...Personality Overview Marty Annette Hill PSY/405 Instructor: Tyron A. Stern, MA April 4, 2013 Personality Overview Introduction Understanding what makes one person unique from another, is one of psychology’s primary goals. Toward that end, many psychologists have delved into the subject of personality (Meacham, 2012). There is no shortage of personality theories among psychologists and researchers today as many continue their search to understand how personality is developed. Some definitions of personality may have stemmed from how theorists chose to explore the topic. According to the article Personality Theories (2001), “personality theories can be categorized into five main classes, as psychoanalytical, humanistic, behavioristic, social-cognitive, and as trait theories” (Para. 1). This essay purposes to analyze the strengths and limitations of two of the five main classes of personality theories; namely, the psychoanalytic and individual psychological theories. Both theories will be compared and contrasted in relationship to their basic assumptions, deterministic versus free-will positions, and conscious versus unconscious motives for behavior. Personality Theories Analyzed In the field of psychology, there is currently no agreed-upon definition of personality among psychologists (Feist & Feist, 2009). Each person is unique and so is his or her personality. Since many personalities are vastly different from one another, exploring various theories...
Words: 1395 - Pages: 6
...Personality Overview PSY/405 Personality Overview Personality is observed in many ways. Many elements can have an effect on how an individual adapts and uses his or her personality to control a situation. Two very different theories come to mind when understanding the variations in a person’s personality. Although many people may have similar traits, there are underlying specifications to why people behave the way they do. As both Karen Horney, and Sigmund Freud have some interesting and similar theories on personality, both are independently different. Karen Horney’s psychoanalytical theory was built on the assumption social and cultural conditions, especially childhood experiences are largely responsible for shaping personality (Feist & Feist, 2009). People have displayed basic hostility (or anxiety) toward people based on unsatisfied emotions of love and affection as a child, therefore adopting one of three different fundamental styles of anxiety; moving toward people, moving against people, or moving away from people. Some strengths of the psychoanalytical theory include the ability to change behavior, and modify behavior to life problem free with others. Limitations are far and few with the vision of oneself, he or she can visualize life the way it can be, and put truth or consequence of adding value to a way of life. Both strengths and limitation can be addressed both consciously and unconsciously. Typically dreams, goals, or ambitions can manifest in the...
Words: 832 - Pages: 4
...Personality Overview December 9, 2013 Lori McClaskey University of Phoenix Psy-405 Stephen Brown When you watch your child grow from a very needful infant in to a productive member of the community you witness the development of his/her personality. How does one explain where a personality comes from? Several theorist have given their answer to this question based on their own life experience. In this paper I will review and compare two personality theories. I will review the strengths and weaknesses each one presents from my own perspective. I will also see how they relate to the conscious and unconscious mind. Psychoanalytic Social Theory Karen Horney made assumptions and based on her assumptions Psychoanalytic theory was born. This theory was based on childhood experiences, social and cultural conditions causing the personality to get its form. Basically, if one does not have all the needs met in childhood such as love, acceptance then the person forms hostility toward their parents. This also led to basic anxiety. Horney theorized that people combat basic anxiety by adopting one of three fundamental styles of relating to others: (1) moving toward people, (2) moving against people, or (3) moving away from people (Feist &Feist, 2009). Karen Horney used her life as a guide for her theory ad she is well known for her work with Neurotic personality. People can protect themselves from basic anxiety through a number of protective devices, including (1) affection...
Words: 1193 - Pages: 5
...Introduction to Personality Introduction to Personality As organisms are born there are certain characteristics that make them unique and different from any other organism. These characteristics are what make their personalities. The personality is an inner part of the organism it comes from within the organism and is not so much developed from the environment. As the organism develops and grows into themselves these characteristic s continue to surface in the organisms life because it stays consistent with whom the organism is as a whole. The behavior is different for the organism than ‘any other organism that may be classified in the same group of life. The definition of personality is the behavior, characteristic patterns and the thoughts of the organism(Hall, 1957). As the organism begins to mature in age these patterns continue throughout the life of the organism(Feist & Feist, 2009). In order to recognize the behavior; or personality of an individual you would have to observe those behavior that remain consistent throughout their life. Personality is demonstrated in any living organism not just human beings anything that is living that has a will. The will in the living organism is where the organism decided in their response to any giving situation in life. All of the living organism also act off of their personalities when needed and none of the personalities are the same and do not have the same actions (Hall, 1957).You can tell how a person...
