Personality

Individual psychology

A school of thought that emphasises the unique motivations of individuals and the importance of social contexts in shaping personality.

Freaud

's theory of personality that focuses on unconscious processes. Start of talk therapy. Focuses on psychosexual development and the ego.

Aldred Adler

Maker of individual psychology. Created personality types as a defining factor for individuals.

Carl Jung

Argued that there was an iceberg of unconsciousness. Created the introvert and extrovert personality types

Karen Horney

Created the Neurotic personality type and argued for neuroticism stemming from childhood. Female theorist arguing against female inferiority.

Behaviourism

a learning theory stating that all behaviors are acquired through interaction with the environment. Rather than focusing on internal thoughts or feelings, it posits that actions are shaped strictly by external conditioning and observable responses. No free will.

Socio-cognitive theory

Behaviour = interaction of cognition, environment and behaviour. Argues for free will. Bandura, Seligman, Rotter.

Bandura

Theorist who created social-cognitive theory. Learning, agency and modelling,

Rotter

Socio-cognitive theory - Expectations + internal and external Locus of control

Seligman

Learned helplessness.

Mischel

CAPS (cognitive-affective processing system) model - No one has defining traits. If-then model. If x situation occurs, this trait appears.

Trait theory

Personality is rooted in core unchanging traits.

Big 5 model.

Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism. Trait theory.

Evolutionary psychology

It posits that psychological traits are evolved adaptations—functional products of natural and sexual selection designed to solve recurrent survival and reproductive problems our ancestors faced

Humanistic personality theory

emphasises the inherent goodness of people, free will, and a conscious, innate drive toward personal growth and self-actualisation—subjective experience creating personality over innate biological factors.

nature vs nurture

a long-standing debate exploring whether human behavior, personality, and physical traits are primarily determined by genetic inheritance (nature) or environmental influences and upbringing (nurture)