Is there a discrepancy between Samara’s organismic self and her perceived or ideal selves? Explain. How do Horney’s concepts of idealized and real selves compare with Rogers’s concepts of organismic, perceived, and ideal selves?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Yes, there is a discrepancy among Samara’s selves. Certainly, Samara’s perceived self (i.e., that she is loving, generous, sensitive to the needs of others, etc.) is different from her true (organismic) self as is evidenced by other people’s opinions of her. Her ideal self is also different from the other selves in that she wants to be married.
Horney’s concept of the idealized self can be compared to Rogers’s concept of the perceived self although there are differences. Both concepts involve perceptions and are not necessarily accurate reflections of who a person is. Horney’s concept of the idealized self implies maladjustment whereas Rogers’s concept of the perceived self does not necessarily imply maladjustment unless it is very different from who a person is (i.e., their organismic self) and who they want to be (ideal self).
Note that Rogers’s ideal self is different from Horney’s idealized self in that Roger’s ideal self is a matter of who we would want to be, what we would like to change about ourselves. Horney’s idealized self is an overly exaggerated positive image of the self.