Hierarchy of wants: An integrating framework

for person-centred therapy and the field of psycho-social change

Mick Cooper, Ph.D.Professor of CounsellingUniversity of Strathclyde

mick.cooper@strath.ac.uk

Aim of presentationTo present a presents a contemporary re-formulation of person-centred/humanistic developmental and personality theory, which allows it to act as an integrating basis for a wide variety of psychotherapeutic, and social change, theories and practices

Building on ideas developed in:

Cooper, M. (2000). Person-centred developmental theory: reflections and revisions. Person-Centred Practice, 8(2), 87-94.

Cooper, M. (2006) Socialist Humanism, in Proctor et al. Politicizing the person-centred approach (PCCS Books)

Cooper, M. (2010) WAPCEPC Rome presentation

Cooper, M. (in press) Intrinsic foundations of extrinsic motivations and goals: Towards a unified humanistic theory of wellbeing and change, Journal of Humanistic Psychology.

PCA model of development

Experiencingorganism

Conditional positiveregard

Experiencingorganism

Self-construct

Humanistic psychology• Similar split between:

‘intrinsic’/authentic/’self-concordant’

motivation and goalsvs.

‘extrinsic’/false

• Self-determination theory: Deci and Ryan

• Self-concordance theory: Sheldon and Kasser

But how can we explain why

actualising beings come to act in

extrinsically-driven, ‘non-actualising’

ways?

Introjections: Self vs. Society?

Actualising process Social forces

But…• Is the human being really so weak and

passive that their being is determined by social forces?

• Where is the active, agentic, actualising being?

‘If you conclude that the troubles lies in the fact that human beings are so susceptible to influence by their culture, so obedient to orders that they are given, so pliable to their environment, then you are making the most devastating of all judgment…in human beings. In such case we are all sheep, dependent on whoever is the shepherd; and Fred Skinner is right.’ (Rollo May, letter to Carl Rogers on the issue of evil)

Actualisation process vs. self-actualisation?

Actualisation/intrinsic process

Self-actualisation/extrinsic process

But…1. For Rogers (1959), there is just one motivating

force in the organism, the actualising tendency: ‘There are no homunculi, no other sources of energy or action in the system’

2. Why would an actualising organism behave in non-actualising and non-intelligible ways?

3. Is it really possible/meaningful to differentiate between the need for positive regard, and the need for relatedness?

4. Introducing a judgement over growthful/not for growth motivations may be inconsistent with PCA values and practices

An alternative conceptualisation: A hierarchy

of wants

‘Extrinsic’, ‘inauthentic’ motivations emerge from ‘intrinsic’

foundations‘The human person needs confirmation because man [sic] as man needs it…. Sent forth from the natural domain of species into the hazard of the solitary category, surrounded by the air of chaos which came into being with him, secretly and bashfully he watches for a Yes which allows him to be and which can come to him only from one human person to another. It is from one man to another that the heavenly bread of self-being is passed.’ (Martin Buber)

Actualising in multiple ways

Actualising process

‘Self’-actualisation/

need for approval

Actualisation of non-’self’ component (e.g., sexuality)

Conflict

Actualising process

Actualisation of self-concept

Actualisation of sexualityconflict

Multiple conflicts• Conflict between desire for approval and

other desires can be considered just one splits/conflicts/tensions across organismic desires (Cooper, 2001, 2007)

Other tensions in actualising process

Actualising process

Creative potential

Desire for financial security

conflict

A ‘hierarchy of wants’• Can conceptualise actualising

tendency, and relationship between wants, in hierarchical format

• Cf. William Powers: ‘Perceptual Control Theory’

• Multiple highest order wants may exist: e.g., relatedness, competence, autonomy

• Lower order wants are means of attaining higher order wants

A hierarchy of wantsRelatednes

s

Spend time with close

friends

Others more loving

Accrue positive regard

Fame

• Both intrinsic and extrinsic wants are means of attaining higher order goals

A hierarchy of wants

Actualising process

Self-actualising

processSexuality

Homosexual wants

Heterosexual wants

Creativity Economic stability

Wants and wellbeing• Psychological wellbeing associated with

progress towards, and attainment of, fundamental (i.e., highest order) wants

• ‘Intrinsic’ wants are not inherently more salutogenic, but are more likely to be associated with wellbeing because they are: – More direct and effective means of

attaining highest order wants: are not dependent on external mediation and contingencies

