What Is Personality Theory Of Personality

Introduction – Psy def of personality + role in psychology, provide relvant examples/empirical evidence. State two personality theory sdiscussed.

Personality is our total different traits which often determine how we act, feel and think. This includes our present traits, motivations, morals, self-concept and our emotional changes and patterns. Personality psychology is related with all of our aspects of human individualities in our own cultural and social contexts.

It is important to understand our own personalities as we use it every day, through our reactions to the movie “My name is Khan” and or changing it to accommodate the new experience…. by “balling our eyes out.” Whatever it is, we can say personality is both influenced by our heredity

In its perspective it suggests that personality is made of multiple traits in a continuum (such are from extraversion to introversion) which more likely determines how we act in a situation.

Some of the theorists includes, Hans Eysenck (created 3 main personality factors), Raymond Cattell (created the 16 personality factor) and Gordon Allport.

Theorists - Gordon Allport (1897-1967) is considered to be the first original theorist of personality. He was born on November 11th 1897 in Indiana, as a theorist and psychologists.

He was a professor in social ethics and an instructor in Harvard University (1924) and had a great interest in personality.

Some of his works includes: ‘Personality: A Psychological Interpretation’, Becoming, The Nature of Prejudice’ and ‘Pattern and Growth in Personality’.

In his first work, Allport related their temperament in childhood and how it influence self, meaning the relationships of memories, motives and personality, in adulthood.

In his theory he used words which were able to describe personality of atleast 4,500. Followed after he formed 3 different aspects to traits of the hierarchal arrangement of personality

Such are kindness and friendliness.

• Secondary traits: Are traits which only comes in certain circumstances. Such as a person who is often impatient, however if they are purchasing food they would be patient.

Trait theory discusses that personalities can be determined through the behavior of a person, an example like ‘leadership quality’. We can then brainstorm that you need central and cardinal traits of ‘honesty, trustworthiness, a good communicator, attentive listener and self-confidence…’, on the other hand secondary traits can be regarded as the continuum of the theory whether it is used ‘positively’ or ‘negatively’, an example of extremists are Adolf Hitler and Abraham Lincolns leadership. Hitler led by encouraging others an assured win through fear-inducing and domineering behaviors; while Lincoln had a sympathy for equality and civil rights. Two very different people, only different by a scale of secondary traits, which explains our behaviors. It so supports how Allport also said the significance of the self and the uniqueness of adult personality.

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