Preview

Personality: Purpose of Theories, Traits, and and the Role of Brain Function on Personality Essay Example

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1486 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Personality: Purpose of Theories, Traits, and and the Role of Brain Function on Personality Essay Example
Kristeller i Abstract

In this paper, I am going to explain what the purposes of theories are and how we decide whether that theory is any good, what personality traits are and what the general agreements on the basic dimensions of personality are, and what the evidence of the role of brain function on personality is.

Kristeller 1
Purpose of a Theory

Theory in personality psychology has two purposes. One purpose is to explain what has occurred in the world and they always explain things that are already known to be true. Without at least part of the event being true, a theory wouldn’t be of much use (Carver & Scheier, p. 6-7). That is necessary - an explanation as to why it occurs. A theory also could suggest other ways of looking at things in the idea that it would come up with a different explanation for the event that hasn’t yet been thought of. It is very difficult to predict what will come from a theory as they have a little factor of ambiguity about them. If there are a lot of things that must be considered in a theory, the more difficult it is to arrive at an explanation. It is important that a theory be able to be tested. It is an untested hunch or a guess until you can gather evidence which will support it. Any scientist should be able to predict what they will find if the theory is true. Any new findings should fit the theory but if they do not the theory is either revised or thrown out only to start the process again (American Museum of Natural History). When more tests of the theory are passed, the stronger the theory will become. “Studies of personality provide information about how accurate or useful a theory is”, (Carver & Scheier, p. 7).

If necessary a theory can be

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The trait theory would explain the many differences in our personalities such as how we each think and act. The trait theory supports the belief that there are individual characteristics. With this belief, the individual characteristics are believed to be the reason for our individual ways of thinking and acting. The trait theory is assessed through use of the objective tests (Axia College, 2010, Week 6 Reading). The fourth and last theory is the Social Learning theory. This theory thrives on the belief that personality is shaped by past reinforcement and punishment.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    According to this theory, personality is determined by a combination of environmental (social norms, influence of others) and cognitive…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psy 300

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages

    References: Boeree, G. C. (2006) Psychology Department. Personality Theories. Retrieved January 28, 2011 from http://www.webspace.ship.edu…

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    BEH225 Week 5

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Trait and Social learning are the four main theories of personality that are commonly studied today. These four theories are mostly used in assessment tests that we use. As we know, a person’s personality is one of the main traits that separate us from one another. There are no two people with the same personalities in the world. Our experiences as we get older is said to continue to affect how our personalities evolve and change as the time goes by.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Personality can be described as a set of characteristics possessed by an individual that has an effect on his or her behaviour. There are several personality theories within psychology which give different ideas and attempt to give an explanation about the way personality develops. The psychodynamic and social-cognitive theories are two of the many ways personality is explored in psychology. The psychodynamic theory explains personality in terms of interactions of various components whereas the social-cognitive theory focuses on the individuals thoughts in order to explain…

    • 86 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Friedman, H. S., & Schuustack, M. W. (2009). Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research (4th ed.). : Pearson Education, Inc..…

    • 1642 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    personalitytheoryoutline

    • 2193 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Personality theory is a grand subject centered between six foundational tenets. Each tenet will be discussed in detail and be accompanied by factual, scholarly evidence. Each tenet is different from the other but also entwined in the whole of the personality. The tenets each have their own relation to the individual personality; however, they are also relational to one another and work together to make up the whole personality. In order to be psychologically healthy, certain progress needs met under each foundational tenet.…

    • 2193 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    For example, the theory tells about why a person gets frustrated over a certain task that he or she is unable to complete, but it lacks in fully explaining why a father chooses to walk out on his children the same way his father did or why a woman who has been sexually abused tries to seek comfort in sexual acts. It focuses so much on a person’s desire for success and a person’s need for acceptance, rather than on the history of a person’s family or friends influencing his or her behavior or circumstances outside of their control having a negative influence on future decisions. More than one area of a person’s life is responsible for shaping his or her personality, as more than one desire fuels humanity. While success is certainly a top priority in human nature, it is not the only priority. Each of the personality theories contribute a bit about humanity as a whole, but all of them together form a greater picture of the things that shape and drive us as humans because we are not a “cookie cutter” society where everyone wants the same thing, some want success, some prefer love and a stable home, others stardom, it just depends on a person’s unique history and influences to shape his or her desires. Even siblings born of the same family, raised in the…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Have you ever wondered why each person acts and behaves so differently from each other? The reason behind each person’s behavior is through their qualities and characteristics that make them who they are. This combination of qualities and characteristics is called personality. Personality forms each person’s notable disposition or character. The science of psychology has different theories on how personality is measured in each person. The measurement of personality can be explained through multiple theories from different psychologists named Freud, Jung, Rodgers, and Maslow. These four psychologists each have their own ideas to figure out where personality comes from. Comparing these four psychologists point of view will help in the further understanding of personality.…

    • 1107 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Myers, D. G. (). Chapter 13: Personality. In K. Feyen (Ed.), Psychology (10th ed., p. 527). New York, New York: Worth Publishers.…

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “When discussing the theories on personalities you could name a view that are researched. Biological Theories are the approach of genetics and personality traits. Behavioral Theories suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the environment. These theorist reject theories that internal thoughts and feeling into account. Psychodynamic Theories are influenced by Freud, focuses on the childhood experience and the unconscious mind in personality. Humanist Theories emphasizes on the importance of free will and individual experience in the development of personalities. Trait Theories is one of the largest in personality theories. It basically a relative characteristic that causes a person to act the way they do (abouteducation).”…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    References: Friedman, H. (2012). Personality: Classic theories and modern research. (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson…

    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: Friedman, H. & Schustack, M. (2009) Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research. 4th Edition.…

    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In order to understand the concept of personality theories, one must submerge themselves into research. The study of personality may sound simple, but it is very broad and it is supported by many different theoretical perspectives. Nevertheless, one can focus on one of the theories developed by influential individuals in the field of psychology to try to understand personality with their theoretical perspective. Erik Erikson was a very significant individual in the field of psychology who created his own theory of human development. He explained the development of individuals with his psychosocial theory of development, which developed into also explaining individuals personalities.…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In this assignment, you are to develop your own theory of personality. You may draw upon other theories, but it should be an original one. The basic topics that need to be covered in your theory are listed below. Make sure that you support your theory with previous theories, logic, and/or psychological research. The paper should be at least seven pages double spaced; although, you will probably need to go beyond seven pages to explain all aspects of your theory. Papers will be graded based on the quality of the theory and arguments that support it. Make sure that you define and give examples of all key terms. Also, be sure to point out how your theory is different from other theories. The heart of the paper should be: why do people act the way that they do?…

    • 300 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays