Theories of personality

Chapter 4

According to Engler (2014), a person’s “public persona” is a reflection of their personality. The goal of most theories of personality is to provide an explanation for and analysis of specific behaviours. Adler argues that each individual has a sense of worthlessness because of their individuality. He held the view that dependency on one’s parents began at birth. The common perception is that one is helpless without another’s involvement. Theories of personality

Individuals, according to his theory (Engler, 2014), typically take action with the goal of bettering themselves. Those who believe they are below par often lack the drive to improve themselves, which prevents them from reaching for the stars. Personally, I like to think of myself as honest and trustworthy. I have good self-control and am prone to original thoughts. APA Format

Therefore, I think that I am not de-motivated by the feeling of inferiority. However, on some occasions, I am dependent on others for the progress of my endeavors. This implies that some aspects of Adler’s theory apply to my personality traits whereas other elements are not applicable. Theories of personality

Harry Stack Sullivan interpersonal theory is based on the idea that individuals’ usually develop personality depending on social context. This theory makes more emphasis on the importance of developmental stages like childhood, early adolescence, adulthood, etc. Personally, my personality traits have been significantly shaped by my social systems and developmental stages. I tend to be talkative, confident and genuine on my issues and I have been brought up on a social environment that supported and emphasized these aspects. Theories of personality

Chapter 5

One of my personality characteristics is agreeableness and openness. I am open in that I tend to try having a broad range of interests. These personality traits apply to Karen Horney’s theory. Karen Horney is one of the most reputable psychoanalytic theorists in history. Karen Horney is best known for her theory of neurotic needs. According to this theory, she believes that neurosis is not a condition, but instead, it is a process that occurs in an individual’s life (Engler, 2014).

She thinks that the cause of neurosis is anxiety which is generally caused by interrelationships. The techniques that are usually applied to deal with anxiety can be overused thus resulting in the appearance of various needs. According to Karen Horney neurotic need for prestige, more open people tend to fear the loss of social status and embarrassments. This applies to my case because I tend to avoid public embarrassments. Theories of personality

Erich Fromm is a philosopher and social psychologist who is best known for his concept of freedom. He developed a concept which indicates that democracy is a part of human nature. This theory is based on the idea that an individual’s personality is based on the need for belonging and the need for freedom.

According to his theory, people typically develop some personality traits or styles to deal with the feeling of anxiety (Engler, 2014). To some extent, I think Fromm’s theory defines my personality. On some occasions, I usually have a low tolerance for stress and moodiness, and as a result, I slowly develop specific personality strategies and styles to deal with the anxiety.

Chapter 6

According to Erik Erickson’s theory, personality is usually developed in a series of steps. A person’s social experiences usually significantly determine how a person develops and grows (Engler, 2014). I wholeheartedly agree with Erickson’s idea regarding my personality traits. There are various personality traits which have emerged as a result of my social experiences. For instance, I have interacted with many dedicated people, and this tends to influence me to be dedicated and cooperative. On some occasions, I am also aggressive, and this is; as a result, my past social experiences. Theories of personality

According to Dan McAdams personality theory, he focuses on three levels of personality dispositional traits, characteristic adaptations, and life stories (Engler, 2014). Personally, when I meet with new people, I am friendly, and I tend to be reluctant on being open to them especially about issues that appear to be more private information.

Anna Freud idea is based on the importance of ego and its integration into development. According to this theory, people react to internal forces in a certain way and also interact with others in a specific way depending on their ego which is a significant component of personality. Personally, my decision making is significantly influenced by my personality and precisely my ego. Theories of personality

Overall, I believe that all these theorists had done a lot of research when coming up with their specific theories. This is mainly because all these theories apply to one’s life and precisely I have been able to examine the applicability of these theories into my personality traits. After the examination, I found out that they apply to my own personality.

Reference Theories of personality

Engler, B. (2014). Personality theories: an introduction. Australia Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.