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Comparison of personality theories
A trait approach to personality is primarily focused on
A trait approach to personality is primarily focused on
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The scrutinizing of personality traits is profitable in identifying the many variables that exist from person to person. Hence, the merger of variables will help us with a true level of individuality. According to Roberts, (2009), “personality traits are defined as relatively enduring patterns of behavior, thought, and feeling that are relatively consistent across a wide variety of situations and contexts” (P. 3). However, to test the concept of traits, theorists are using different approaches to them. We can classify traits into wide- ranging structures, also called the trait approach. Hence, a trait theory a key to comprehending one’s behavior. However, personality traits are unchanging throughout one’s life span. The traits are what makes …show more content…
He was more towards statistical factors. He felt that his research and perspectives about the personalities should be more aimed on studying a group and not just on the person themselves. He mainly focused his research on twins. He is also acknowledged for his economic model, which is a three- factor solution. The three-factor solution uses strand of study, which is constructed on the four humors. The four humors were originated by the Greeks. However, Eysenck chose the three factors solutions and repositioned them to his own perspectives. “Eysenck rearranged the four humors on a continuum describable in terms of two personality dimensions: introverted-extroverted and unstable-stable” (Lecci, 2015. Pg. 8.1. Para. 30). These were trusted to be the main characteristics of the human function. He then incorporated his theory on Psychoticism. Hence, which describes a person as being reckless, hostile and as unruly. Eysenck had trusted that these three factors were important to all. However, they scored at a 90-degree level and this was because they did not relate to a score on another factor. His model had also showed of how these characteristic attributes can affect one’s communication. Hence, they are either healthy or not. However, being an extroverted or introverted, can be a positive attribute. Although, it depends on the person’s drive and how they face certain
Eysenck believe there are three different dimensions of personality. They are extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism. He believed that extraversion was inherited from our parents and extroverts had a low levels of cortical arousal and high sensory thresholds. The sensory thresholds that they inherit from their parent s are what causes them to take more risks and not hold back in certain situations. Eysenck also believed that neuroticism is hereditary because it has to do with emotion and motivation. In the brain the amygdala and hypothalamus control these and the environment cannot control brain functions. Psychoticism was not in Eysenck’s theory of development. He believed psychoticism is what makes people angry, hostile, and antisocial which is caused by stress. Depending on how much stress is on someone the more likely they
Many psychologists throughout many years present theoretical approaches in an attempt to understand personality. Hans Eysenck’s approach of personality differed from that of Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytical theory of personality. Eysenck’s theory of personality relies on the scientific basis of biology in explaining human personality. Although Freud’s theories are intriguing to an open mind, Eysenck’s approach made measurable scientific sense. He relied on the use of trait and factor analysis, which is a statistical method. Freud relied on faith and his personal opinions based on observational research to reach the assumptions that set forth his theories (Feist & Feist, 2009). Eysenck and Freud did not agree on anything about understanding how and why the mind operates the way, it does.
An individual’s behaviour may differ depending on the circumstances they are in though there are definite signs of repetitive behaviour when placed in majority of the situations. These characteristics are known as traits which make up the personality of each person (Engler, 2014). Personality theorists do not have a mutual agreement on how the term personality should be used. They each have their definition of personality thus providing a large number of diverse personality theories (Engler, 2014). For example, Eysenck (1970) defined personality as a relatively permanent and consistent composition of an individual’s disposition that in turn establishes how the person adjusts to their
“Everyday conceptions of personality traits make two key assumptions. First, traits are stable over time… Second, it is generally believed that traits directly influence behavior” (Matthews, Deary, & Whiteman, 2003). Traits can be used as explanations or reasoning for behavior or mood. There have been several notable psychologists to agree with and study the trait theory of personality. Gordon Allport was a psychologist that devoted his work to personality psychology with a focus on the trait perspective (Allport, 1961). Carr and Kingsbury (1938) advocated for further research into personality traits and the idea that the human personality was made specifically of traits even if the traits were not always overt or observable, but rather a person’s behavior could be interpreted to learn about what traits they may
Economists are not alone in their interest in the description, prediction, and explanation of human behavior. Psychologists, too, have approached these challenges. Economists can profitably leverage research from psychology on the measurement, prediction, and malleability of personality traits organized in the widely accepted Big Five taxonomy. (Lex, Angela, James & Bas 2008)
Vegeta, one of the main protagonists of the anime series Dragonball Z, showed conflicting attitudes, feeling of superiority, lust for power, pessimistic attitudes as well as internal struggle between being good and bad throughout the series. His ability to maintain his superior attitude when he lost his race and planet as well as events that lead him from being evil and self centered person to a caring and good person can be explained through many psychological viewpoints.
