Personality Theories - Assignment Example

Personality Theories By: Theorist Orientation Key motivational forces Model of personality structure View of personality development Sigmund Freud Psychodynamic Reform of the insane asylum Interest in abnormal psychological states Id, Ego, and Superego Personality develops through a series of stages, each characterized by a certain internal psychological conflict Carl Gustav Jung Humanistic Sexuality, importance of ones creative forces and development towards wholeness Psyche A persons behavior comes from the individuals inborn tendencies to use their minds in different ways Alfred Adler Humanistic Interested in the need to understand individuals within their social context.

The need for humans to belong and feel significant Inferiority and Birth order Every person is born with some sense of inferiority as evidenced by how weak a new born is Karen Horney Psychodynamic Sex is not a governing factor in personality. Social and cultural conditions have a powerful effect on later personality Unconscious mind. Interpersonal relationships and societal factors contributes to mental development. Environment of childhood contributed to personality development Erik Erickson Psychodynamics Adaptive and creative characteristic of ego Ego There is still plenty of room for development throughout a persons life.

Adolescence is the crucial stage for developing a persons identity Erick Erickson Erick Erickson works covers psychosocial stages extensively. He was an ego psychologist who emphasized the role of culture and society. Erick argued that ego develops as it successfully provides solutions that are not social in nature. He came up with a lifespan model that took five stages up to 18 years and three other stages after that. According to him, the adolescent period is crucial for developing a persons identity.

Besides, he argued that personality develops in a predetermined order, and builds upon each previous stage (McLeod, 2013). References McLeod, S. (2013). Erik Erikson. Simply Psychology . McLeod, S. (2008). Psychology Perspectives. Simply psychology . Robinson, D. N. (1995). An Intellectual History of Psychology. Univ of Wisconsin Press,.