THEORIES OF
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
1. Psycho-analytic
Theory: This was put forth by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), a Viennese physician.
Freud strongly influenced the formation of modern psychology and he was
regarded as one of the major intellectual figures of the 20th
century. He developed a technique of therapy styled “psychoanalysis”, which
involves getting patients to talk freely about their lives, particularly about
what they can remember of their very early experiences.
According to this theory,
personality is an organization made up of three structures- id, ego and
super ego. These structures are primarily responsible for originating
human actions, reactions and changes.
a.
The Id: It is an element which seeks pleasure in an
individual. It stores instinctive desires which are inherited at birth. It
directs an individual unconsciously and determines behavior. It does not have
perception of reality. It reserves the psychic energy which id termed “libido”.
It is rash, insistent and immoral. It is always seeking increasing pleasures
and immediate satisfaction of desires.
b.
The Ego: It is the conscious mediator between the realities of
the world and the demands of id. It has the ability to distinguish between
mental images and the real sources of tension released. It governs how people
act, what they think and say consciously. It is reasonable and hence regulates
and integrates the inner motives and conflicting demands. It selects the
features of the environment to which it will respond and decides what instincts
will be satisfied. it employs defensive mechanism (aggression, repression etc)
to protect an individual.
c.
The Super Ego: It is the moral element of the structure. It shows socially
acquired noble thoughts, deals, feeling etc. it determines whether the egos’
proposed action is right or wrong in order that an individual acts in agreement
with the acceptable norms and values.
2. Type Theory: This tries to classify individuals
into convenient categories. A notable example of this theory is the
“Physiognomy Model”. Physiognomy Model: this was advanced by William Sheldon.
It is a unique body- type temperament model. It represents a link between
psychological, anatomical traits and features of an individual and his behaviors.
a.
Endomorph: This is spherical appearance of who is fat and bulky.
His personality temperament is “viscertonic” i.e. desirous of comfort and good
food. He is affectionate and tolerant.
b.
Mesomorph:
This is
physically strong, tough, muscular and athletic. His personality temperament is
“somatonic” i.e. desires muscular activities. He is courageous, adventurous,
aggressive but insensitive towards others.
c.
Ectomorph: This is physically fragile and weak, frail looking,
usually thin and long. His personality temperament is “cerebrotonic” i.e. shows
restraint and avoids social contact. He is anxious, ambitious and dedicated but
he prefers to be alone when his mind is disturbed.
3.
Trait Theory: This assumes that an individual’s
personality can be described in terms of trait. A trait is a feature which
distinguishes an individual from another in a relatively permanent and
consistence manner.
An example is shown below:
Trait
Dimension
|
Descriptive
_ Objective Pairs
|
||
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
|
Extroversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Emotional Stability
culture
|
Talkative - silent, Open -secretive,
Adventurous - cautions, Good natured - irritable.
Gentle – headstrong, Co-operative – negativist.
Tidy – careless, Responsible – undependable.
Persevering – quitting, Calm – anxious, poised
nervous.
Artistically sensitive – artistically insensitive,
Refined – boorish, Intellectual – unreflective.
|
|
4. Social learning
theory: Essentially,
this considers behavior as function of a situation. In other words, situation
dictates how an individual behaves. It recognized the existence of learning by
observation and the prime importance of perception in learning.
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