personality theories psychology essay

Only available on StudyMode Read full document → Save to my library Running head: THEORIES OF PERSONALITY PSY 405 Theories of Personality January 31, 2011 Theories of Personality Humans are exceptionally unique and individual creatures. No two people are exactly the same. Even identical twins retain distinctiveness as their behaviors and qualities may be very different. The numerous differences that are observed among people can easily be attributed to the various characteristics and traits of each individual’s personality. Personality is completely exclusive and unique to the individual. Though several people may possess a certain behavioral or personality trait, no two individuals will share the same combination of characteristics and traits, the personality in its entirety. In Philip’s Encyclopedia, personality is defined as the “emotional, attitudinal and behavioral characteristics that distinguish an individual” (2008). Just as unique as personality are the psychologists and theories designed to explain it. Five main subgroups or theoretical approaches to studying, describing and explaining personality have been identified. These include the psychodynamic theories, humanistic theories, existential theories, dispositional theories, and learning theories. The psychodynamic theory is most notably attributed to the work of Sigmund Freud. This approach relies heavily on the influences of the unconscious mind. This theory also places great importance on the individual’s childhood as a source of influence in a person’s adult behavior and personality. Finally this theory emphasizes the growth of individual personality as a result of facing and overcoming conflict throughout the lifespan (2001). The humanistic approach looks at personality while stressing the unique aspects that separate humans from all other species. Elsevier’s Dictionary of Psychological Theories.
Personality is believed to be possessed by all people in differing degrees. How people tend to think, feel, and behave and what causes individuals to have these tendencies are questions addressed by personality theory and research. Whereas developmental psychology and social psychology have merged as a subject matter in psychology, personality has never truly found that unity. There has never been a fundamentally acceptable definition as to what personality is. These aspects have not prevented personality from being the subject of psychological research and theory-making. According to Dr. C. George Boeree What makes personality theories so interesting, I think, is that we can actually participate in the process. You don't need labs and federal funding, just a bit of intelligence, some motivation, and an open mind ( After reading the text, Perspectives on Personalities, by Charles S. Carver and Michael F. Scheier, I have to say that I am most drawn to the disposition and biological perspectives of personality theories. I believe that personality is by some means the central part of who we are and it is this belief that I feel that has kept personality under scrutiny and under debate for years. When comparing the two perspectives, it is easy to see how very interactive they are. Dispositional perspective is the most basic, traditional approach to personality. This perspective generates systems for categorizing and describing characteristics for which people differ, how they are consistent between situations, and how they are consistent over time ( With the biological perspective, I find it reasonable to assume that the cells and molecules that are used to form tissues and organs that make a human being play a role in shaping consciousness. In particular, I believe the nervous system, as well as the brain and spinal.
Enter Your Search Terms to Get Started! Personality theories;Type and Trait Before describing the major modern trait and type theories of personality the following key terms must be defined; trait, type and personality. A personality trait represents a continuous dimension and can be defined as a broad, stable and enduring characteristic which is used to explain behaviour (Phares&Chaplin, 1997). A personality type is defined by Lefton, (2000 p. 708 as a personality category in which broad collections of traits are loosely tied together and interrelated and which people can be grouped into. Personality can be broadly defined (Myers, 1986; Pervin&John, 2001)as the enduring characteristics of an individual that describe patterns of thinking, feelings and behaviour. The major modern trait and type theories of Gordon Allport, Raymond Cattell, Hans Eysenck and the Big Five vary in their approach and methods in their attempts to understand personality, yet all share the belief that personality can be understood and individual's behaviour could be explained and described by the use of types and traits. The trait and type personality psychologists used three methods in identifying important traits and types; the lexical approach, meaning the more important a word is the more often it will appear in language, the theoretical approach which focuses on the most significant dispositions and the statistical approach where extensive data is mathamatically analysed Liebert and Spiegler, 1990) to support their theories outlined in this essay. Allport is considered to be the founder of the modern type and trait school. Allport with Odbert, became the first researchers to conducted a lexical study of personality descriptors cited in Ewen, 1940 and develop a system to classify traits. From the results of this study, Allport developed a theory which divided traits into three groups with.
by Saul McLeod published 2014 Before you write your essay it's important to analyse the task and understand exactly what the essay question is asking. It is possible your lecturer will give you some advice - pay attention to this as it will help you plan your answer.Next conduct preliminary reading based on your lecture notes. At this stage it's not crucial to have a robust understanding of key theories or studies, but you should at least have a general 'gist' of the literature.After reading, plan a response to the task. This plan could be in the form of a mind map, a summary table, or by writing a core statement (which encompass the entire argument of your essay in just a few sentences). After writing your plan conduct supplementary reading and refine your plan and make it more detailed. It is tempting to skip these preliminary steps and just write the first draft while reading at the same time. However, reading and planning will make the essay writing process easier, quicker, and ensure a higher quality essay is produced. Now let us look at what constitutes a good essay in psychology. There are a number of important features. A Global Structure - structure the material in a way that allows for a logical sequence of ideas. Each paragraph / statement should follow sensibly from its predecessor. The essay should 'flow'. The introduction, main body and conclusion should all be linked. Each paragraph should comprise a main theme which are illustrated and developed through a number of points (supported by evidence). Knowledge and Understanding - recognise, recall and show understanding on a range of scientific material that accurately reflects the main theoretical perspectives. Critical Evaluation - arguments should be supported by appropriate evidence and/or theory from the literature. Evidence of independent thinking, insight and evaluation of the evidence. Quality of.