Phenomenological Approaches
• What is Phenomenology?
• Binswanger: Authenticity
• Carl Rogers: Self-Actualization
• George Kelly: Constructive Alternativism
• Csikszentmihalyi: Flow
Psychodynamics
Biological Approach
• Subjective, unconscious
experience
• Objective, observable
situational influences
• Unobservable, can’t use
scientific method
• Rigorous use of
scientific method
Phenomenology
• Focus on conscious
individual experience
• Introspection
• Integrative view
Three Aspects of Existence
Eigenwelt
“Ownworld”
Mitwelt
“Withworld”
Umwelt
“Aroundworld”
Main Characteristics of
Phenomenological Approaches
• Holistic, Qualitative, Idiographic
– complete description of human existence
– taking the individual’s own perspective
• Phenomenological Method
– focus on individual experience of the world
– focus on interpretation of events, not the events
themselves
Theoretical Background of
Phenomenological Approaches
• Humanistic Psychology
– e.g. Rogers, Kelly
– looks at higher human motives, selfdevelopment, esthetics
• Existential Philosophy
– e.g. Sartre
– focus on people’s personal decisions,
subjectivity, individuality
– life is only meaningful, if we make it
meaningful
What makes life meaningful?
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Achievement
Spirituality
Relationships
Art
Social Responsibility
Developing One’s Potential
Ludwig Binswanger (1881-1966)
• Existence vs. Essence
• The “Givens” of Existence
– thrownness
– ambivalent physical body
– choice/freedom
– anxiety/guilt
– death
• Authenticity vs. Inauthenticity
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 one’s personality
Rogers’ Definition of “Self”
• Organized and consistent pattern of
perceptions
• Primarily conscious
• Different from the “ideal self”
(perceptions and meanings that are selfrelevant and that are valued highly)
• Is measured by:
• Adjective Checklist
• Q-sort
• Semantic Differential
Demonstration
Semantic Differential
• 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
George Kelly (1905-1966)
• Used the “fruitful metaphor” of seeing
ordinary people as scientists:
“A person’s 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
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
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
Demonstration REP
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