Words: 975 - Pages: 4
...Personality is a trait that everyone possesses. What are the people’s thoughts, how do they feel, and how do people behave and what causes people to contain these predisposition are questions asked by personality theory and their research. Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology have united to form as a subject matter in Psychology, and personality has not yet found the unity. In this paper we will analyzes the strengths and limitation, compare and contrast, and explains the underlying assumptions of the theories of psychologist Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. The paper suggested that the force in these underlying assumptions exist in their clearness that allows common people to understand these difficult concepts. The paper also discusses the disagreement with deterministic versus free will, even though Jung and Freud were biased toward determinism, which means that the environment or genetics predetermines individuals behavior and life. Carl Jung broke away from Freud and developed his own theory known as the Analytical Psychology, which resided on the assumption that the supernatural phenomena that will influence everyone’s lives. Jung believed, “that each of us is motivated not only be repressed experiences but also by certain emotionally toned experiences inherited from our ancestors” (Feist, & Feist, (2009). Jung also believed that the inherited images that he called the collective unconscious which involved aspect that people have never gone through individually but...
Words: 302 - Pages: 2
...Psychodynamic Personalities Overview Angela Harris PSY/405 December 4, 2012 Dr. Patricia Stem Personality Overview Theories of Personality like other topics in psychology consist of many theories along with a very diverse group of theorists who developed these theories. Like other theories in psychology there are strengths and weaknesses that have to be examined. The purpose of this paper is to discuss two theories of personality, the psychoanalytic theory and the interpersonal theory. This paper will focus on a comparison of the two theories, the basic assumption of each, deterministic versus free will and the conscious motives versus the unconscious motives in a person’s behavior. The creator of the Psychoanalytic Social theory was Karen Horney. Horney’s psychoanalytic social theory devoted the same emphasis on society, just like Adler and Erikson. She developed her theory based on the assumptions that society and culture are major contributors to one’s personality development. One assumption in her theory is that a person’s social and the cultural experiences are primarily responsible for the shaping of an individual’s character. (Feist, & Feist, 2009). Other assumptions that Horney had was the importance of a child being raised in a stable loving environment. Horney believed that if a child’s parents did not provide a loving, stable environment, he or she could develop basic hostility, which could lead to basic anxiety. Horney also...
Words: 609 - Pages: 3
...Chapter Overview of Personality and Emotions Personality Personality is a dynamic concept describing the growth and development of a person’s whole psychological system. Personality looks at some aggregate whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment. Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts to and interacts with others. It is most often described in terms of measurable traits that a person exhibits. A review of the personality literature offers general guidelines that can lead to effective job performance. As such, it can improve hiring, transfer, and promotion decisions. Because personality characteristics create the parameters for people’s behavior, they give us a framework for predicting behavior. For example, individuals who are shy, introverted, and uncomfortable in social situations would probably be ill-suited as salespeople. Individuals who are submissive and conforming might not be effective as advertising “idea” people. Can we predict which people will be high performers in sales, research, or assembly-line work on the basis of their personality characteristics alone? The answer is no. Personality assessment should be used in conjunction with other information such as skills, abilities, and experience. However, knowledge of an individual’s personality can aid in reducing mismatches...
