Personality overview Name
Introduction
Personality can be said to be the persistent pattern which involves an individuals interaction with the self and the universe. Every one has aspects of their personality which are either negative or positive. Through the theories of personality, people can be made to understand their own personality and they can also find out the reasons as to why they behave the way they do. Personality theories are used to explain personality disorders, the reasons behind the ways of rectifying them among other psychological issues.
Psychoanalytic theory of personality
This theory was founded by Sigmund Freud in which he explained that a persons mind has two parts. First, there is the conscious mind which is inclusive of all that an individual is attentive about or aware of. This aspect involves the mental processing which people talk about when they are talking of the mind. It includes our memory. In this case, the memory is not necessarily a component of consciousness but when need be, it is retrievable to consciousness. Secondly, there is the unconscious mind which reserves the memories, urges, thoughts and feelings. This part of the brain mostly holds the unpleasant and unacceptable things like conflict, anxiety and pain. Freud explains that these continue to influence peoples experience and behaviour even when they are unaware of them.
This theory has several strengths and weaknesses. Among its strongest strength is that it is considered to be thorough and comprehensive. Initially, the theory was intended to give explanations to mental functioning in different capacities, human development, psychological and therapeutic concepts. It is however agreed that the theory can also be used to explain concepts which are not necessarily psychological. For example, leaders and companies nature can to an extent be explained by this theory. It is also considered strong because it has the qualities of good theories which include addressing its problem, its practicality in application, endures test of time, its recognized by the other people in the field in addition to fitting with several other theories. Philosophers claim that a good theory should be in a position to lead to fresh ideas and theories, be generalized and are falsifiable. Psychoanalysis theory has met most of these qualities thus qualifying as a good theory. This is because since it was found, it has continued being used and it is applicable in todays world as well.
However, the opponents feel that the evidence which has been generated to support it is its main limitation. The case study used is not scientific and therefore, it is hard to scientifically obtain facts which can support the hypothetical constructs that the theory proposes. They also claim that Freud in his experiments used only a small sample but made generalizations to all the individuals in existence.
Dynamic theory of personality
Sigmund has greatly influenced the psychodynamic theories of personality. Dynamic theories of personality were explained by several theorists for example psychosocial development theory by Erik Ericson and Holistic dynamic theory of Maslow. However, the scope of the dynamic theories will be limited to Freuds psychodynamic theory of personality. He believed that personality has three components, a) id which is in charge of individuals urges and needs, b) superego which is responsible for an individuals morals and ideals and c) the ego whose work is to moderate between the orders of superego, the id and the reality (Vermorel, 2009).
He explained that the ids role is to control the primal instincts like sexual desire and aggression and it is in the unconscious mind. It aims at getting immediate gratification and it usually competes with the ego. This is due to the fact that the ego operates on the principle of reality and it is therefore more conscious and rational. On the other hand, it is the duty of the superego to oversee the ego and the id through creating a sense of wrong and right in an individuals mind. The theory also argues that id is inborn while the ego develops when a child is 2 years old and the superego develops at the age of five years (Ewen, 2003).
The strengths of this theory include the fact that it can be used as a basis for disclosing and treating maladaptive and abnormal behavior. In other cases, it is also used to build up a detailed history of a psychological condition and this can be used in the provision of psychotherapeutic treatment. The theory also has some limitations in that it over-emphasizes on generalizing on a particular resulting action or result. The critics also argue that Freud bases his explanations on ethnocentric and andocentric views and these are not the only views in existence. It is also said to have subjective bias, relies on observations which have not been tested, its un-falsifiable, deterministic and unscientific (Strack Kinder, 2006).
Assumptions of the two theories
The psychoanalytic theory assumes that mind is structured into unconscious, pre-conscious and conscious. It supposes that to human beings, the unconscious is not known but it drives their thoughts and behaviours. The dynamic theory also assumes on the structure of the mind but in this case, the structure is composed of the id, ego and superego. It presupposes that the id and the superego are always in conflict with each other and that it is the ego which makes moderations between the ids demands and reality by making use of defence mechanisms. It also assumes about the way children grow through the three structures and stresses on the importance of a childs experiences (Freeman, Hayes, Kuch Taub, 2007).
Determinism versus freewill
The issue of determinism has been there for a long time. However, it is a fact that human beings have a perceptive regarding the way they live their everyday life. People make choices rather they are not subjects of control by blind forces or the gods. Free will concept explains that at some points in life, people make choices without being forced to. Freewill does not imply that there is no pressure, coercion or influence from the surroundings. People choose an option leaving another depending on their rational thinking capacity and the influences from their prior knowledge, upbringing or society. The deterministic notion explains that choice is not essential when describing the world. It argues that events happen due to the ones that came before them. Some philosophers argue that freewill does not exist while others feel that it does not, then it would not matter what a person does because it is not their choice. The proponents of the deterministic notion believe that the universe is deterministic and therefore humans also live a life that is predetermined. However, the majority contend that human beings have freewill but they live in a determined world (Livesley, 2001).
The concept of self awareness
Self aware is inclusive of recognizing ones dislikes and likes, weaknesses and strengths and ones personality. It is a concept which helps one for example to know whether they are under pressure. It is considered to be a prerequisite to interpersonal relations and effective communication. It is also known to be the basis through which empathy for others is developed. It helps individuals to understand the reasons as to why they feel the way they do or to explain their behavior. The understanding gained gives them the freedom and opportunity to make the necessary changes in their lives hence live more fulfilled lives. Without fully understanding who you really are, understanding others might prove impossible (Matthews, Deary Whiteman, 2003).
Effect of psychodynamic theories on individual personalities
Dynamic theories explain that an individuals experiences during early childhood can affect his personality later in life. The way a child is brought up shapes their attitudes, behaviours and personalities in future and this is why there are individual differences in people. Through the structures of the brain, people learn different defence mechanisms which they apply in life and they become part of their personalities. For example, they can learn regression which suggests that a person goes back to pleasure moments instead of confronting a challenge. They also learn denial such that when they are faced by difficult situations, they refuse to accept and deal with it and instead, they deny its existence. Repression is also learnt whereby individuals strive to block the impulses from id from accessing the conscious part of the mind. All these and more define peoples personalities. We find that there are people who want something and they go to every length to obtain it regardless of the consequences. It also explains the reason why a person would continually deny something that other people can see and still be adamant about it (Nichols Stich, 2003).
Conclusion
Personality theories are very important since they are applied and tested in our day to day lives. They explain our thinking processes, behaviour, attitudes and personalities. They can therefore help us to understand ourselves in terms of the way we behave or respond to issues in life. This means that they can contribute to the enhancement of the quality of life since when individuals understand their weaknesses. They are guided on how to overcome them hence improve their lives. They are also used for therapeutic reasons and they have been known to explain psychological disorders and how they can be effectively dealt with.
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