Anxiety Regulation and Psychological Congruence: A Contemporary Examination Through Rogerian Theory
Faculty Mentor
Kayleen Islam-Zwart
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 9:00 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 11:00 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Psychology
Abstract
Congruence, coined by Carl Rogers, is a processing state in which the individual has the maturity to revise their self-concept in accordance with their lived experiences. Roger’s operational definition of congruence is the alignment between self-concept and ideal self. According to Rogers, the awareness of discrepancy between self-concept and experience creates anxiety. This study aims to investigate if the reduction of physiological anxiety through pharmacology facilitates the 'maturity to revise self-concept' necessary for Rogerian congruence. Using primarily various self-report measures, this study will assign a group of 300 individuals diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) into three groups: medication management, person-centered approach therapy, and the combination of the two, over a span of 6 months, to determine effects on GAD symptom reduction, congruence, and the Big 5. The combination of person-centered approach therapy and anti-anxiety medication is predicted to have more influence on the alignment between self-concept and the ideal self (congruence) compared to therapy and medication alone. The Butler-Haigh Q-sort-technique, GAD-7, and the Big 5 “Openness to Experience” self-report scales will be administered before and after the treatment period. Further analysis can be done to explore the relationship between symptom reduction in GAD and the “Openness to Experience” personality trait by the Big 5 scale. The findings of this study can begin to bridge modern neurobiology and Humanistic Psychology for further research in GAD symptom reduction and shifts in structural personality.
Recommended Citation
Pearson, Sholina, "Anxiety Regulation and Psychological Congruence: A Contemporary Examination Through Rogerian Theory" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 41.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p1_2026/41
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Anxiety Regulation and Psychological Congruence: A Contemporary Examination Through Rogerian Theory
PUB NCR
Congruence, coined by Carl Rogers, is a processing state in which the individual has the maturity to revise their self-concept in accordance with their lived experiences. Roger’s operational definition of congruence is the alignment between self-concept and ideal self. According to Rogers, the awareness of discrepancy between self-concept and experience creates anxiety. This study aims to investigate if the reduction of physiological anxiety through pharmacology facilitates the 'maturity to revise self-concept' necessary for Rogerian congruence. Using primarily various self-report measures, this study will assign a group of 300 individuals diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) into three groups: medication management, person-centered approach therapy, and the combination of the two, over a span of 6 months, to determine effects on GAD symptom reduction, congruence, and the Big 5. The combination of person-centered approach therapy and anti-anxiety medication is predicted to have more influence on the alignment between self-concept and the ideal self (congruence) compared to therapy and medication alone. The Butler-Haigh Q-sort-technique, GAD-7, and the Big 5 “Openness to Experience” self-report scales will be administered before and after the treatment period. Further analysis can be done to explore the relationship between symptom reduction in GAD and the “Openness to Experience” personality trait by the Big 5 scale. The findings of this study can begin to bridge modern neurobiology and Humanistic Psychology for further research in GAD symptom reduction and shifts in structural personality.
