Theories of personality is a complex subject that covers a wide array of concepts. Before taking this course, I felt I had a decent understanding of personality theories because I had a vague idea of Freud's theory, I had heard about the Hierarchy of needs, I knew about Ivan Pavlov and Pavlov's dog, and I had even taken the Myers-Briggs test. Much to my surprise, my prior knowledge barely scratched the surface of all of the psychological studies dedication to the development of personalities and behaviors. Throughout the course, many different personality theories were discussed. My prior knowledge of Freud's theory entailed knowledge of the id, ego, and superego as well as the study of the unconscious. I learned that his theory is called psychoanalysis and that there were many other theorists that expanded upon his concepts. Karen Horney, Alfred Adler, Carl Jung, and Erik Erikson all made significant contributions to psychoanalytic theory. Horney's theory focuses on ten neurotic needs that can be clustered into three coping strategies: compliance, aggression, and withdrawal (Boeree, 2006). These three coping strategies help the individual to cope with the anxiety that is created by a neurotic need. Adler postulates a single motivating force behind all of our behavior and experiences that her termed "striving for perfection" (Boeree, 2006). This covers the desire we all have to reach our potential. Jung provided a theory that encompasses both a teleological view as well as a mystical view that includes not only the individual unconscious but a collective unconscious as well (Boeree, 2006). Jung provided us with the Myers-Briggs personality test. Finally, Erickson contributed to psychoanalysis by expanding Freud's theory into eight stages of human development. My knowledge of psychoanalysis prior to taking the course consisted of a basic understanding of Freud's theory and the Myers-Briggs test, which I was unaware was a part of psychoanalytic theory.
