Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - Assignment Example

1. Describe and evaluate two theories of personality. There is no consensus with regard to the definition of personality within the field of personality psychology. However the concept can be defined as "those characteristics of individuals that describe and account for consistent patterns of feeling, cognition, and behaving" (John, Robbins & Pervin, 2008: p. 330). There are various theories of personality such as trait theories, personality type theories, psychoanalytic theories, behaviourist theories, humanistic theories, social-cognitive theories, as well as bio-psychological theories (Ellis & Abrams, 2008). For the purpose of this study, the two key theories discussed include – humanistic theories and psychoanalytic theories. The key theories under each of the two chosen categories are described in the following table: Theory Theorist/s Description Humanistic theory Carl. R. Rogers Abraham Maslow Albert Ellis Individuals are basically good and possess intrinsic good qualities and they strive to enhance their personality or personal development through self-actualisation Psychoanalytic theory Sigmund Freud Alfred Adler Human behaviour is influenced by their past (childhood) experiences and their present behaviour is a reflection of those experiences and events experienced by them. - Psychoanalytic Theories: Sigmund Freud first proposed the psychoanalytic theory. This theory of personality posits that individual behaviour is a combined outcome of their past (childhood experiences), their thoughts and ideas. The psychoanalytic theorists believe that most of the psychological processes take place outside of the conscious awareness of human mind. The mind or the psyche of an individual hence is presumed to be largely unconscious. The psychoanalytic theory posits that the early developmental experiences of individuals play a significant role in shaping their personality and emphasis the childhood experiences of individuals as the key contributor to their personality development in later years (Millon, Lerner & Weiner, 2003: p. 118). Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of posits that human behaviour is shaped by three key factors namely the id, the ego, and the super-ego, which are the essential components of human mind. This theory placed significant emphasis on the role of interactions between these three essential components of human mind in shaping an individuals personality. The id is comprised of innate biological urges of an individual; the ego refers to energies supplied to the id i.e., it operates on the directions and visions provided by the id; and the super-ego refers to tool that acts as a judge or censor for thoughts and actions of the ego (Coon, 2005: p. 422). Key Freudian Concepts: Source: Coon (2005) Thus, when an individual wants something and the id clamours for immediate satisfaction thus instructing the individual to act on its impulses however the super-ego prevents the id from indulging in any wrongful act. For instance, if an individual is planning on stealing a valuable item from a friend, the id clamours for instant gratification but the super-ego prevents the individual from stealing and acting on their impulses by acting as a ‘parent’ or a ‘censor’ on one’s thoughts. According to the psychoanalytic theory put forward by Freud, the ego experiences discomfort and anxiety when it is opposed and prevented from performing / executing the desired act. Such deliberate suppression leads to neurotic anxiety due to the inability of the ego to control its desires. Furthermore the threats imposed by the superego to prevent the individual from executing its desires results in moral anxiety (Coon, 2005: p. 423). Freud’s psychoanalytic theory was based on the normal and abnormal psychological functioning of the three key elements of human mind, namely the id, ego and the super-ego. According to Freud, these three key elements are in constant conflict with one another thus affecting the psychological health of an individual. In order to ensure a balanced psychological state of mind, it is imperative for the three key elements to function smoothly and in sync with one another. Conflict between id, ego and super-ego results in increased stress, which in turn can be reduced through certain defence mechanisms. These include: denial, repression, regression, reaction formation, projection, rationalisation, displacement, and sublimation (Davey, 2011: p. 26). Denial: refers to the refusal of the individual to accept the existence of source of anxiety Repression: entails suppressing of the bad events or memories that is the key source of anxiety among the individuals. These include any or all thoughts that cause fear and anxiety among the individuals. Regression: In this stage the individuals deliberately go back to an earlier developmental stage and give up on their coping strategies for instance, a chain smoker who has given up on smoking may go back to smoking in the regression stage when faced by increased anxiety and when their other regular coping strategies fail to prevent them from suffering from anxiety. Reaction formation: refers to a stage where the individual actions contradict their feelings or emotions Projection: this stage refers to the transferring ones won unwanted impulses to someone else. For instance a thief may feel that his partner is stealing from him Rationalisation: This stage refers to the individuals attempt to find an excuse for their wrongful acts or behaviour. For instance, if a child is punished for not doing his homework he may attribute such punishment to the teacher being mean or unfair to him. Displacement: this stage refers to transferring of one’s act on another. For instance if a child is punished in school he may transfer their emotions on their toys by throwing it or punching their doll. Sublimation: this stage refers to transferring one’s negative emotions into doing something constructive. For instance, if an employee fails at receiving promotion or appreciation at work, they may transfer such emotion by painting or decorating their house. Psychoanalytic theories were supported