| Life is a learning experience. The complexity of human | | | | particular characteristics and types of individuals. Such |
| behaviour is finely related to the several mechanisms | | | | theory began with Gordon Allport around 1937. Allport |
| which define how, what and when we learn about the | | | | defined a trait as "a neuropsychic structure having the |
| world. People devote varied levels of energy to | | | | capacity to render many stimuli functionally equivalent, |
| observe, memorise and recount the ongoing stimuli | | | | and to initiate and guide equivalent (meaningfully |
| around them - and that focus is the magical touch | | | | consistent) forms of adaptive and expressive |
| which produces the fascinating ambiguity of mankind. In | | | | behavior." (1961) |
| the realm of behavioural science (and also common | | | | The Big Five is a model of personality that describes |
| sense), there is one word which is vastly used to | | | | five defining personality traits. They were originally |
| define such effect: personality. | | | | described by Warren Norman (1963) and consist of: |
| What is Personality? | | | | neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness |
| 'Personality' is a word originated from the Latin | | | | and conscientiousness. |
| persona, which means 'mask'. "Significantly, in the | | | | Phenomenological Theory |
| theatre of the ancient Latin-speaking world, the mask | | | | The Phenomenological approach stresses the |
| was not used as a plot device to disguise the identity | | | | importance of the cognitive side of human behaviour - |
| of a character, but rather was a convention employed | | | | therefore - what and how people think. |
| to represent, or typify that character." (Wikipedia). | | | | Phenomenological theory dictates that conscious |
| Personality is a broadly used term which meaning can | | | | thoughts and beliefs are the major determinants of |
| be sought through popular knowledge. Most people | | | | personality. This approach puts individuals in the role of |
| use the word as a reference to the collection of | | | | scientist: analysing the world and themselves within a |
| characteristics which define how a person sees and | | | | social context to reach conclusions about the |
| acts upon the world - something like a mix of their | | | | formation and display of personality traits. George |
| thought processes and behaviour. In psychology, it | | | | Kelly, a clinical psychologist, developed the concept of |
| could be defined as the emotional, cognitive and | | | | 'personal constructs' which refers to the "categories |
| behavioural patterns unique to an individual, learned and | | | | with which we interpret our experiences" (Peterson |
| incremented through experience, and relatively | | | | 1997). The personal construct theory suggests that our |
| consistent over time. | | | | interpretations of the world around us create our |
| Overview of the Personality Framework | | | | personality. Therefore the concept of personality is a |
| The study of personality has developed relatively | | | | flexible one. |
| parallel to the evolution of psychology as a science. | | | | Phenomenological theory was further developed by |
| The perspective on human nature has been floating | | | | Carl Rogers' self-actualisation concepts. According to |
| between nature and nurture throughout the years, with | | | | Rogers, the drive towards self-actualisation (familiar to |
| researchers constantly finding evidence to support and | | | | the Maslow's hierarchy of needs) was the major |
| validate both determinants. Thus, many theoretical | | | | determinant of an individual's personality. This |
| concepts of personality were based on the | | | | humanistic and optimistic approach was also the basis |
| perspective that psychologists and behavioural | | | | for Rogers' client-centred therapy. |
| scientists had of human nature at a certain period in | | | | Social Learning Theory |
| time. | | | | Finally, the social learning theory focuses mainly on the |
| "Over the years, numerous personality theories have | | | | influence of social dynamics and learning. This |
| been proposed, and they can be classified within | | | | approached is based on behaviourism and it stresses |
| several major approaches, each assuming its own | | | | the importance that the human learning process has in |
| model of human nature. Personality psychologists | | | | the formation of personality traits. In social learning |
| within each approach emphasise different aspects of | | | | theory, the most important psychological process is |
| personality, favor different research methods, and use | | | | learning. The pioneering theorists of this approach |
| different standards to evaluate sufficient explanations." | | | | were John Dollard and Neal Miller, authors of the book |
| (Peterson 1997) | | | | Personality and Psychotherapy (1950). According to |
| Understanding personality involves not only analysing | | | | them, people learn behaviours that decrease their |
| the individual as a whole, but considering individual | | | | physiological drive. |
| behaviour in a particular social context. Culture plays a | | | | Albert Bandura also played a key role in the |
| major role in defining the variants between individuals. | | | | development of this theory. Bandura affirmed that |
| For instance, western civilisations tend to encourage | | | | people learn through modelling, and such modelling |
| individuality - which increases the incidence of people | | | | becomes the main determinant of personality. The |
| that present unique behaviour with the aim of standing | | | | concept of self-efficacy, the belief that one can |
| out. Being distinctive in our society is normally a social | | | | perform a given behaviour, creates an immediate |
| benefit. In other societies - such as Japan and China - | | | | mechanism in which people modify behaviour in order |
| uniqueness can play a divergent role: standing out is | | | | to improve performance in life. |
| not socially sanctioned and therefore not admirable. | | | | The Human Perspective |
| Theories of Personality | | | | Personality is not only part of the realms of scientific |
| "The major theoretical approaches to personality are | | | | research and behavioural studies. In order to better |
| akin to great schools that dominated psychology | | | | understand the world, we tend to create patterns - to |
| throughout the early part of the twentieth century". | | | | classify everything we can into groups based on |
| (Peterson 1997) | | | | common characteristics. This learning process seems |
| Psychodynamic Theory | | | | to work effectively with our brain structure, and also to |
| Encouraged by Freud's psychoanalytic approach, | | | | improve the interpersonal communication process and |
| psychodynamic theories emphasise motivation and | | | | to define roles in a social setting. It is normal that we |
| emotion as the major dictators of personality, along | | | | analyse other people's behaviours and physical |
| with the presence of unconscious divergences of | | | | appearance based on predefined ideas which are |
| individuals. In such theory, libido (defined by Freud as a | | | | enforced by our experiences, culture, inherited traits |
| 'psychological energy') is the primary determinant of | | | | and social setting. |
| our behaviour. This perspective concentrates on the | | | | A common example of such effect is found in the |
| conflict between an individual's biological motivation | | | | perspective towards personality: there are hundreds of |
| (instincts) and the social rules which guide common | | | | popular measurements of personality available through |
| individual behaviour. In the psychodynamic theory, the | | | | varied media and in different formats. Horoscopes, |
| structure of personality is described in terms of the | | | | personality and intelligence tests, amongst others, are |
| conscious, preconscious and unconscious (id, ego and | | | | all part of our own way to view the world and to |
| superego). Other major contributors of this theory | | | | place individuals on common ground. It seems almost |
| were Carl Jung (collective unconscious), Alfred Adler | | | | natural to categorise ourselves and others in an |
| (compensation for inferiority) and Erik Erikson | | | | attempt to make sense of the world. Perhaps this |
| (psychosocial development). | | | | evidence indicates that Kelly's argument is particularly |
| Trait Theory | | | | accurate: in a social setting, aren't we all scientists? |
| The trait approach is derived from Darwin's theory of | | | | Content Sources |
| evolution and the emphasis on individual variation within | | | | 1. Wikipedia - |
| a species, defining the function of that individual in the | | | | 2. Peterson, C (1997) Psychology: A Biopsychosocial |
| social setting. This theory is mainly concerned with the | | | | Approach. Addison-Wesley, New York. |
| heritable traits which determine behaviour and result in | | | | |