Psychologists Bauer, Schwab, and McAdams conducted research with a grant from the Foley Family Foundation on the paradox surrounding psychosocial maturity and self-actualization in relation to well-being. “They were attempting to provide a theoretical explanation for how well-being might emerge normatively at the highest stage of psychosocial maturity. They researched several theories of personality development that posit a highest stage of development that parallels Maslow’s stage of self-actualizing, among the theories studied were the integrated stage of Loevinger’s (1976) ego development (ED), inter-individual self-understanding in Kegan’s (1982) model of the evolving self, universalizing faith in Fowler’s (1981) model of faith development, …show more content…
Allport’s theory bases its assumptions on both physical and psychological factors. Allport’s individual structure of a personality describes an individual’s unique characteristics that define his or her personality. He refers to these characteristics as personal dispositions, which includes cardinal dispositions, central dispositions, and secondary dispositions (Schultz 198). According to Allport, “a cardinal trait is so pervasive and influential that it touches almost every aspect of a person’s life; it is a powerful source that dominates behavior. Cardinal dispositions are not part of everyone’s personality but tend to dominate or take precedence over other characteristics; cardinal dispositions can include characteristics, such as womanizing, extreme chauvinistic, and homophobic tendencies, which appears to be part of Charlie Sheen’s characteristics. A central trait describes our behavior, such as aggressiveness, self-pity, and cynicism. Secondary traits, which appear much less consistently than cardinal and …show more content…
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory infers that the individual as a whole experiences the motivation for the need and not simply a specific part of the individual. He believed that an individual’s behavior will occur as a result of more than one motivating factor. For example, the need for love can also mean this individual desires an increase in his or her self-image, acceptance by others, belonging, human contact, or other such factors of love. Maslow’s concept assumes that lower level needs must be satisfied or at least relatively satisfied before higher level needs become motivators. He also believed that if needs go unmet or were deficient, that it creates a pathology in that individual resulting in malnutrition, fatigue, loss of energy, obsession with sex, and so on. In other words, to reach the higher level of self-actualization, the lower level needs must be at a level of satisfaction within the individual. Maslow looked for motivation behind every action, whereas Allport looked for definitive traits that describe the individual’s personality. Allport was more invested in the idea that uniqueness played a certain role in maintaining the progression toward becoming a “healthy adult” and his studies leaned more toward philosophical speculation and common sense. Allport’s research on personality regarding the different
Abraham Maslow arranged human needs into a hierarchy of five needs, starting with the most important needs which are physiological needs such as, hunger, thirst, and warmth. He then went all the way up to the least important which is self-actualization that is known as the fulfillment of unique potentials. His hierarchy of needs is depicted in a pyramidal form with the most important needs at the bottom as a base and the least important towards the top. According to Maslow, self-actualization is becoming what we believe we are capable of being he also believed that self -actualization is as important as physiological needs. Many people desire to reach self-actualization because
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is shaped like a pyramid. The first level or “base” of the pyramid consists of Physiological needs, such as: breathing, food, water, and sleep. The second level is labeled as Safety, involving security of body, resources, morality, family, and property. The third level includes Love for self, friends, and family, and the fourth level is titled Esteem such as: self-esteem, confidence, achievement, and respect of and by others. The fifth and final level is called Self-Actualization, and consists of creativity, morality, lack of prejudice and spontaneity. Maslow states that to fulfill these needs, you must start from the very bottom and work your way up, and that if your most basic
Allen is an individual motivated by the desire to enhance his life and achieve specific goals. Making him an excellent example of Rogers views on self-actualization. Allen also exhibits distinct characteristics that correspond with concepts in Rogers theory. He displays an organismic valuing process throughout his life as he dreams of attending college and finding a more fulfilling career. Additionally, through Rogers theory we are able to identify key components of Allen’s self-concept; mainly that he feels as if he is not the person people believe him to be. This feeling of inconsistency in perceived self and true self lends itself to Rogers’ concept of incongruence in personality. Allen exhibits all of these characteristics and more based on the limited information provided. Ultimately, Allen identifies his goal as a desire to move forward towards more competency and an enhanced
Gordon Allport one of the strongest key figures of trait theory defines trait as the widespread and personalized decisive tendencies, consistent and unwavering modes of individual’s adjustments to his surroundings. According to Allport’s view there are four distinctive trait concepts: cardinal trait, central trait, functional autonomy, and secondary disposition. Cardinal trait indicates the disposition that is persistent and salient in the life of a person that virtually every act is attributable to its influence. Central trait is a nature to behave in a specific way in a variety of situations. Functional autonomy refers to an individual’s motivation that may become independent of its origins; in particular, these motives during adulthood might differ from the
Psychologist Abraham Maslow created the hierarchy of needs, outlining and suggesting what a person need to reach self-actualization and reveal the true potential of themselves. In the model, Maslow propose that a person has to meet basic needs in order to reach the true potential of themselves. Biological/physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging need, esteem needs according to Maslow is the fundamental frame for reaching the peak of self. The last need to be met on the scale
Our book was divided into different chapters on various theorists and explained the major theories of personality that were proposed by the different psychologists. One of the theories that we learned about was the trait theories. Gordan Allport introduced the trait theory and his theory suggested that individual personalities are primarily composed of broad dispositions’. Eysenck’s three dimensions of Personality was also a part of the trait theory. Eysenck developed that model of personality upon three universal trails. And at last, the trait theory had the Big five dimensions which proposed that there are give basic dimensions of personality. One of the four conclusions in our textbook suggested that “until more unambiguous empirical research is available, the best one can do is to evaluate the various theories personally, and to accept concepts that make sense and reject those that do not”(531).
