Essay On Personality Theories

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The study of personality theories of psychology is the section of psychology which studies individuals’ personalities and differences. A theory is a model that helps us predict or explain an outcome; in this case it is personality or behavior. Our personality is what makes us unique or different from other people. Many personality theorists may not feel the same about the development of personality or behavior but, they all are interested in the commonalities among people. How are people “put together,” how do they “work,” and how do they “fall apart.”
The psychodynamic theory emphasizes personality as primarily unconscious. Sigmund Freud thought everything derived from the human sex drive. Since the psychodynamic theories diverged from Freud’s psychoanalytic version, they share some common principles:
• Personality is determined both by current experiences and, as the original psychoanalytic theory proposed, by early life experiences
• We mentally transform our experiences, giving them meaning that shapers our personality
• The mind is not all consciousness; unconscious motives lie behind some of our puzzling behavior (King).
Alongside Freud there was Karen Horney and Carol Jung. Horney rejected the classical psychodynamic concept. Her view emphasized women’s positive qualities and self-evaluation. Jung believed that the roots of personality dates back all the way to the dawn of human existence. Jung’s theory contained the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes. Along with the psychodynamic theory we have the humanistic theory, the humanistic theory views stressing a person’s capacity for growth and positive human qualities. Abraham Maslow thought that we would better understand personality by focusing on examples ...

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...orism gained recognition of the mental processes in determining behavior. His theory states that behavior, environment, and person/cognitive factors are all important in understanding personality. Lastly, the biological theory can be explained as a physiological process that has been around since ancient time. Hippocrates believed personality was based off of bodily fluids, or humours. Freud believed that there was a strong connection between the mind and the body. On the other hand Allport described traits as being “neuropsychic” structures and personality as a “psychophysical” system. Murray thought if you had no brain then you wouldn’t have a personality (King).
The theory I most disagree with is the psychodynamic/psychoanalytic. Freud believed that everything evolved from the human sex drive. He thought it was the most important part of personality development.

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