Psychology

I. Introduction
Fictional characters though born from the imagination of those who created them possess unique qualities and traits that are very close to real life. While some may be given exaggerated personalities to make them more appealing to people, fictional characters are to some extent still relatable and at times emphatic to human experiences. This paper is meant to examine a fictional character using a particular theory of personality in an attempt to show how a real theory can be applied to effectively review someone from fiction.

The fictional character chosen for this paper is Peter Griffin. He is the title character in the animated series Family Guy created by Seth MacFarlane. The other main characters in the show with Peter are Lois, his wife, their kids, Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their talking dog, Brian. The Griffin Family lives in Quahog a fictional town in Rhode Island. It is a middleclass community of families with fathers usually working jobs around town and mothers stay at home. Peter is a blue collar worker who first came out as a safety inspector in a toy company. Then he became a fisherman with his own boat until the boat got destroyed. In recent seasons of the show, Peter is described to be working at the shipping department of a brewery. He is physically described as overweight. He is often seen getting drunk with his neighbors at the local bar. He is loud and unrefined, and many times brash. Of Irish American lineage he was raised in the Catholic faith. He was almost aborted by his mother but before the procedure was completed, his mother went into labor. Peter also has two fathers. He learned that his biological father is an Irishman in one of the episodes.  

To further understand Peter and his response to his experiences, the Humanistic Theory of Personality will be used. The theory proposes that all humans have innate goodness and respect in them. It is the acceptance and understanding of oneself that become the basis of ones response to situations. In Peters case, assessing his understanding of himself will paint a clearer picture of why he responds to his experiences the way he does.

II. Review of Literature
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow popularized the Humanistic Theory of Personality (Tate, 2008). The theory is principally based on existentialism. This School of Thought believes that every individual is responsible for his or her own life. The choices one makes will determine the quality of life one lives (Humanistic Theory, 2004). In the same way Humanistic Theory believes that man makes his own destiny. While everyone has inner abilities, it is the individual who determines fate (Humanistic Theory, 2004). However, the Humanistic Theory also believes that in many ways external surroundings, experiences, and situations have very strong effect in the behavior of an individual (Tate, 2008). This is why Maslow created his Hierarchy of Needs (Humanistic Theory, 2004).

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is a diagram to explain human motivation. This pyramid of needs has five levels basic needs, safety needs, psychological needs, self-actualization and peak experiences. He suggested that the development of an individual is dependent on the completion of each level in the pyramid. No individual can successfully achieve a higher level without accomplishing that which is lower. In effect, the Maslows Hierarchy of Needs serves as a fundamental guide in applying the Humanistic Theory to life.

III. Analysis
Peter Griffin is described as stereotypically blue-collar. He interprets his experiences in a simplistic manner. Often in familial situations, he is portrayed to be the obtuse one. Even his youngest son, Stewie and their talking dog, Brian, are shown to be of better intellect than him. In one episode Peters IQ was measured. He registered slightly below the retarded level. Armed with this idea he acted like how a person with such IQ was expected to act. In many cases, external surrounding and situations influence peoples behavior. Prior to learning that his has a below normal IQ Peter was a regular functioning individual. However this realization gave him some sort of license to behave immaturely.

There was one time that Peter and Lois almost divorced. Peter became very jealous that forced the couple to separate. However in the end the two decided that they are equally indiscriminately jealous people and it would be best to just live together dealing with their jealousies. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs states clearly that an individual unable to fully develop a lower level of needs would have difficulty coping with the needs of a higher level. Peter, as is depicted is unreasonably jealous. In his simplistic way of thinking this is not at all a surprise. It would seem that he has not successfully accomplished the level of Psychological Needs. More likely than not even people who are deemed self-actualized will be jealous one time or another. With Peter Griffin however, he jealousy is often baseless and irrational. This is common with people who are not secured about themselves or who find some kind of inner relational struggle.

A clear picture of Peter Griffin was highlighted in the very first episode of the very first season of the show. As mentioned his way of thinking is unsophisticated, almost crude at times. The first time Peter is seen on TV he proved this true. He made a promise to Lois that he could not keep, not to get drunk at a party. This caused him his job after he could not control his hangover. He was so afraid Lois would find out he pretended to go to work everyday until he decided to file for welfare. A computer glitch made him receive more than he should. Instead of being conscientious about it he goes on a spending spree until Lois finally found out. He was sued for fraud and it took his son Stewie to save him. The Humanistic Theory states that an individuals life is determined by the choices one makes. Peters misfortunes, losing his job and being sued by the state, are results of the choices he made. He had many opportunities to turn his situation around but he opted otherwise. The tragic situations the Griffin family gets into are mostly created by the wrong choices Peter makes. Peters impulsiveness is heightened by his poor assessment of his experiences.

The Humanistic Theory emphasizes that an individual to be able to truly develop should have a good understanding of himself or herself. Assumption of responsibility begins with the acceptance of oneself. Peters loyalty was tested in one situation. His patriotism brought him to a point where he was unforgiving of immigrants and people of other races. He campaigned for Quahog, his town, to be immigrant-free. Then irony crept up to him. He convinced his workplace to remove all immigrants from the company. He was forced to produce his birth certificate to prove his citizenship. To his surprise, Peter learned he was actually born in Mexico. His mother was so afraid to have him exposed, she neglected to change his citizenship. Peter had to file for citizenship but failed the exams. He was forced to work with immigrants in his father-in-laws estate. His view about them changed. He then realized they have many things in common. This instance merely illustrated Peters weak understanding of himself. He does not make an effort to learn his history. He shows a lack of insight and inability discern correctly. These may be the reasons why Peter responds to situations inappropriately.

IV. Conclusion
 Peter Griffin responds to his experiences in a raw, somewhat coarse manner. He is driven more by his impulses only because he does not have the skill to properly comprehend events around him. Often times he finds himself in the middle of obscure situations as a result of his own choices. Using Maslows Hierarchy of Needs as basis, it is safe to conclude that Peter Griffins development is between the levels of Safety Needs (2nd rung) and Psychological Needs (3rd rung). Until he finds security with things like work, resources and family, he will continue to face challenges with his relationships.