and endorsed by various other theorists including Carl Jung and Alfred Adler who believed and supported Freuds psychoanalytic theories and perceived the innate human experiences and their role in shaping individuals personality. Humanistic theories: “When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail.” - Abraham Maslow The humanism or humanistic psychology theories were put forward by American psychologist Abraham Maslow during the early 1950s. The humanist theory was developed in response to the psychoanalytical theories that focused largely on the negative or abnormal traits of human personality while largely ignoring the role of positive personality traits such as love, self-esteem, and creativity in shaping human behaviour. Maslow (1968) stated that ".. Human nature is not entirely as bad as it has been thought to be. It is as if Freud supplied us with the sick half of psychology and we must now fill it out with the healthy half" (cited in Coon & Mitterer, 2008: p. 413) The humanistic theories were considered as a part of the third force movement in the field of contemporary psychology. The term humanistic was coined by Abraham Maslow to refer to an ideology that emphasised on assessing and exploring the creative aspects of human personality which is inherent in all individuals and seek various ways in which such inherent creative aspects can be used to realise ones highest and most critical objectives and goals. The humanistic movement was led by Maslow and comprised of various other key researchers and theorists including Jung, Adler, Kohut, Horney, Allport, Rogers among others (Ryckman, 2007: p. 417). Maslow and Rogers who were considered as the pioneers of the humanistic personality theories rejected the negative and pessimistic perspective of personality put forward by Freudian psychoanalytical theories and rejected the claim made by psychoanalytic theorists that humans are robotic in nature whereby their early behaviour is influenced by their past experiences. Maslow and Rogers insisted that individuals are inherently creative and their behaviour is not restricted to their past experiences but are constantly renewed and shaped by their present circumstances, relationships and situations around them. Thus in contrast with the psychoanalytical theories the humanistic theories on the other hand, were highly optimistic and positive and believed on the tendency of humans to grow and attain their self-actualisation goals (Engler, 2013: p. 319). Maslow put forward the model of self-actualisation whereby he stated that the ultimate goal of all individuals cannot be satisfied unless the basic / primary goals are duly achieved. The humanistic psychological theory posits that individuals must fulfil their primary needs such as physiological needs which includes the need for hunger and thirst in order to achieve their other higher needs. These needs are then followed by safety needs, which includes the need for housing and shelter. These needs increase in scope, extent and value as we proceed towards the achievement of top most needs on the pyramid (McGuire, 2012). Maslows hierarchy of needs: Rogers theory of personality emphasised on the significance of self and believed that every individual possesses an innate drive that help in achieving the desired goals and objectives. Rogerss theory of humanistic personality emphasised that self is the centre of all human experiences and that is an integral part of us which give us all a sense of being. This sense of self helps in development of self-esteem and the degree to which we like or approve of ourselves. He greatly emphasised on the concept of unconditional positive regard in the development of self-esteem among individuals and stated that it is of crucial significance for parents to bestow unconditional support and appreciation for their children during their growing-up phase in order to strengthen their sense of self (Nevid, 2008: p. 500). Humanist theories strongly believe that self-actualisation is the single most driving force that drives human behaviour toward the achievement of their goals. The concept of self-actualisation is a continuous process that reflects the manner in which individuals perceive themselves and help them toward growth and fulfilment of their potentials (Nicholas, 2009: p. 226). Although Maslow greatly criticised Freudian psychoanalytic theories, the humanistic theories put forward by Maslow were perceived as supporting the theories put forward by Freud, rather than as an alternative to the psychoanalytic theories. This is mainly because like all psychological theorists, Maslow and other subsequent theorists after the Freudian era, endorsed the fact that no single personality theory can be considered as effective when studied in isolation and that it needs other perspectives to study the complex phenomenon of ‘individual personality’. References: Coon, D., Mitterer, J., (2008). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behaviour. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning Publication. Coon, D., (2005). Psychology: A modular approach to mind and behaviour. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning Publication Davey, G., (2011). Applied psychology. London, England: John Wiley & Sons Publication. Ellis, A., Abrams, M., (2008). Personality theories: Critical perspectives. London, UK: SAGE Publications. Engler, B., (2013). Personality theories. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning Publication. John, O. P., Robins, R. W., Pervin, L. A., (2008). Handbook of personality: Theory and research. New York, NY: Guilford Press. McGuire, K. J., (2012). Maslows hierarchy of needs. GRIN Verlag Publication. Millon, T., Lerner, M. J., Weiner, I. B., (2003). Handbook of psychology, personality and social psychology. London, UK: John Wiley & Sons Publication. Nevid, J., (2008). Psychology: Concepts and applications. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning Publication. Nicholas, L., (2009). Introduction to psychology. London, UK: Blackwell Publication. Ryckman, R., (2007). Theories of personality. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning Publication. Read More