Words: 1045 - Pages: 5
...Personality Overview LeeAnne Valentine PSY/405 August 26, 2013 Robert Irrizarry Personality Overview There are various of theories that involve in the development of personalities. Some are similar, and some are different. There are two personalities of interest, in which are psychodynamic and humanistic. Personality has many definitions and is viewed differently by many psychologists (Feist & Feist, 2009). Theorists have many views and definition regarding what personality is, but most will agree that personality makes a person who he or she is, what he or she is inside, and where he or she come. Personality is not something that can come out of thin air because if that happened, the development of personality would never happen. According to Feist and Feist (2009), “personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior (Feist & Feist, 2009). This meant that personality will have traits which contributes to different behavior patterns in an individual throughout a time. Characteristics are qualities, that include intelligence, physique, and temperament. Psycodynamic Theory Sigmund Freud was responsible for coining the term, “psychodynamic theory,” in which is one of the most proflic personalities to be studied. Freud came up with the term in understanding the human personality through analyzing the dreams that he had himself, and experiences he...
Words: 1160 - Pages: 5
...Personality Overview Kimberly Hayes August 4, 2013 Dr. Bernard Wakley There are many different personality theories that differ from one another and offer different perspectives. Being able to understand personality’s helps with a better understanding of what motivates people. Though there is no set definition of personality many theorists have different theories to explain it and understand it better. The purpose of this paper is to choose two theories of personality, analyze the strengths and limitations, and also compare and contrast them. According to (Feist & Feist, (2009), Freud believed that unconscious contained all of the instincts, urges, and drives that were beyond awareness, but could motivate actions, words, and feelings. But one question that came up was how one could really know if the unconscious exists when it is not available to the conscious mind. His answer was that repression, the meanings behind dreams, and even when there is a slip of the tongue explained it. The first of the modern theories of personality was developed by Sigmund Freud. His theory was called the psychoanalytic theory. According to (Feist & Feist, (2009), this theory is the most famous of all of the personality theories. Freud used his experiences with patients, and his own dreams to get his understanding of personality. Freud’s greatest contribution to the theory of personality was his belief that individuals were motivated by drives which he believed were divided...
Words: 1316 - Pages: 6
...Personality Overview Todd Morgan PSY/405 August 5, 2013 Mark J. Schmitz, PhD Personality Overview “Personality” is the term used to define or describe the traits and characteristics of an individual. At one point in life, almost every person has been asked to describe someone else. When doing this, the person is describing another’s personality. Over the years, there have been many theories created to assist in the in the understanding of humanistic behaviors. In the following paragraphs, the researchers who created two of these personality theories will be discussed, compared, and contrasted. The first theory was authored by Sigmund Freud and is the most popular. However, it seems most people have a distinct opinion of him. They either love or hate him. Freud’s personality theory seems to be ingrained in many people’s minds, whether they are informed about psychology or not. The author of the second personality theory is Alfred Adler. At one time, Adler was an invited guest to Freud’s house on Wednesday evenings. Adler and Freud, along with other respected colleagues, discussed their theories during these gatherings. Adler did not like the idea of people considering him a Freudian follower. He continually stated that his theory was very different from Freud’s studies. When comparing the two theories, the underlying assumptions each will be reviewed: deterministic vs. free will and awareness of self (conscious and unconscious). In addition, this paper will show that the...
Words: 1297 - Pages: 6
... | | |Theories of Personality | Copyright © 2010, 2009, 2007 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course surveys the field of personality from a scientific perspective, examining the general approaches to understanding personality. The key theorists and concepts associated with each perspective are highlighted, along with the strengths and limitations of the different approaches. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Feist, J., & Feist, G. J. (2009). Theories of personality (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. All electronic materials are available on the student website. |Week One: Introduction to Personality...
Words: 1554 - Pages: 7
...Running head: PERSONALITY OVERVIEW Personality Overview Joyce Hauk University of Phoenix Theories of Personality PSY/405 Jackie Grimmett Jun 16, 2012 Personality Overview Various theories allow a multitude of perspectives and since there are numerous personalities that differ from each other immensly, diverse theories are necessary for a better perspective of an individual. Personality theories are best explained by viewing two different theories and comparing how they operate against one another. Comparing these theories can help one discover more about their own personal strengths and weaknesses, assumptions, limitations, as well as what information is considered when attempting to enlightenment an individual about their personality. Choosing just one theory is certainly not easy as there are several interesting theories’ that can help show why a person is the way he or she is. When talking about assumptions and propositions made by Sigmund Freud regarding personality it is almost unfeasible not to stagger; at least for most people. What does this say regarding Freud? Perhaps one might find that even today’s society Freud is still recognized as the greatest theorist concerning personality research. Despite all the fame Freud’s theory received copious amounts of controversy. The only way to make Freud’s theory more interesting is to compare it against other theories. By comparing many theories, one can come to a deeper understanding for any theory. ...
