A research-based article
Similar to Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers was a humanistic psychologist who believed in the idea of self-actualization. Most notably, he theorized a concept called Unconditional Positive Regard that would play an instrumental role in clinical settings to facilitate non judgmental counseling.
"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination." -Carl Rogers
Unconditional Positive Regard: “the attitude of complete acceptance and love, whether for yourself or for someone else” (Positive Psychology). When one adopts a healthy response of Unconditional Positive Regard for both their and others’ actions, they report higher levels of subjective well-being. Read more about Unconditional Positive Regard here.
Even with advancements in technology and the numerous new ways of consuming information, education systems around the world still fail many–students no longer strive to learn, rather to memorize.
Adolescents identify themselves as a number (their SAT scores and GPAs) rather than an individual (an empath, sister, or outgoing classmate). As 16% of the entire world’s population, young adults show how imperative it is to inspect the potential underlying roots of adults today being defined by their careers or incomes.
There is an equally appalling phenomenon of toxic workplace environments as there is an incredibly pressurized system in secondary schools–both of which having a capability to deteriorate levels of well-being .
So...how can Unconditional Positive Regard specifically be implemented in education systems/workplaces to combat this global mental health crisis whilst optimizing the outcomes in schools and offices?
Here are 2 important ideas:
1. WORKPLACE: Having a “secure home base”
In “The Oxford Handbook of Work Engagement, Motivation, and Self-Determination Theory” by Marylene Gagne, a professor of industrial psychology at the University of Western Australia, Gagne posits that people who feel their home facilitates Unconditional Positive Regard are more resilient during life challenges–especially the issues dealt with at work.
There’s an idea of separating work and personal life; it allows a person to focus exclusively on one aspect of their lives at a time, as overlaps often cause unnecessary anxiety and can damage relationships. However, in this case, a bit of overlap may be beneficial. As Gagne mentions, those who confide in their families about issues at work have better stress-regulation than those who do not.
In fact, this connects to the attachment theory: an evolutionary approach to human relationships in which children need a healthy connection with a primary caregiver to develop healthy relationships in the future.
Stress activates the attachment system–however, it also “inhibits the operation of other behavioral systems that might hinder a person’s survival chances under threat conditions” (Gagne, 113). Based on the psychobiological perspective, an attachment system protects infants by ensuring a proximity to their primary caregivers. Furthermore, Gagne claims that there is evidence that people who are stressed and “lack a sense of attachment security”, naturally decrease the quality and frequency of exploratory behaviors.
Therefore, from the attachment theory, we can see how humans are wired at the fundamental level of survival to depend on “caregivers” for support.
It’s only through a fulfillment of this security need that an individual can engage in more exploratory endeavors: innovation, creativity, and reimagination–optimizing the workplace as a place for the creation of ideas.
2. EDUCATION SYSTEM: Reforming the methods of Educational Leaders
According to “What 21st Century Leadership in Career and Technical Education Should Look Like” by Thomas Viviano from the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, the key to student success is that the teachers must succeed. In other words, having a mentor who is able to employ empathy, compassion, and loyalty to optimize outcomes of teaching can largely influence the extent to which a student is subsequently successful in his/her academics.
Through using the practice of Unconditional Positive Regard, educational leaders can foster an environment where “mistakes can be made with relative impunity”, students’ frustration can be met with understanding, and creative ideas will be acknowledged (Viviano, 52).
Furthermore, through a reform of how teachers respond to the needs of students, learning environments can be grounded upon “dialogue, support, and encouragement” rather than “logical persuasion”: a tool that Viviano states is more effective. Simply put, if teachers strive to develop their emotional intelligences–the principles of compassion and empathy–they may evolve as better leaders and students may be more motivated to aim for excellence, as they are aware that they are unconditionally supported.
Ultimately, the education system needs reform–not so much at a methodological level, rather at a conscious one.
It’s of paramount importance that educational leaders reflect on the cardinal reasons of why teaching was ever an aspiration–those of which were the desire to share ideas and connect with others.
How can we expect a workplace/school to prosper if our motives of consuming & producing information are misguided?
It was never a question of scoring a 1600 on the SAT, getting in the best med-school, making 6 figures at 30, or getting the answers right all the time.
Rather, it was and still is the idea that today's pursuit of knowledge grows from the drive of the human race to continuously rediscover and connect with others.
And the easiest way to connect with others is through having an Unconditional Positive Regard for every infinite number of interactions you have with the world around with you.
References
1. Ackerman, C. E. (2020, June 08). What is Unconditional Positive Regard in Psychology? Retrieved August 15, 2020, from https://positivepsychology.com/unconditional-positive-regard/
2. Adolescents Statistics. (2019, October 18). Retrieved August 15, 2020, from https://data.unicef.org/topic/adolescents/overview/
Gagné, M. (2015). The Oxford handbook of work engagement, motivation, and self-determination theory. New York: Oxford University Press.
3. Joseph, S. (2012, October 07). Unconditional Positive Regard. Retrieved August 15, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-doesnt-kill-us/201210/unconditional-positive-regard
4. Viviano, T. (2012). What 21st Century Leadership in Career and Technical Education Should Look Like. Journal of Career and Technical Education, 27(2), 51-56. doi:10.21061/jcte.v27i2.559
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