...and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality People often speak of personality as if it were a product such as a colored tie that gave life to an old suit. Not only that, sometimes we speak as if personality consisted of attractive and admirable traits: affection, charm, honesty. But as we shall see in this paper, for a psychologist’s personality is much more complex than that, it involves the regular use of the term, and includes both positive and negative traits. Another aspect of our definition is that personality persists across time and situations. Whether reflect our own conduct or interpret the acts of another person, we hope to find consistency. If someone is friendly someday, we would be surprised if they show rough the next day. If a relative, who is normally quiet and attentive, suddenly becomes aggressive and disrespectful, we often care about and seek an explanation. We know that life is not as predictable as a TV series, but we expect a degree of consistency, a pattern that reflects the unique personality of each individual. And when faced with the inconsistency, we suspect that something is wrong. Thus, the personality concept gives some degree of predictability and stability to the individual. As we analyzed the biological and humanistic approaches to personality, we encountered that Feist and Feist, (Feist, 2009), said that “although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can...
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...9 CHAPTER PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 348 CHAPTER OUTLINE module 29 Psychodynamic Approaches to Personality Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory: Mapping the Unconscious Mind The Neo-Freudian Psychoanalysts: Building on Freud Try It! The Life Orientation Test Projective Methods Behavioral Assessment Becoming an Informed Consumer of Psychology: Assessing Personality Assessments module 30 Trait, Learning, Biological and Evolutionary, and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Trait Approaches: Placing Labels on Personality Learning Approaches: We Are What We’ve Learned Biological and Evolutionary Approaches: Are We Born with Personality? Humanistic Approaches: The Uniqueness of You Try It! Assessing Your Real and Ideal Self-Concept Comparing Approaches to Personality module 32 Intelligence Theories of Intelligence: Are There Different Kinds of Intelligence? Practical Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence: Toward a More Intelligent View of Intelligence Assessing Intelligence Variations in Intellectual Ability Exploring Diversity: The Relative Influence of Genetics and Environment: Nature, Nurture, and IQ Psychology on the Web The Case of . . . Mike and Marty Scanlon, the Unlikely Twins Profiles of Success: Raymond J. Matlock Full Circle: Personality and Individual Differences module 31 Assessing Personality: Determining What Makes Us Distinctive Self-Report Measures of Personality Who was the Real Bernie Madoff? To some, Bernard L. Madoff was an affable, charismatic...
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...Different Approaches to Personality I will discuss both the biological and humanistic approach. I will then talk about their similarities and differences. Before we delve into that I would first like to talk a bit more about Maslow. Before Abraham Maslow came up with a synthesized research about human motivation, researchers had basically focused separately on different factors such as achievement, biology, or power to try and explain what really directs, energizes and sustains our human behavior. Maslow later pointed a hierarchy of human needs that are based on two major groupings: growth needs and deficiency needs. As for the deficiency needs, each of the lower needs has to be met before one can move up to the next higher level (Maslow & Lowery, 1998). It’s only in a future instance during a moment of deficiency that an individual then decides to act again so as to satisfy the deficiency. There is now more then just Maslow’s approach to personality and I will now try to explain them to the best of my knowledge. The biological and humanistic approaches are two of six psychology approaches. The remaining four approaches are Psychoanalytic, trait, behavioral, and cognitive. These are all different ways to approach personality. They each describe how we gain our personalities and what affects them. The approach used depends on the therapist and client’s personalities. Some are more effective then others. The effectiveness is determined by our personalities. I believe it is...
