Unconditional positive regard is a concept in psychology that involves showing complete support and acceptance of a person regardless of what they say or do. It was initially developed by Stanley Standal in 1954 and later expanded and popularized by the humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers in 1956. Key features of unconditional positive regard include:

• Basic acceptance and support: It is the acceptance and support of a person regardless of what they say or do.

• Warm acceptance of the person: It means a genuine caring for the client.

• No conditions of acceptance: It is at the opposite pole from a selective evaluating attitude.

• Caring for the client: It means a caring for the client, but not in a possessive way or in such a way as simply to satisfy the therapists own needs.

Unconditional positive regard is not about liking a person or accepting everything they have done; its about respecting the person as a human being. It is a technique used in psychotherapy to encourage people to share their thoughts, feelings, and actions without fear of offending the therapist. It can help breed self-confidence, bolster motivation, and foster authenticity. Unconditional positive regard is most notably associated with person-centered therapy, or Rogerian therapy.