unconditional positive regard
an attitude of caring, acceptance, and prizing that others express toward an individual irrespective of his or her behavior and without regard to the others’ personal standards. Unconditional positive regard is considered conducive to the individual’s self-awareness, self-worth, and personality growth; it is, according to Carl Rogers, a universal human need essential to healthy development. The concept is the centerpiece of Rogers’s client-centered therapy and is also emphasized in many other therapeutic approaches. Compare conditional positive regard.