Major Personality Theories

Humanistic

Abraham Maslow, Carl Rodgers

Social Cognitive

Albert Bandura

Psychodynamic

Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Carl Jung

Freud

Emotional disorders spring from unconscious dynamics, such as unresolved sexual and other childhood conflicts, and fixation at various developmental stages. Defense mechanisms fend off anxiety

Trait

Gordon Allport, Isabel Briggs Myers & Katharine Briggs, Hans Eysenck & Sybil Eysenck, Costa & McCrae

Bandura

Our traits and the social context interact to produce our behaviors

Rodgers, Maslow

Rather than examining the struggles of sick people, it's better to focus on the ways healthy people strive for self-actualization

Psychoanalytic

Sigmund Freud

Adler, Horney, Jung

The unconscious and conscious minds interact. Childhood experiences and defense mechanisms are important. Who were the neo-Freudians?

Our behavior in one situation is best predicted by considering our past behavior in similar situations

View of Personality: Conditioning and observational learning interact with cognition to create behavior patterns Key Proponents: Albert Bandura

Questionnaires, therapy sessions

View of Personality: If our basic human needs are met, people will strive toward self-actualization. In a climate of unconditional positive regard, we can develop self-awareness and a more realistic and positive self-concept Key Proponents: Abraham Maslow and Carl Rodgers

Free association, projective tests, dream analysis

View of Personality: Personality consists of pleasure-seeking impulses (id), a reality-orientated executive (ego), and an internalized set of ideals (superego) Key Proponent: Freud

Personality inventories

View of Personality: Scientific study of traits has isolated important dimensions of personality, such as the Big Five Traits Key Proponents: Gordon Allport, Hans and Sybil Eysenck, McCrae & Costa

Projective tests, therapy sessions

View of Personality: The dynamic interplay of conscious and unconscious motives and conflicts shape our personality Key Proponents: Alfred Adler, Karen Horney & Carl Jung

Allport, Eysenck, McCrae & Costa

We have certain stable and enduring characteristics, influenced by genetic predispositions.