Phenomenological Approaches

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Phenomenological Approaches

• What is Phenomenology?
• Binswanger Authenticity
• Carl Rogers Self-Actualization
• George Kelly Constructive Alternativism
• Csikszentmihalyi Flow

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• Biological Approach
• Objective, observable situational influences
• Rigorous use of scientific method

• Psychodynamics
• Subjective, unconscious experience
• Unobservable, cant use scientific method

• Phenomenology
• Focus on conscious individual experience
• Introspection
• Integrative view

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Three Aspects of Existence
Eigenwelt Ownworld
Mitwelt Withworld
Umwelt Aroundworld
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Main Characteristics ofPhenomenological
Approaches

• Holistic, Qualitative, Idiographic
• complete description of human existence
• taking the individuals own perspective
• Phenomenological Method
• focus on individual experience of the world
• focus on interpretation of events, not the events
  themselves

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Theoretical Background of Phenomenological
Approaches

• Humanistic Psychology
• e.g. Rogers, Kelly
• looks at higher human motives, self-development,
  esthetics
• Existential Philosophy
• e.g. Sartre
• focus on peoples personal decisions,
  subjectivity, individuality
• life is only meaningful, if we make it meaningful

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What makes life meaningful?

• Achievement
• Spirituality
• Relationships
• Art
• Social Responsibility
• Developing Ones Potential

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Ludwig Binswanger (1881-1966)

• Existence vs. Essence
• The Givens of Existence
• thrownness
• ambivalent physical body
• choice/freedom
• anxiety/guilt
• death
• Authenticity vs. Inauthenticity

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Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

• Core of human nature is positive
• Culture and environment teach us to behave in
  negative ways.
• Basic goal is self-actualization.
• Individuals perceive the world uniquely ?
  phenomenal field
• Self Key part of ones personality

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Rogers Definition of Self

• Organized and consistent pattern of perceptions
• Primarily conscious
• Different from the ideal self (perceptions
  and meanings that are self-relevant and that are
  valued highly)
• Is measured by
• Adjective Checklist
• Q-sort
• Semantic Differential

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Demonstration Semantic Differential
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• Conditions of Worth
• conditional positive regard
• conditional positive self-regard
• Incongruity
• real self
• ideal self
• Defenses
• perceptual distortion
• denial, projection

• Ideal Therapist
• congruent
• unconditional
• positive regard
• empathy
• respect

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George Kelly (1905-1966)

• Used the fruitful metaphor of seeing ordinary
  people as scientists
• A persons processes are psychologically
  channelized by the way in which he anticipates
  events
• Laypeople AND scientists
• subject to hidden psychological forces
• trying to predict the world by understanding its
  mechanisms

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Constructive Alternativism

• Multiple possible world views
• People describe the world along bipolar
  dimensions (constructs)
• Some constructs are related (schemas)
• Social groups/cultures/families have similar
  constructs

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Measuring the Construct System

• Role Construct Repertory Test (REP)
• Participant gives list of persons who are most
  important
• Participant lists dimensions on which pairs of
  three are rated
• Constructs differ in content and complexity

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Demonstration REP
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Constructs Emotions

• New information challenges existing construct
  system - constructs are no longer validated
  (predicting the world correctly)
• Impermeable and preemptive constructs are
  problematic
• Constructs need to change - if not, negative
  emotions are the consequence
• anxiety existing constructs threatened
• guilt behaving in discordance to constructs
• aggression forcing others to fit my constructs