difference between the high and low-level complexity can be seen with a type of leadership style. For example, leaders who are more cognitively complex is better able to work on a horizontal vs. A vertical hierarchy. They are able to let their employees try new approaches and give insight into their jobs. These leaders can take criticism and work in an environment where there is a great deal of change. These leaders would much better handle economically unstable times, for example. However, these same leaders would not be content in a traditional company where the senior officers make the decisions and do not invite input from the rest of the people. On the other hand, leaders with less cognitive complexity are more comfortable in a traditional top-down organizational structure. They have less ability to handle change and input from their employees. It would be difficult for them to be involved with a merger and downsizing situation.