– Less likely to be in conflict with other wants

Wants and wellbeing• Psychological wellbeing is

dependent on having ways of attaining our wants that are:

1. Effective2. Fitted to our present context3. Synergetic

Dysergy and synergy between

wants

Dysergy• A relationship in which, when one

entity gets what it wants, it impedes another entity getting what it wants (and vice-versa)

• E.g., win-lose, or lose-lose relationship

Dysgertic relationship

A hierarchy of wants

Actualising process

Self-actualising process: ‘I should not

experience gay desires’

Sexuality

Homosexual wantsDyse

rgetic

relationsh

ip

Empirical support• ‘Interference among goals is

associated with impairments in subjective well-being’ (Riediger, 2007)

Synergy• Syn = together• ‘the combined, or cooperative,

effects produced by the relationships among various forces’ (Corning, 2003, p.2)

• Synergy = A relationship in which, when one entity gets what it wants, it helps another entity getting what it wants (and vice-versa)

Synergetic relationship

A hierarchy of wants

Actualising process

Self-actualising process: ‘I’m

completely lovable as someone who experiences gay

desires’

Sexuality

Homosexual wantsSynergetic

relationsh

ip

Empirical support• ‘mutual facilitation among goals

enhances goal-directed activities’ (Riediger, 2007) – enhanced behavioral involvement in goal pursuit

Beyond the self-concept• But dysergies are not only brought

about by conflicts with the desire for self-regard: can also emerge across other wants

A hierarchy of wantsActualisi

ng process

Creativity

Economic

stabilityDysergeticrelationship

A hierarchy of wants

Actualising process

Quick solutions: ‘all-

or-nothing’ thinking

Longer term outcomes

Dysergeticrelationship

Why do people come to develop

dysergetic wants?

Aetiology of dysergetic wants

• From person-centred/humanistic standpoint, wants are not inherently dysergetic

• Natural tendency towards synergising of wants/finding mutually compatible strategies for their attainment

= actualising tendency?

Aetiology of dysergetic wants

• But, under certain (restrictive) social circumstances, we may learn that the actualisation of one want requires the subjugation of another want

Unconditionally accepting environment

Actualising process

sexuality

‘self’

Conditionally accepting environment

sexu

ality

‘self’

Actualising process

A conditionally regarding environment is just one kind of

restrictive social context

Other restrictive (and on-going) social contexts (e.g.,

poverty) may also evoke tensions amongst

potentialities

Financially supportive environment

Actualising process

Creativity

Financialsecurity

Financially restrictive environment

crea

tivity

financialsecurity

Actualising process

How can synergies be enhanced?

Person-centred therapy• By creating an unconditionally

positively regarding context, the client’s desire for positive regard (from others and self) need no longer run against their other desires

Conditionally accepting environment

sexu

ality

‘self’

Actualising process

Unconditionally accepting environment

sexu

ality

‘self’

Actualising process

Unconditionally accepting environment

Actualising process

sexuality

‘self’

Social change• If we accept that:...dysergies can emerge...between wants…Partly as a consequence of other

social restrictions• Then intrapsychic work is only one

means of supporting a person towards greater wellbeing

Financially restrictive environment

crea

tivity

financialsecurity

Actualising process

Financially supportive environment

crea

tivity

financialsecurity

Actualising process

Financially supportive environment

Actualising process

Creativity

Financialsecurity

Non-PCA therapies• Other therapeutic approaches can

also help people develop ways of attaining their wants that are more synergetic; and more effective, direct and suited to the present context

Cognitive-behavioural therapy

• Re-evaluating short term benefits of simple, black-and-white thinking over long term benefits of more balanced, nuanced understandings

• Behavioural training: trying out better ways of doing things

• Assertiveness training: learning to ask for things in more direct ways

Psychodynamic therapy• Insight: developing awareness of our

most fundamental wants; and developing ways of actualising/managing them that do not undermine our ability to achieve them, and other wants, in the real world

Discussion• From PCA model of conflict between intrinsic

and extrinsic wants, have suggested that this is just one manifestation of conflicts between wants

• … which is one way in which we can fail to progress towards, and attain, the things we want in life

• Wellbeing comes from having direct, efficient, and synergetic means of moving towards our wants

• Provides the basis for an integrated psycho-social theory of development and change

Mick Cooper, Ph.D.Professor of CounsellingUniversity of Strathclyde

mick.cooper@strath.ac.uk

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