Personality Theories -- Summary



Personality Theories -- Summary

Personality theories vary on the following dimensions:

key idea

source of personality

number of personalities

behavioral consistency

can personality change?

importance of phenomenal (subjective, self-created) world?

innateness

Type Theory

key: personality taxonomy (biol. species)

source: ?

number: a few

consistency: yes

change: no

subjective? no

innate? often yes

example: Sheldon’s somatotypes

Trait Theory

key: overt personality is the product of a combination of underlying factors

source: underlying factors

number: many

consistency: yes

change: no

subjective? no

innate? -----

example: “Big 5”

Psychoanalytic Theory

key: Pers. depends on family dynamics

source: underlying struggles between id, ego, superego and resolution

number: few types

consistency: yes

change: difficult, requires therapy, catharsis, insight

subjective? no

innate? no, interaction

Learning Theory

key: there is no such thing as personality

source: environmental “contingencies” (rewards and punishments)

number: infinite

consitency: no

change: yes, when reinforcement contingencies change

subjective? no

innate? no

Humanistic Theory

key: self-concept: we seek (motive) self-enhancement, self-actualization, growth.

Unconditional positive regard promote... conditions of worth stunt... growth.

“Adjustment” = congruence between self concept and experience

source: human nature + reactions of those around us (like Freud)

number: infinite

consistency: yes

change: yes, growth (like flower) is possible.

subjective? yes, one’s interpretation of events is crucial

innate? no, interaction

examples: Rogers, Maslow’s hierarchy

Cognitive Theory

key: All perception involves an interpretation; our behaviors are guided by our expectations. We live in and react to a “phenomenal” world.

Reciprocal determinism: our self-concept and perceptions shape our actions which influence our perceptions and self-concept!

source: internal interpretations

number: infinite

consistency: depends on perceptions

change: when perceptions change

subjective? yes

innate? mixed

examples: Belief systems, self-talk, locus of control, self-efficacy

Biological Theory

key: personalities are “wired in”.

source: genes

number: infinite

consistency: yes

change: no

subjective? ??

innate? yes

example: Minnesota twin study

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download