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...It is no argument that all people come from different backgrounds. As a result may have developed different beliefs and values. One thing that is for curtained is all people have some sort a personality. Personality tells a story of what to expect from a person. Some theories just as people produce different beliefs. Sigmund Freud approach to personality focus on the unconscious mind. He believes that personality is developing by internal factors. On the other hand B.F. Skinner believes that personality id developed by external environment ("Sigmund Freud Life Work and Theories", 2006). Sigmund Freud, an Austrian physician developed psychoanalytic theory in the early 1900s. They believe that ones conscious experience contributes only a small portion to his or her psychological makeup and experience. Sigmund Freud argument is that individual’s behavior is motivated by the unconscious, the unconscious functions from an area of personality that contains memories, knowledge, beliefs, feelings urges, drives, and instincts which the individual is not aware ("Sigmund Freud Life Work and Theories", 2006). Freud maintained that to understand personality, it is necessary to expose what is in the unconscious. According to Freud personality is determined by unconsciousness. For example according to the text “some of the unconscious is made up of the preconscious, which contains material that is not threading and is easily brought to mind, such as the knowledge that 2+2=4 ("Sigmund Freud...
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...Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Tamanieka Fields PSY/250 December21, 2015 Anney Synder Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. American Psychological Association (2013), "the discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience — from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged" (para. 1). American Psychological Association (2013), "in every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental health care services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists". Feist and Feist, (2009), “although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior” (p. 4). There are varying aspects that determine personality. Also, there are varying different approaches concerning the development of personality in psychology. An approach is a certain perspective involving particular assumptions; that is, in regard to personality for instance, the development of personality and what aspects affect such development. In regard to such approaches to personality, two approaches in particular, that is, biological and humanistic approaches provide explanations as to the development of personality. Not only do these two approaches explain the development...
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...Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Kris Ruth PSY/250 Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Understanding the Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality can help an individual determine the reason for their personalities. Every person has his or her unique personality about himself or herself. Our personality is what makes each individual different from one another. Personalities controls out emotion, unconscious feeling, and behavior making it difficult to determine how a person will react to certain situation. Using the Maslow’s Hirarchy needs can help demonstrate the reason for humanistic approaches and the growth influence of each individual personality. Using the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs growth influence personality based on five major categories of each individual. The first is physiological needs such as food, clothing, sleep, oxygen, and shelter. To get through life individuals personality has to encounter the physiological need in order to live as a human. The second level is safety and security, each individual has a sense that he or she feels he or she has to be protected from others in certain circumstances. Having that pride makes the individual feel secure. Once an individual develops a since of security the third category includes needs, such as sense of belonging and loved. These feelings formatted as a cycle; while an individual feels secure, the feeling of wanting to be love and feeling of being accepted come...
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...Introduction to Personality When describing personality, one must take many factors into consideration. The definition itself is complex as there are many different opinions depending on the many theories of personality development. The New Big Five article by McAdams and Pals describe the unique facets of personality psychology. The factors that influence individual’s persona are many and are briefly mentioned in this essay. Personality Defined It is difficult to define personality. Each personality theorist has their own opinion depending on their own personal experiences (Feist & Feist, 2009). Although there is not a single specific definition for personality, each personality theorist has a distinct idea of the meaning of the word personality (Feist & Feist, 2009). A definition that may describe personality pertains to the unique traits and characteristics that relate to behavior that individuals possess that make them special and different from others (Feist & Feist, 2009). The authors further distinguish traits and characteristics. Traits could be distinctive, or they could be shared by a certain species (Feist & Feist, 2009). It is the pattern of the traits that distinguishes personality (Feist & Feist, 2009). Characteristics are also unique and have to do with “attributes as temperament, physique, and intelligence” (Feist & Feist, 2009, p. 4). Theoretical Approaches to Personality Although there are several theoretical...
