"An understanding of theories of personality rests on information regarding the historical, social and psychological worlds of each theorist at the time of his or her theorizing" (Feist & Feist, 2009). This paper will look at the psychoanalysis theory, the humanistic/existential theory, dispositional theory, and learning theory.
The psychoanalysis theory is Sigmund Freud's theory of personality. Freud believed that behavior stemmed from a person's unconscious mind. According to Freud, there were three parts to the human mind. These were the id, ego, and super ego and these three parts of the human mind were actually what shaped personality" (Boundless). According to Freud's theory, a person's personality is developed during childhood, through unconscious experiences (Feist & Feist, 2009). It was Freud's goal to bring the unconscious into the conscious mind so that a person's actions and behaviors could be better understood.
Maslow's self-actualization is an example of the humanistic/existential theory. This theory promotes happiness in people. The humanistic theory implies that mankind is inherently good and that people must take responsibility for their own actions. This theory is based on free will however, and that in itself makes it harder to study when relating it to personality and what causes people to act as they do. Maslow, Rodgers, and May are three great theorists whose works implicated this theory. Maslow claimed that a person constantly changed from the time of birth to the time of death. The self was constantly changing. Maslow stared the body and mind were two separate entities, and should not be seen as one. That as a person grew and matured they would automatically come into their true self (Chopra).
Dispositional theory claims that the behavior of a person stems from what they are feeling internally and not what is going on around them. This is why different people act so differently in the exact same situation.
