How to Write a Rogerian Essay?

All people have different points of view, and it is not easy to persuade others that someone is “more right.” However, professional psychological techniques can work wonders. It is a real art in being persuasive during the discussion of opposing viewpoints. If you need to do this in a written form, a Rogerian argument is something you ought to know.

What is a Rogerian argument?

When you imagine heated discussion between two people, you may think about quarrels, tense atmosphere, lack of understanding. This is what usually happens during a classical argument. During such discussions, people rarely come up with solutions which are satisfactory for both sides. A Rogerian argument is an ideal means of finding the compromise in a friendly manner. Its main rules state that a person should acknowledge positive aspects of one viewpoint and by using its main advantages add personal ideas to create a perfect solution. Such attitude prevents adversity, doesn’t include criticism, emotional outburst, and other negative consequences of a traditional argument. A Rogerian argument should have a positive message, a target at solving the problem together and not deciding which thoughts are correct.

Who is Rogers?

The first question which may arise in your mind can be “Why is the essay called “Rogerian?” There is an interesting answer. This method of solving an argument is based on the psychological method created by the American founder of a humanistic approach Carl Ransom Roger. His approach aims at improving the relationship between a counselor and a client. The core of Carl’s methodology includes enhancing positive attitude towards others, empathy, and congruence. This technique allows to make up more creative way outs and preserve pleasant relationships between two sides involved in the debate. Soon people started to apply this psychological approach to write essays or letters when they need to persuade somebody in making the decision.

Using Rogerian method in essay

The mentioned above technique is used in high-quality balanced essays. If you are using Rogerian argument example in the essay, the opposite sides involved in the discussion are the writer and the reader. If you are the writer, you receive the harder task. Your main aim is to find the perfect solution and a happy medium. You will need to stick to certain structure and keep in mind essential rules.

Rogerian argument structure

As in the ordinary essay, you should organize it well to make it coherent and cohesive. It has the introduction, main body, and conclusion. These main parts should be logically connected and have clear transitions.

The introductory paragraph plays a vital role because it influences whether the reader will continue communication with you or discard the offered solution at once. You have to start with stating the main problem in the introduction and show the necessity to resolve it together. In the introduction, you acknowledge positive aspects of the opposite point of view. This will show your friendly intention. In the thesis statement, you explain the balanced approach to the solution which both the reader and the writer are trying to find.

In the main body, you describe your opinion using logical explanation with examples. You should include relevant argumentations but don’t compare them directly with another viewpoint. Try to persuade the reader that your perspective of the problem includes other ideas and that your solution is realistic. The main aim of the essay body is to show that the opposing views are valid on some occasions, but the writer simply offers an improved version.

The conclusion should show that by using the best aspects of both ideas, the participants of the argument can find an ideal balanced solution for the discussed problem.

Rules in Rogerian essay:

• use neutral language because emotionally colored vocabulary may trigger reader’s dissatisfaction or the feeling of offense;
• keep in mind the audience you refer to;
• don’t develop the discussion if the topics are too controversial;
• be realistic when describing your point of view;
• mention only the positive sides of the opposing idea;
• offer the solution which includes the ideas of the other participants of the discussion;
• don’t be critical or offensive either in language or the hidden meaning of the text;
• if you state possible drawbacks of another view, be very careful (it is still more efficient not to raise the question of disadvantages);
• make the tone of the essay optimistic and friendly-oriented.

Essays based on the Rogerian argument will always leave a positive impression on the readers if the paper is written well. Such polite attitude in the essay towards the reader.You can try using this approach even in everyday life, and it will become your key to solving problems either in oral or written form.