Theories of Personality

trait

individual differences in behavior, consistency of behavior over time, and stability of behavior across situations

Psychodynamic

a form of talk therapy focused on learning how the persons subconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories are affecting current behaviors (freud, Jung, Adler, Horney)

Humanistic existential

personality develops through striving for self-actualization and unconditional positive regard fostering psychological health and prosocial behavior (Maslow and Rogers)

Dispositional

people are predisposed to behave in unique and consistent ways they have unique traits and these make up a persons personality

Biological evolutionary

the foundation for thought, behaviors, feelings, and personality is biological while these entities are also shaped by evolutionary forces (natural and sexual selection)

Social cognitive

all behaviors are learned through association and consequences whether it is reinforced or punished (bandura)

Determinism vs. free choice

are behaviors determined by forces beyond our control of do we have free will to choose

Pessimism vs. optimism

are people doomed to live miserable lives or can they change and grow and prosper to be fully functioning humans

Causality vs teleology

behaviors are a function of past experiences [what caused this to happen to me] vs. behavior is shaped based on future expectations (rewards)

Conscious vs Unconscious

are you aware of what you are doing or not

Biological vs social

are we creatures of biology or social influences

Uniqueness vs similarities

is it individuality or common characteristics that we should focus on