Concepts Of Personality Week 4
Concepts of Personality
Christin Ott
Psy/211
November 23, 2014
Carol Tripp
Concepts of Personality This paper will describe the four perspectives of personality, and will be comparing three theories of personality development we have learned throughout this chapter. Developmental theories and perspectives of personality are beneficial in understanding the behavior of the human race. We will be discussing the key concepts of personality.
Perspectives of Personality “Personality is defined as an individual’s unique and relatively consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving” (Hockenburry, 2014). Hockenburry (2014) points out that there are many personality theories, but they can all be grouped into four different perspectives.
Psychoanalytic Perspective The psychoanalytic perspective dictates that behavior is determined by your past experiences that are left in the unconscious mind. This perspective emphasis the importance of early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind. This perspective of personality was created by psychiatrist Sigmund Freud who believed that things hidden in the unconscious mind could be revealed in a number of different ways (Hockenburry, 2014).
Humanistic Perspective This perspective is the psychological perspective that emphasizes the human capacity for choice and growth. The assumption is that humans have free will and are not simply fated to behave in specific ways or are blindly reacting to their environments. This perspective takes a more positive outlook on human nature and is centered on how each person can achieve their individual potential (Hockenburry, 2014).
Social Cognitive Perspective The social cognitive perspective of personality emphasizes the importance of observation of learning, self-efficacy, situational influences, and cognitive processes. The social cognitive theory implies that people learn by watching others. This perspective explains personality in terms of how a
Christin Ott
Psy/211
November 23, 2014
Carol Tripp
Concepts of Personality This paper will describe the four perspectives of personality, and will be comparing three theories of personality development we have learned throughout this chapter. Developmental theories and perspectives of personality are beneficial in understanding the behavior of the human race. We will be discussing the key concepts of personality.
Perspectives of Personality “Personality is defined as an individual’s unique and relatively consistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving” (Hockenburry, 2014). Hockenburry (2014) points out that there are many personality theories, but they can all be grouped into four different perspectives.
Psychoanalytic Perspective The psychoanalytic perspective dictates that behavior is determined by your past experiences that are left in the unconscious mind. This perspective emphasis the importance of early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind. This perspective of personality was created by psychiatrist Sigmund Freud who believed that things hidden in the unconscious mind could be revealed in a number of different ways (Hockenburry, 2014).
Humanistic Perspective This perspective is the psychological perspective that emphasizes the human capacity for choice and growth. The assumption is that humans have free will and are not simply fated to behave in specific ways or are blindly reacting to their environments. This perspective takes a more positive outlook on human nature and is centered on how each person can achieve their individual potential (Hockenburry, 2014).
Social Cognitive Perspective The social cognitive perspective of personality emphasizes the importance of observation of learning, self-efficacy, situational influences, and cognitive processes. The social cognitive theory implies that people learn by watching others. This perspective explains personality in terms of how a
References: Hockenbury, D. H. (2014). Discovering Psychology (6th ed.). : Bedford/St.Martins.