Summary of the major personality theories :

Primary limitations

Primary strengthsPrimary

emphasisPrimary figuresTheory

Largely descriptive; ignores situational variables that may

affect behavior

Focuses on stability of behavior over long periods; attempts to

measure traits objectively

An individual’s traits determine

personality

Allport, Cattell, Eysenck Trait

Reliance on correlational methods in

determining the role of NS in personality

Emphasis on the interaction of biology and

environment in determining personality

rigorous empirical approach

The roll of genetics and the

brain and nervous system(NS) in

personality development

Pavlov, Skinner

Psychobiological

Ignores biological influences on personality

development; often more descriptive than explanatory

Focuses on direct study of behavior and stresses

rigorous experimentation

Personality is determined by

both the consequences of behavior and our

perception of them

Bandura, Mischel, Rotter

Social learning

Basic concepts are not empirically

testable

The idea that behaviour may be influenced by

forces outside conscious awareness

Unconscious psychic conflict;

repression of anxiety-provoking ideas and desires

Freud,Jung, Adler,

Horney, Erikson

Psychodynamic

Contains vague and un testable

concepts; primarily descriptive

Useful in therapeutic settings

Stresses the positive aspects of human nature

and how to become a better

person

Maslow, Rrogers

Humanistic

Freudian defense mechanism :

ExampleDescriptionDefense

mechanism

Failure to remember the death of loved one or other highly upsetting events that

occurred earlier in your life

The mind’s active attempt to prevent memories of

traumatic experiences from reacting conscious awareness

Repression

Having intense feelings of dislike for a person, but acting in a friendly manner

towards him or her

Replacing an anxiety-provoking idea with its

opposite

Reactionformation

Denying that you have negative feelings towards someone, but asserting that

person to have negative feelings towards you

Denial of one’s unacceptable feeling and desire and finding

them in othersProjection

Diverting energy from the sex drive to produce a work of art

Channeling psychic energy from an unacceptable drive

into a more acceptableSublimation

Asserting that you donate money to charities because you truly are a generous

person

Creating an acceptable reason for a behavior that is actually

performed for a less acceptable reason

Rationalization

A psychic conflict, perhaps aroused by a particular person, causes you to develop

symptoms of deafness or blindness to avoid contact with him or her

The manifestation of a psychic conflict in terms of

physical symptomsConversion