Final answer:
A central goal of person-centered therapy is not to promote hardier defense mechanisms, but to support personal growth and self-awareness by providing a therapeutic environment of unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a central goal of person-centered therapy is to promote hardier defense mechanisms is false. Person-centered therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, is not about strengthening defense mechanisms, but rather about promoting growth, self-awareness, and self-actualization.
In person-centered therapy, the goal is to provide an environment of unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness, which Rogers believed were critical for individuals to be able to address and work through their problems.
Defense mechanisms often operate unconsciously to protect individuals from anxiety or uncomfortable truths, but the emphasis in person-centered therapy is on conscious reflection and understanding of one's emotions and behaviors to bring about personal change.