(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Humanistic and Trait Approaches to Personality

These are not necessary to survival but are goals that we perceive as higher. In Abraham Maslow's book "Motivation and Personality" (1954) he outlined his theory of human motivation, which dubbed these positive goals as "higher order" needs. If all of an individual's baser desires - the deficits - are satisfied the individual will attempt to fulfil higher-order needs. These include the desire to belong, to be held in affection and esteem and the thirst for knowledge.
             Both of these methods have their merits, but both also have distinct weaknesses. Firstly, the reservations towards humanistic theory. The general accusation that can be made is of lack of scientific evidence. No investigation can be made into determining the "peak experiences" experienced by Maslow's historical "self-actualisers". Rogers's theories on childhood repression seem general and certainly unsupported by meaningful scientific investigation. Accusations can even be made against the usefulness of childhood psychoanalysis in determining future behaviour and personality - is personality stable or not? This is a question in itself; one that Rogers does not address. With the assertion that all human thought essentially derives from free will, it is difficult to formulate an effective treatment - throwing doubt on the usefulness of the theory.
             Coupled with the feeling that humanistic approaches are too unsubstantiated is the thought that it is too unfoundedly positive. It suggests that all people naturally gravitate towards good deeds - art, literature etc. Instead it seems likely that given the right circumstances a person can be caused, either psychologically or sociologically, to do evil. Would this be a product of any deficiency need? Or even a twisted version of one of his higher needs? Not necessarily. A serial killer doesn't necessarily kill for attention or for security or any of Maslow's higher-order desires. The sociopathic killer is entirely aware of the logic of the situation and chooses to commit murder as the logical extension of its perceived character - surely a self-actualiser by Maslow's own standard, but not one that has been recognised.


Essays Related to Humanistic and Trait Approaches to Personality

1. Personality

... have several shortcomings. First, they are primarily descriptive. They seek to depict the basic dimensions of personality but generally do not explain causes. Thus, the five-factor theory of personality helps us to locate personality more precisely. Trait theories categorize and describe the ways in which people's personalities differ. The humanistic personality theory emphasizes that humans are positively motivated and progress toward higher levels of functioning. Its approach basically says ... . These theories help explain why people behave inconsistently, an area in which trait appro...

  • Word Count: 589
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Personality Paper - Psychology

... , etc. I never knew that childhood sexuality and unconscious motivations influenced a person's development of their personality, and it was interesting to learn about that. I thought it was extremely interesting learning about the factor analysis and the "Big Five- with the trait perspective. In the humanistic approach, I learned about self-fulfillment and self-esteem, and how that affects one's personality- though I disagree with a few of the approaches stated in the self-esteem section ... . I never knew about the social-cognitive perspective and how it emphasizes ... ...

  • Word Count: 1290
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Personality

... are Psychoanalytic, Ego, Biological, Behaviorist, Cognitive, Trait, and Humanistic. Different types of behaviors are amazing to learn about, mainly the behavior therapy, collective behavior, crime and punishment, and Social behavior and peer acceptance in children. I chose Behaviorism over the other aspects because I believe behavior determines human personality and is very interesting. You can tell what one is by his behavior, and one behaves according to what place he has in society ... search for spiritual meaning on a religious sect, nor the demand for equal opportunity in an intere...

  • Word Count: 1401
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Consildated Merger

... by great perception, great attitudes, and great motives. They are goal-driven, and results oriented. It is custom of them to go out and work hard. They go out and perform because of their positive traits. Their decision-making process is usually flawless and capable of enhancing achievement of desired results. In essence, the underlying trait within an individual shapes up the ... structure. Emotions are involved in soft skill people. Key examples are listening, effective communication, employee perceptions, and others. Integral to the soft skill level is the underlying humanistic view...

  • Word Count: 6352
  • Approx Pages: 25
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question