In 1954 an American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed that all people are motivated to fulfill a hierarchical pyramid of needs. At the bottom of Maslow's pyramid are needs essential to survival, such as the needs for food, water, and sleep. The need for safety follows these physiological needs. According to Maslow, higher-level needs become important to us only after our more basic needs are satisfied. These higher needs include the need for love and 'belongingness', the need for esteem, and the need for self-actualization (In Maslow's theory, a state in which people realize their greatest potential) (All information by means of Encarta Online Encyclopedia).
Maslow believed that there was a hierarchy of five innate needs that influence people’s behaviors (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p.246-247). In a pyramid fashion, at the base are physiological needs, followed by safety needs, then belonginess and love needs, succeeded by esteem needs, and finally the need for self-actualization. Maslow claimed that lower order needs must be at least partially satisfied before higher level needs are addressed. Furthermore, behavior is dominated by solely one need
Unlike many of his colleagues at the time who were focusing on psychopathology, or what is wrong with individuals, he focused on how individuals are motivated to fulfill their potential and what needs govern their respective behaviors (McLeod)). Maslow developed the hierarchy over time, adjusting from a rigid structure where needs must be met before being able to achieve a higher level, to where the individuals can experience and behave in ways across the hierarchy multiple times daily depending on their needs. The hierarchy is comprised of 5 levels; Physiological, Safety and Security, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. The bottom two levels are considered basic needs, or deficiency needs because once the needs are met they cease to be a driving factor, unlike psychological needs. Loving and Belonging and Esteem needs are considered psychological needs, and are different from basic needs because they don’t stem from a lack of something, but rather the desire to grow. Maslow theorizes that individual’s decisions and behavior are determined based on their current level of needs, and the ideal level to achieve full potential culminates in self-actualization; however, operating on this level cannot be achieved until the preceding levels of needs have been
Many psychologists throughout many years present theoretical approaches in an attempt to understand personality. Hans Eysenck’s approach of personality differed from that of Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytical theory of personality. Eysenck’s theory of personality relies on the scientific basis of biology in explaining human personality. Although Freud’s theories are intriguing to an open mind, Eysenck’s approach made measurable scientific sense. He relied on the use of trait and factor analysis, which is a statistical method. Freud relied on faith and his personal opinions based on observational research to reach the assumptions that set forth his theories (Feist & Feist, 2009). Eysenck and Freud did not agree on anything about understanding how and why the mind operates the way, it does.
Maslow’s hierarchy of need is a psychological theory that was proposed by Maslow in his writing in 1943. It is a theory in psychological review about human motivation. In his writing, Maslow wanted to have a clear understanding what exactly makes people motivated. He believed that there is a system of motivation possessed by individuals, which are not connected to unconscious desires or rewards. Maslow stated that motivation helps people to attain specific needs. An individual desires to get the next need when one is fulfilled.
Major contributors to the trait theory of personality include three prominent psychologists. Boeree (2006) states that American born psychologist Gordon Allport has been described as the founding father of personality trait theory. Allport’s distinguished career included him holding presidency of the American Psychological Association (APA) and receiving the Gold Medal Award and a Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the APA (Carducci, 2009, p. 260). After meeting with Sigmund Freud in 1922 and studying his interpretation of personality, Allport developed the opinion that psychoanalysis was too in-depth while behaviourism was far too shallow in the field of personality psychology. It was this insight that lead Allport to develop his own theory of personality (Ewen, 2003, p. 260). According to Ewen (2003), in 1936 Allport used just one dictio...
Erik Erickson’s eight stages of psychosocial development is argumentatively one of the best theories to explain how human beings should healthily develop from infancy to late adulthood. Every stage of the theory must be successfully completed for optimal human personality growth. Stages that are not successful completed may result in reoccurring problems throughout one’s lifespan. Every stage is broken down by a psychosocial crisis, each with a conflicting matter that must be resolved. If the person fails to resolve this conflict, they will carry the negative trait into every remaining stage of life. Furthermore, if the person successfully resolves the conflict, they will carry the positive trait into every remaining
Abraham Maslow wrote the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory was based on fulfilling five basic needs: physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization. Maslow believed that these needs could create internal pressures that could influence the behavior of a person. (Robbins, p.204)
Similarly, Maslow's theory also reflects that humans have an internal force to reach their highest potential (Maslow, 1968). Maslow examined the hierarchy of basic human needs and developed a pyramid of requirements which motivates human beings and shapes their personality. At the bottom of his pyramid are found the basic physiological motivations which are necessary for survival such as food and shelter. The next level incorporates the need for safety, both physical and psychological. This is followed by love and belongingness which relate to receiving and giving affection. Presuming the love need is met, the next level up is the need for esteem which includes the feeling of self-esteem and self-respect. At the top of the pyramid stands the complex need for self-actualization which is a meta-need as per Maslow (1964) and we can reach it through peak experiences. It is the highest level of growth when someone reached her or his capacity to the fullest. Maslow estimated that only 1 percent of people ever really fulfil this need (Maslow,