| Life is a learning experience. The complexity of | | | | that individual in the social setting. This theory is |
| human behaviour is finely related to the several | | | | mainly concerned with the heritable traits which |
| mechanisms which define how, what and when | | | | determine behaviour and result in particular |
| we learn about the world. People devote varied | | | | characteristics and types of individuals. Such |
| levels of energy to observe, memorise and | | | | theory began with Gordon Allport around 1937. |
| recount the ongoing stimuli around them - and | | | | Allport defined a trait as "a neuropsychic structure |
| that focus is the magical touch which produces | | | | having the capacity to render many stimuli |
| the fascinating ambiguity of mankind. In the realm | | | | functionally equivalent, and to initiate and guide |
| of behavioural science (and also common sense), | | | | equivalent (meaningfully consistent) forms of |
| there is one word which is vastly used to define | | | | adaptive and expressive behavior." (1961) |
| such effect: personality. | | | | The Big Five is a model of personality that |
| What is Personality? | | | | describes five defining personality traits. They |
| 'Personality' is a word originated from the Latin | | | | were originally described by Warren Norman |
| persona, which means 'mask'. "Significantly, in the | | | | (1963) and consist of: neuroticism, extraversion, |
| theatre of the ancient Latin-speaking world, the | | | | openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. |
| mask was not used as a plot device to disguise | | | | Phenomenological Theory |
| the identity of a character, but rather was a | | | | The Phenomenological approach stresses the |
| convention employed to represent, or typify that | | | | importance of the cognitive side of human |
| character." (Wikipedia). | | | | behaviour - therefore - what and how people |
| Personality is a broadly used term which meaning | | | | think. Phenomenological theory dictates that |
| can be sought through popular knowledge. Most | | | | conscious thoughts and beliefs are the major |
| people use the word as a reference to the | | | | determinants of personality. This approach puts |
| collection of characteristics which define how a | | | | individuals in the role of scientist: analysing the |
| person sees and acts upon the world - something | | | | world and themselves within a social context to |
| like a mix of their thought processes and | | | | reach conclusions about the formation and display |
| behaviour. In psychology, it could be defined as | | | | of personality traits. George Kelly, a clinical |
| the emotional, cognitive and behavioural patterns | | | | psychologist, developed the concept of 'personal |
| unique to an individual, learned and incremented | | | | constructs' which refers to the "categories with |
| through experience, and relatively consistent over | | | | which we interpret our experiences" (Peterson |
| time. | | | | 1997). The personal construct theory suggests |
| Overview of the Personality Framework | | | | that our interpretations of the world around us |
| The study of personality has developed relatively | | | | create our personality. Therefore the concept of |
| parallel to the evolution of psychology as a | | | | personality is a flexible one. |
| science. The perspective on human nature has | | | | Phenomenological theory was further developed |
| been floating between nature and nurture | | | | by Carl Rogers' self-actualisation concepts. |
| throughout the years, with researchers constantly | | | | According to Rogers, the drive towards |
| finding evidence to support and validate both | | | | self-actualisation (familiar to the Maslow's hierarchy |
| determinants. Thus, many theoretical concepts of | | | | of needs) was the major determinant of an |
| personality were based on the perspective that | | | | individual's personality. This humanistic and |
| psychologists and behavioural scientists had of | | | | optimistic approach was also the basis for Rogers' |
| human nature at a certain period in time. | | | | client-centred therapy. |
| "Over the years, numerous personality theories | | | | Social Learning Theory |
| have been proposed, and they can be classified | | | | Finally, the social learning theory focuses mainly on |
| within several major approaches, each assuming | | | | the influence of social dynamics and learning. This |
| its own model of human nature. Personality | | | | approached is based on behaviourism and it |
| psychologists within each approach emphasise | | | | stresses the importance that the human learning |
| different aspects of personality, favor different | | | | process has in the formation of personality traits. |
| research methods, and use different standards to | | | | In social learning theory, the most important |
| evaluate sufficient explanations." (Peterson 1997) | | | | psychological process is learning. The pioneering |
| Understanding personality involves not only | | | | theorists of this approach were John Dollard and |
| analysing the individual as a whole, but considering | | | | Neal Miller, authors of the book Personality and |
| individual behaviour in a particular social context. | | | | Psychotherapy (1950). According to them, people |
| Culture plays a major role in defining the variants | | | | learn behaviours that decrease their physiological |
| between individuals. For instance, western | | | | drive. |
| civilisations tend to encourage individuality - which | | | | Albert Bandura also played a key role in the |
| increases the incidence of people that present | | | | development of this theory. Bandura affirmed |
| unique behaviour with the aim of standing out. | | | | that people learn through modelling, and such |
| Being distinctive in our society is normally a social | | | | modelling becomes the main determinant of |
| benefit. In other societies - such as Japan and | | | | personality. The concept of self-efficacy, the |
| China - uniqueness can play a divergent role: | | | | belief that one can perform a given behaviour, |
| standing out is not socially sanctioned and | | | | creates an immediate mechanism in which people |
| therefore not admirable. | | | | modify behaviour in order to improve |
| Theories of Personality | | | | performance in life. |
| "The major theoretical approaches to personality | | | | The Human Perspective |
| are akin to great schools that dominated | | | | Personality is not only part of the realms of |
| psychology throughout the early part of the | | | | scientific research and behavioural studies. In order |
| twentieth century". (Peterson 1997) | | | | to better understand the world, we tend to |
| Psychodynamic Theory | | | | create patterns - to classify everything we can |
| Encouraged by Freud's psychoanalytic approach, | | | | into groups based on common characteristics. This |
| psychodynamic theories emphasise motivation and | | | | learning process seems to work effectively with |
| emotion as the major dictators of personality, | | | | our brain structure, and also to improve the |
| along with the presence of unconscious | | | | interpersonal communication process and to define |
| divergences of individuals. In such theory, libido | | | | roles in a social setting. It is normal that we |
| (defined by Freud as a 'psychological energy') is | | | | analyse other people's behaviours and physical |
| the primary determinant of our behaviour. This | | | | appearance based on predefined ideas which are |
| perspective concentrates on the conflict between | | | | enforced by our experiences, culture, inherited |
| an individual's biological motivation (instincts) and | | | | traits and social setting. |
| the social rules which guide common individual | | | | A common example of such effect is found in |
| behaviour. In the psychodynamic theory, the | | | | the perspective towards personality: there are |
| structure of personality is described in terms of | | | | hundreds of popular measurements of personality |
| the conscious, preconscious and unconscious (id, | | | | available through varied media and in different |
| ego and superego). Other major contributors of | | | | formats. Horoscopes, personality and intelligence |
| this theory were Carl Jung (collective | | | | tests, amongst others, are all part of our own |
| unconscious), Alfred Adler (compensation for | | | | way to view the world and to place individuals on |
| inferiority) and Erik Erikson (psychosocial | | | | common ground. It seems almost natural to |
| development). | | | | categorise ourselves and others in an attempt to |
| Trait Theory | | | | make sense of the world. Perhaps this evidence |
| The trait approach is derived from Darwin's | | | | indicates that Kelly's argument is particularly |
| theory of evolution and the emphasis on individual | | | | accurate: in a social setting, aren't we all scientists? |
| variation within a species, defining the function of | | | | |