Words: 1401 - Pages: 6
...Personality Overview Paper Socrates Garcia Sr, September 22, 2011 PSY/ 405 Leslie Fuentes Personality Overview Paper Like many things in psychology there is a wide selection of personality theories as well as theorist that contributed to the theories. Just like other theories in psychology all of the theories dealing with a person’s personality have their strengths as well as their weaknesses and limitations. This paper is going to cover two of the theories of personality, psychoanalytic social theory and interpersonal theory. The paper is going to focus on comparing the two theories by covering their basic assumptions, comparing the behavior in regards to all the free will, that’s finally going over to the unconscious versus all the conscious motives for a person’s behaviors. Psychoanalytic Social Theory Assumptions The creator or the originator of the psychoanalytic social theory was Karen Horney. The most basic assumption underlying the theory is the social and the cultural experiences; special experiences in childhood, these are primarily responsible for the shaping an individual’s Character (Feist & Feist, 2009). Horney was unlike other theorists didn’t rule out biological factors as influencing a person’s personality development. She also didn’t limit childhood experiences that happened to be traumatic in the terms of stages of development. Horney was similar to Freud as she believed that people were driven by a force in life; while Freud believed...
Words: 1553 - Pages: 7
...Personality Overview Theories of personality are truly amazing as each theorist speculates from his or her own point of view. All theories are a reflection of their author’s personal background, childhood experiences, interpersonal relationships, philosophy of life and the way they look at the world (feist & feist, 2009). In the following document strengths and limitations will be discussed in relation to underlying assumptions, deterministic versus free will, and awareness of self through conscious and unconscious motives for behavior. The psychoanalytic theory presented by Sigmund Freud paved the way for future psychoanalysts to add their own theories. According to McLeod (2007) Psychodynamic approach assumptions include our feelings that are powerfully affected by unconscious motives. Our behavior and feelings as adults are rooted in our childhood experiences and all behavior has a cause, even slips of the tongue. Therefore all behavior is determined. Personality is made up of three parts and behavior is motivated by two instinctual drives. Parts of the unconscious mind are in constant conflict with the conscious part of the mind. According to Berryhill, (2011) one major concept and underlying assumption of Freud’s theory subdivides the human mind into three distinct categories. According to his theory the components of the mind include the conscious, preconscious and the subconscious areas. The conscious mind also includes our current thinking processes, behaviors and...
Words: 1411 - Pages: 6
...The theories of personality make for an interesting topic of discussion. It has become known that traits and characteristics individuate personality. However, there is single way to describe someone’s personality. Comparing and contrasting Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung; each has perspectives with different and similar basic or underlying assumptions, describing the relationship between deterministic and free will concepts of humanity, and motives for behavior such as awareness of self. Each proposes strengths and limitations within the theory they describe as well. Underlying Assumptions When explaining concepts of personality, one cannot turn a blind eye to Sigmund Freud as he was an innovative mastermind in psychodynamic theory; better known as psychoanalysis. It is a form of theory as well as therapy for individuals to motivate behavior. He treated neurotic disorders for which there were no physical causes leading him to discover psychic determinism. This is an idea that exhibited behavior and personality are determined by psychological factors rather biological conditions or current life events (Westmont Psychology, 2002). He also believes that the unconscious mind controls part of someone’s personality. He explains that the unconscious psychological process determines thought, feelings, and behavior. Thus he created methods for exploring the unconscious known as free association, and analysis of dreams. Two cornerstones of psychoanalysis are sex and aggression because Freud...
Words: 1091 - Pages: 5