Personality can be defined as an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling and acting. Many personality theorists have put forward claims as to where personality is derived from and how it develops throughout an individual’s life. The two main personality theories this essay will be focusing on is the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) (Bandura, 1986) and the Trait Theory – Five Factor Theory (FFT) (McCrae and Costa, 1995). The SCT allocates a central role to cognitive, observational learning and self-regulatory processes (Bandura, 1986). An individual’s personality develops through experiences with their sociocultural environment. Whereas the Trait Theory proposes that all individuals are predisposed with five traits (Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Neuroticism) which determines our personality. This theory also puts forward that personality is stable and cannot change as it’s biologically determined.
A person’s personality has been the subject of psychological scrutiny for many years. Psychologists have drawn up several theories in an attempt to accurately predict and determine one’s personality. Foremost amongst these, is the “Big Five Trait Theory” which stemmed from Raymond B. Cattell’s theory.
Erik Erickson’s eight stages of psychosocial development is argumentatively one of the best theories to explain how human beings should healthily develop from infancy to late adulthood. Every stage of the theory must be successfully completed for optimal human personality growth. Stages that are not successful completed may result in reoccurring problems throughout one’s lifespan. Every stage is broken down by a psychosocial crisis, each with a conflicting matter that must be resolved. If the person fails to resolve this conflict, they will carry the negative trait into every remaining stage of life. Furthermore, if the person successfully resolves the conflict, they will carry the positive trait into every remaining
The study of personality traits is beneficial in identifying the many variables that exist from human to human; the combinations of these variables provide us with a true level of individuality and uniqueness. In the field of psychology, trait theory is considered to be a key approach to the study of human personality (Crowne, 2007; Burton, Westen & Kowalski, 2009). This paper aims to identify a number of significant contributors who have played crucial roles in both the development and application of trait theory. This paper then moves focus to these theorists, outlining their theory and analysing both the strengths and weaknesses of those theories. An illustration of the methods used in trait measurement is given and includes the arguments for and against such procedures.
Friedman, H. S., & Schustack, M. W. (2012). Personality: Classic theories and modern research (5th ed). Boston , MA, USA: Pearson
Personality is a person's characteristic pattern of behaving, thinking, and feeling. The development of reliable and valid measures of personality has been a boon to psychologists' attempts to define and explain individual differences in this important domain. Comprehensive theories of personality have been useful to these attempts as well. Psychoanalytic theories emphasizes unconscious forces, while humanistic approaches focus on individuals' attempts to better themselves and find acceptance. Each of these perspectives has been used to explain how and why variations in mental health develop.
Personality is the study of an individual’s unique and relatively stable patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving over time and across situations and it is what distinguishes one individual from another. In the past changes in personality were thought to have only occurred in the developmental stages of childhood and solidifies in adolescence. After the teenage years it was thought to be set like plaster or the change seen to be inconsequential or absent( Srivastava, John, Gosling, and Potter, 2003). However, recent studies have suggested that changes in personality traits continue to occur throughout an individual’s lifespan due to multiple reasons.
Trait approach covers the big five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. These five traits have been identified as the most identifiable personality traits, even across cultures and societies. According to McCrae, Costa, and Busch’s (1986) study on personality system comprehensiveness, the big five personality model included the five traits most identified with by individuals asked to describe themselves and others. I found this segment of the class especially intriguing as it helped me not only learn so much about myself, but also take a deeper look into the personality of my family, peers, and even strangers. I am also more conscious of how I self-monitor my personality traits. For example, I am very much so an introverted person but at times I try to be extroverted based off the environment. In highly social environments, I consciously smile and try to talk to people because I want to be perceived in a favorable light, not actually because I feel the need to be sociable. In other words, I don’t want to be perceived as odd. I believe I developed this form of self-monitoring because when I am introverted at social events people will constantly ask me if I’m ok since I’m quiet, which makes me uncomfortable as they make me the focus. Being the center of attention makes me anxious, and therefore to prevent that I have developed being a fake-extrovert to avoid it. This exemplified how I apply self-monitoring to my everyday life. Trait approach gave me insight into how to identify vastly accepted personality traits, as well as, how each of these traits can be influenced and
The concept of personality has numerous definitions (Fatahi, Moradi, & Kashani-Vahid, 2016). Schultz and Schultz (2009), define personality in its broad sense as the manner of an individual’s behaviour in different situations. This essay explores the nature of personality, with the intention of highlighting its flexibility. The results of numerous empirical research studies are examined in order to investigate if, and how personality changes over time. It will be argued that an individual’s personality has the ability to change throughout their life.