Question 30

They experience a discrepancy between their ideal and real selves and view their real self as threatening.

Rogers's incongruent person is characterized by a mismatch between their ideal self and their actual self, leading to feelings of insecurity and threat regarding their real self.

A) They experience a discrepancy between their ideal and real selves and view their ideal self as threatening.

This option is incorrect because while it correctly identifies the discrepancy between the ideal and real selves, it mistakenly suggests that the ideal self is perceived as threatening. In reality, it is the real self that is viewed with threat in incongruence.

B) They experience full consistency between their ideal and real selves but view their ideal self as threatening.

This option is incorrect because it describes a scenario of full consistency rather than the incongruence that characterizes Rogers's concept. Incongruence implies a lack of consistency, and the notion of the ideal self being threatening does not apply in this context.

C) They experience full consistency between their ideal and real selves but view their real self as threatening.

This option is incorrect as it also suggests full consistency between the ideal and real selves, which contradicts the definition of an incongruent person. Furthermore, it misplaces the perception of threat by suggesting it is the real self that is seen as threatening, which does not align with the concept of incongruence.

D) They experience a discrepancy between their ideal and real selves and view their real self as threatening.

This option accurately captures the essence of an incongruent person according to Rogers. It highlights both the critical discrepancy that leads to psychological distress and the perception of the real self as a source of threat, which is central to understanding incongruence.

Conclusion

The correct answer is definitively option D, as it succinctly encapsulates the defining characteristics of Rogers's incongruent person: the mismatch between the ideal and real selves and the resultant perception of threat towards the real self. All other options fail to correctly represent these fundamental aspects, either by misidentifying the source of threat or by inaccurately describing the state of self-consistency.