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My Theories of Personality Development
Course
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My Theories of Personality Development
Course
About
Contact
Course
About
Contact

The Humanistic Approach -

The Humanistic approach to personality is the theory that all humans, as an individual, are different in their own way, and intervention therapies should be based on those individual needs. One of the major concerns of supporters of this approach is that other approaches focus more on standardized testing and scientific approaches instead of individualism. This approach also lacks empirical data to support the effectiveness of this theory, although as a result of this theory, Q-sort – an objective measure of progress in therapy. Q-sort is a method used to collect data on outcome of therapy based on changes in clients self-concepts before, during, and after therapy in that it is used to measure actual changes based on differences between self and ideal self (Rogers, 1946). Abraham Maslow, who is one of the founders of this approach, coined the idea we refer to as the hierarchy of needs. This idea is defined as a specific hierarchy of needs must be met in order for us to understand our full potential. These needs include love, belonging, and safety. While this approach does focus on individuals and their needs, in an obsessive type manner. This is more of a problem than a solution in today’s society.

Refrences:

Rogers, C. R. (1946). Significant aspects of client-centered therapy. American Psychologist 1, 415-422.

The Behavioral Approach -

The behavioral approach to personality is the theory that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning, and conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. Behaviorists believe that our actions are shaped by environmental stimuli (Krapfl, 2016). Some supporters of this approach believe that any person, regardless of background can be conditioned to perform tasks, it only requires the correct training. This theory was very popular in the early 1900s, as this theory attempted to solution psychology treatment as a measurable science. Two of the major classifications of this theory are classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is where we learn through an association of a naturally occurring stimuli. Operant conditioning is where we learn through reinforcement or punishment. A popular supporter of this approach is B.F. Skinner. His belief was that anyone can learn through operant conditioning. This approach is widely used currently in the studies of behavior as it does have quite a bit of evidence based information to support it.

Refrences:

Krapfl JE. Behaviorism and society. Behav Anal. 2016;39(1):123-9. doi:10.1007/s40614-016-0063-8

The Biological Approach -

The Biological approach to personality is the theory that we can research psychological issues by understanding the physical aspects of individuals and how they behave. Some of the physical aspects looked at are genetics, the brain, and the immune system. This process provides empirical data and research of certain biological aspects and their relation to psychological disorders. There has been significant amount of research done under this theory to determine how specific biological things can impact behavior. A great example of this research is how certain brain traumas can impact someones personality. The research that is done to support this theory has grown in recent years, as technology used in the medical field has improved greatly over time. This approach is the most supported with evidence and empirical data. A biological supporter of this theory is Hans Eysenck. During his research, he was able to show direct correlation to certain biological effects to individual personality. This approach is one of the most effective approaches to use if you require an evidence based apporach to treatment.

Which Theory I Can Apply To My Professional Life -

I believe the best theory for me to apply in my professional career is the humanistic approach. My career goals do not align with a career in psychology, but i do manage a very large diverse team of individuals.

Since the humanistic approach looks to understand individual people and their individual needs , this is the one i can most relate to. As i strive to be a servant leader, one of my main goals is serving the people i manage. In order to serve , i have to also understand them, and how they operate. I accomplish this by taking the time to undetstand the individual needs and personalities of each person. This could be cultural, food preferences, family dynamic. Understanding the person as a whole will help me provide them with what they need to be the best version of themselves.

Another goal of mine is employee satisfaction and retention, and making sure the team cohivesiely works together. Again, understanding people at an individual level makes for overall employee satisfaction, and 100% work effort.

The Psychodynamic Approach -

The psychodynamic approach to personalities shares several of the same ideas. The distinct features that define the psychodynamic approach are the unconscious and conscious mind. The unconscious mind is anything outside our general awareness, while the conscious mind is everything we are aware of (Twenge & Campbell, 2020). This theory also focuses specifically on the interactions and conflict between the unconscious and conscious mind, which helps shape the definition of this theory into psychodynamic - that conflict and interaction (Twenge & Campbell, 2020). Sigmund Freud, who was the founder of the psychodynamic approach , provided some key components into how we analyze personality today. Many of Freud’s ideas and theories were later used for extensive amount of research into personality traits that is actively used today. While many of his ideas may have been proven non-factual, many were proven to be factual. While this approach isn’t easy to measure empirically, the hopes is that as technology continues to evolve, more empirical data can be obtained to support this approach.

References:

Twenge, J., & Campbell, K. (2020). Personality psychology: Understanding yourself and others (2nd ed.).