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Personality Psychology Assignment - Desklib

   

Added on  2020-05-04

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Running head: PERSONALITY (PSYCHOLOGY)PERSONALITY (PSYCHOLOGY)Name of the StudentName of the UniversityAuthor Note

PERSONALITY (PSYCHOLOGY)1Question 1Personality can be defined as the mixture of characteristic traits or qualities thatconstitute an individual's unique character (Millon et al, 2012). The four major perspectives ofpersonality include:Psychoanalytic theory – It is the theory of personality organization and the dynamicsof personality development that guides psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treatingpsychopathology (Elliott, 2015).Trait theory - In this theory, primary interest is focused on the measurement of traits,which can be defined as habitual patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion (Colbertet al, 2012).Humanistic theory – This theory emphasizes the study of the whole person. Herehuman behavior is studied not only from the viewpoint of the observer, but from thatof the person doing the behaving, as well (Schneider, Pierson & Bugental, 2014).Social-Cognitive theory – This preaches that parts of an individual's knowledgeacquisition can be directly related to observing others within the context of socialinteractions, experiences, and outside media influences (Cervone & Pervin, 2015).I agree with the humanistic theory of psychology. Out of all these 4 perspectives, thistheory takes into account the entire human side when analyzing the psychological front of thehuman brain. Qualities that make humans unique amongst all animals such as aspiring for self-determination and self-realization are dealt with in this theory (Ewen, 2014). Psychologistsbelieving in this train of thought, believe that an individual’s subjective experiences are moreimportant than the objective reality for judging their personality. This leads to an optimisticperspective on human nature. In this view, people themselves are held responsible for their

PERSONALITY (PSYCHOLOGY)2actions and lives; and that they are entitled to their own freedom and will to modify theirbehaviour and attitude in life.Maslow’s theory of ‘hierarchy of needs’, provides a detailed study of how exactly theneeds of a man affect his personality (Schultz & Schultz, 2016; Ryckman, 2012). There are fourmajor levels in this hierarchy. The bottom one refers to physiological needs such as food,clothing and shelter. The satisfaction of these needs lead a person to fulfil the next need of‘safety’. They include the needs for a person to be safe, not only biologically or physically butsocially as well. The third level encircles attachment or the need of ‘belonging’. This need of aman is due to his social nature or rational being. Once the above needs are fulfilled, the need for self-esteem or self-actualization arises,which questions his need of existence and makes him strive to achieve something significant inhis life. This final stage provides him the uniqueness which is necessary as an individual orhuman being. Carl Rogers borders on a similar point of view with his ‘actualizing tendency’theory where he believes that each person has an inherent special tendency or instinct within himthat motivates him to grow and develop. He holds a similar view regarding self-esteem and statesthat it helps people to build character and lead towards a better lifestyle.Personally I agree with this theory as it leads to awareness and acceptance of individualsthemselves, helps them develop close friendships, instils in them openness, spontaneity, and atendency to have experiences that are emotionally and spiritually gratifying.I disagree with the psychoanalytic theory of personality. On the other hand, this school ofthought emphasize on unconscious desires, as well as significance of childhood memories to bethe key factor in shaping personality. Sigmund Freud the pioneer in this area holds the view thatthe very early stages of human life, start shaping personality of an individual. His theory is based

PERSONALITY (PSYCHOLOGY)3on the conjecture that the drive for human behavior is sex (Wright, 2013; Fromm, 2013).Negative alterations in any area starting from the act of sucking milk to toilet training to furtherperiods of growth encircling genital and phallic stages, will result in negative alterations of aperson’s character as per Sigmund Freud. Addiction to narcotics for example smoking or anatural satisfaction experienced while sucking objects can be associated with a deficiency insome way in the person’s oral stage. Stubbornness can be associated with a deficiency in the‘anal’ stage of development in a similar way.Adler’s theory is based on the belief that human behaviour is affected by the need toovercome inferiority complex (Adler, 2013). He too, like Freud, believes that the circumstancesof a person’s childhood shape up the personality exhibits (Eckstein & Kaufman, 2012).Personally I disagree with the psychoanalytic theory as it is based on Freudian theory, whichitself is declared flawed by some psychologists. Moreover, individual differences andcharacteristics that contribute to human uniqueness are overlooked here. In addition, criticsaccuse some such therapists of not recovering repressed memories of patients but placing ‘falsememories’ into their minds instead.Question 2Erik Erikson, the German-born American psychoanalyst and developmental psychologistwho was known for his theory of the psychosocial development of human beings. Thepsychoanalyst may be considered most famous for coining the phrase “identity crisis” (Kroger,2014). The American psychoanalyst may also be considered one of the initiators of egopsychology. Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development are an all-inclusive theory ofpsychoanalysis that recognizes eight serial stages which a healthy individual has to go throughduring his life journey starting from infancy to the end of his lifetime (Newman & Newman,

PERSONALITY (PSYCHOLOGY)42017). According to Erikson, each of these stages is built on the successfully completed previousstages.The eight stages mentioned by the American psychoanalyst in terms of their crises are asfollows:Hope – This stage is incurred during the age group of the first eighteen months oflife (McLeod, 2013). During this stage of life, the infant has its basic needsfulfilled by his parents. This leads to the formation of trust or mistrust in the child.According to Erik Erikson, the major developmental activity of the stage ofinfancy is gathering knowledge of the fact that whether or not the care givers arebeing able to satisfy the basic needs of the infant. The existential question that thechild faces in this stage is whether or not can the world be trusted.Will – This stage last from the age of two years to the age of four years. Themajor psychological crisis that an individual incurs in this stage is the dilemmabetween the newly acquired autonomy in this stage of life and the sense of shameand doubt on oneself due to the strictness imposed on their autonomous activitiesby their parents (Capps, 2012). During this stage of life too, the parents extendtowards their children a study security base so that the child can learn more aboutthe world around them through their autonomous explorations.Purpose – In this stage that lasts from the age of 4 to that of 5, the child is on itsway to gain knowledge on the basic principles and skills of physics (Lerwick,2013). The child also gathers information as to how to master the world aroundhim. The existential question that the child faces in this stage is whether it is

PERSONALITY (PSYCHOLOGY)5correct for him to move around, do activities and act according to the situationsthat he has to undergo.Competence – This stage of an individual lies between the ages 5 and 12. Thechild during this phase of life faces the self-doubt whether he is eligible for theindustry (Shokouhi, Limberg & Armstrong, 2014). During this stage a child isrequired to gather knowledge and face the new challenges of the skills that heacquires. In this process, he might have to endure risking his sense of failure,incompetence and inferiority as compared to his peers.Fidelity – A person faces this stage in life during the adolescent period of his life(Jones et al, 2014). The crisis that the individual faces during this stage of life isthe dilemma of his own identity and the role that he is supposed to play in thesociety. This is a transient stage that lies between childhood and adulthood. Thereis a significant need for a person to create his own identity during this stage oflife. The adolescents try to think of the roles that they will be playing in the adultworld and may experiment with a large number of activities both good and bad.Love - This stage lasts from the age of 20 to 39. The existential question thatcrosses the mind of any individual is the question as to whether or not he wouldbe able to deliver love. During this stage the individual tries to fit in the world. Hefaces the crisis of isolation as opposed to the idea of intimacy (Closson, 2015).Care – This stage of human life lasts from the age of 40 till that of 64 years. Thehuman soul faces the crisis of stagnation as opposed to generativity during thisstage (Schoklitsch & Baumann, 2012). During this stage, the existential dilemmain the minds of human beings is whether or not can he make his life countable. A

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