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...Introduction into Personality Introduction into Personality This paper is an attempt to examine personality theory. This endeavor begins with a look into the definition of personality. Following the look into the definition of personality one will find intriguing information regarding theoretical approaches in studying personality. Finally, one will find an analysis of factors that may influence an individual’s personality development. According to Feist and Feist (2009), there is no single definition of personality. Psychologists provide many definitions of personality, each from a perspective different from the others. Although each personality theorist maintains his or her view of personality, few precisely have defined it (Feist & Feist, 2009). To define personality formally would be an extremely difficult task for multiple reasons. First, no two people have the same personalities. Although no single definition of personality exists, most agree that personality is linked to unique characteristics and permanent traits, also that it represents the totality of one’s being. According to Feist and Feist (2009), an individual’s traits are contributing factors to the differences in behavior from one individual to the next. Although, some individuals may have some of the same traits, the pattern is unique for each individual. Therefore each individual has a matchless personality. Characteristics are unique among individuals as well, including aspects such as...
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...Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Paper By: LaTreena Alexander PSY/250 December 5, 2014 John Muench The biological approaches to personality are important elements needed in order to analyze each part of the process effectively. The information being presented uses Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to discuss the extent to which growth needs influence personality formation. The biological factors that influence the formation of personality are being described while the relationship of biological factors to Maslow’s theory of personality is being examined. The basic aspects of humanistic theory that are incompatible with biological explanations of personality are thoroughly explained within this informative paper. Through analyzing and researching Maslow’s hierarchy of needs one can get the full basic knowledge and understanding of how growth needs influence personality. Maslow made a pyramid known as the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which was all based on two different groups made up of deficiency needs and growth needs. Within the deficiency needs there are lower needs that have to be attended to before moving on to higher needs, and once this happens a person can act to remove a deficiency in one is ever found in the future. The first four levels of needs are physiological such as hunger and thirst, safety and security, a sense of belongingness and love with others, and esteem to achieve specific goals or to gain approval for an achievement. According to...
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...Defining personality Defining personality Introduction From time to time one will come to terms that not everyone is alike. Once we realize that not one person looks alike to another, we finally come to terms that everyone acts differently. One person might always be happy and show it to the world whereas another person is always happy but doesn’t show it like the first person this person might be shyer versus the other individual who is more outgoing. In this paper you will fine personality defined, different theoretical approaches in studying personality and factors that may influence an individual’s personality development. Defining Personality Personality originated from the Latin word persona. In some way personality is the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character. In other words it is what makes up an individual. There are many theories of personality, a short version is that personality is more or less made up of different types of characteristic patterns some are thoughts, feelings, and behavior an individual might have. Personality may be a believed to be something that is born with a person, but some research suggest that it is also influenced by different types of biological process and needs that an individual might have. Theoretical approaches There are numerous amounts of different theories on personality and how it comes to be, but first to understand a theory one might ask what a theory is? “A...
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...Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Toni Hitner PSY/250 October 19, 2011 Mackenzie Glander Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality In this paper, I will show you how Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers agreed on the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and also the biological and humanistic approach. “The hierarchy of needs theory remains valid today for understanding human motivation, management training, and personal development” (Orana, 2009). Maslow’s book Personality and Motivation was published in 1954 introducing his theory of the hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) first introduced his concept of the hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper, “A Theory of Human Motivation”. This hierarchy (formerly known as Maslow’s triangle) suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to the next level of needs. The lowest part of the pyramid is made up of the most basic needs, while the more complicated needs are located at the top of the pyramid. As people progress up the pyramid, the needs become more psychological and social. Carl Rogers and Maslow emphasized on the importance of self-actualization. There are five different levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as follows: The first level is the physiological needs level. “These level includes the most basic needs that is needed for survival, such as food, water, air, shelter, and sleep” (Cherry, 2010). Maslow believed that these needs...
