Perspectives on Personality

Personality: My Q’s Explain each of the four major theories of personality. What are the differences between the id, ego, and superego? What is the difference between an Inner Locus of Control and an External Locus of Control?

Four Major Perspectives in Personality Theory Psychodynamic theory focuses on the role of the unconscious mind and on biological causes of personality differences. Behavioral and social cognitive focuses on how learning and environment affect personality. Humanistic focuses on the role of each person’s life experiences in personality development. Trait perspective focuses on describing traits and characteristics of personality in order to predict future behavior.

Psychodynamic Theory Sigmund Freud first introduced psychodynamic theory and personality. Freud believed the mind was composed of three layers. -Conscious mind: where one’s current mental awareness exists. Preconscious mind: contains memories and past events. Unconscious mind: a hidden part of the mind that surfaces during day-dreaming or actual dreams. Freud believed the unconscious mind was most important factor in determining personality.

The Id, Ego, & Superego Freud believed that personality could be divided into three parts: the id, ego, and superego. The id is the part of the personality present at birth and includes the unconscious pleasure seeking aspect of personality. It contain biological drives like hunger and survival. The pleasure principle says that the id functions by seeking immediate satisfaction without regard of consequences.

Id, Ego, & Superego Continued The ego aspect of personality develops as the infant grows and learns to deal with reality, making more logical decisions to satisfy the demands of the id. The superego is the moral center of personality that develops as toddlers learn right from wrong. The superego is very similar to conscience that produces pride or guilt based on one’s behavior. Freud believed that disordered behavior occurs when the id, ego, and superego are in conflict.

Criticism of Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory Many psychologists now discredit many parts of Freud’s psychodynamic theory. One of the major reasons why they criticize his theory is because it was based solely on Freud’s observations of his patients. His interpretations of his patients were filtered into his preconceived categories.

Behaviorist Perspective of Personality Behaviorists believe that conditioning and learning explain the actions of humans. Because of this, behaviorists believe that personality is actually a set of learned responses called habits. They also believe that all behavior is controlled by certain stimuli that encourage the behavior. Behaviorists explain personality development as constant conditioning based on positive and negative reinforcement.

Rotter & Locus of Control One of the most prominent behaviorists, Julian Rotter viewed personality as a set of responses to various situations, believing people are motivated to seek rewards and avoid punishment. As a result of this perspective, Rotter theorized the concept of the Locus of Control which is the belief of the extent that people have control over their lives. Internal locus of control means that people believe that they can control what happens in life. External locus of control means that people believe that experiences are controlled by outside factors like luck or fate.

Humanistic Perspective of Personality Humanistic perspective focuses on what makes us uniquely human, such as emotions and freedom to choose our destiny. A major element of the humanistic perspective is the self-actualizing tendency, which is the tendency to want to live up to one’s potential. Within this tendency are two competing concepts. The “real self” is the individual’s perception of his or her actual characteristics. The “ideal self” is the perception of who that individual wishes to be.

Trait Perspective of Personality Trait theories believe that personality is based on traits that are genetic and this theory attempts to predict future behavior based on these traits. A trait is consistent way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Trait theorists have come up with over 200 different traits and some actually believe that traits are wired into the nervous system in a constellation-type pattern.

Trait Perspective Continued Surface traits are personality traits that are seen by other people Examples: shyness, happiness, or sadness. Source traits are the traits that define the core personality that are not always visible. Examples: openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion. Trait theorists, however, admit that particular circumstances may influence how a trait is expressed.