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...Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Cecil A. Shelton Psy/250 3/20/14 Nicole Jack Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Our environment defines the needs and the order that we require those necessities to be met. Dr. James D. Watson “claims that who we are is there in our genes.” –unless you were African whom Watson felt had an inferior genetic code (the latter remark resulted in dismissal from a prestigious research laboratory) (Friedman & Schustack, 2011). Biologically, we are destined to exist in a manner that is predetermined by our ancestors however; humanistic factors suggest that our environmental influences create a personality unrelated to our needs. Mind, body, and soul collide in these two worlds of biological and humanistic approaches and evaluating the basic aspects shall reveal either the truth or just create more questions. According to Friedman and Schustack, biological factors combine with the other aspects of personality in complex ways to produce patterns of behavior. A human beings temperament plays a very significant role in developing traits that are used to bridge childhood to adult formation. Abraham Maslow states, ``Self-actualizing people are gratified in all their basic needs of belongingness, affection, respect, and self-esteem (Norwood, 2014). These essentials require a person to be extremely honest with the person in the mirror because not doing so can lead to not identifying the minimum goals...
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...Psychodynamic & Humanistic/Existential Approaches Psychodynamic & Existential/Humanistic Theories Psychodynamic and existential/humanistic theories vary greatly in their approach, dynamic, and assumptions. The succeeding compares and contrasts the two theoretical approaches paying attention to the assumptions presented by each approach, motives for behavior, and whether the approach is deterministic or not. To gain more perspective into each approach it is essential to learn about the different theories and theorists that developed and contributed to each. The key psychodynamic theorists presented include Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, Melanie Klein, Karen Horney, and Harry Stack-Sullivan. On the other side, the theorists that contributed to the existential/humanistic approach include Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Rollo May. Psychodynamic Theorists and Theories The founder of the psychodynamic approach to personality and psychoanalysis was Sigmund Freud. Freud’s views were focused mainly on sex and aggression as the basis for human motivation (Feist & Feist, 2009). According to Freud there are three distinct parts of human personality; the id, the ego and the super ego. And also three levels of consciousness; unconscious, preconscious and conscious. The two sets of three coincide with the id being part of the unconscious, the ego a part of both pre-consciousness and consciousness and the super ego also a part of the unconscious. A general assumption...
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...Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality By, Keyanna PSY/250 10/05/15 Christine Hander Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality Abraham Maslow was one of the founders of humanistic psychology. Unlike the psychologist before him, he decided to study healthy human beings and their traits and come up with his own theory of why people are the way they are. While casting his studies, he came up with his hierarchy of needs theory. This theory is often explained and envisioned as a pyramid. The most basic needs were at the bottom. They consisted of food, breathing and air, sex, water, sleep and a lot of other things we take for granted daily. The second from the bottom involved safety and how feeling safe in your environment affects you. These characteristics are security of employment, morality, family safety, health and property. Third from the bottom was love and belonging. These traits are friendship, family and sexual encounters. Second from the top is where esteem lies. These traits consist of self-esteem, confidence, respect of others and for others and achievement. At the very top of the pyramid is where self-actualization lies. Self-actualization consist of morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, and lack of prejudice and acceptance of facts (Wikipedia.com 2015). In his hierarchical of needs, lower needs have to be largely satisfied in order for higher needs to become of importance (Friedman & Schustack, 2011). I must admit...
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...Introduction Personality theorist are interested in the structure of an individual, how are people “put together”, how do they “work” and how do they “fall apart” (Boeree, n.d). Other personality theorists go as far as saying that they are looking for the essence of life, what it means to be a human being. Since the science of personality can be so complex, many psychologists have dedicated their life to the field of personality, attempting to understand and clarify what makes each individual unique and different from everyone. Several personality theories were born in the course of time, two of those theories of personality are called psychoanalytical and humanistic theories. This paper will further explain each of them, their strengths and limitations, their assumption, amongst other crucial factors for each approach. Psychodynamic Theories Various psychologists contributed to the formation of psychodynamic theories of personality including Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Melanie Klein, Harry S. Sullivan, along with others, yet one of the most influential psychologists in psychodynamic theories was Sigmund Freud. While Freud’s theories were later changed or dismissed, his ideas and research were used by many others and have greatly influenced society as it is currently known; moreover his psychoanalytic theory was the original and primary psychodynamic theory which was adjusted by some of his followers previously mentioned. According to McLeod (2007), the psychodynamic...
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