Personality
Personality
Personality
Personality is defined as the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that evolve from
biological and environmental factors. While there is no generally agreed upon definition of personality, most theories
focus on motivation and psychological interactions with one's environment. Trait-based personality theories, such as
those defined by Raymond Cattell, define personality as the traits that predict a person's behavior. On the other hand,
more behaviorally-based approaches define personality through learning and habits. Nevertheless, most theories view
personality as relatively stable.
The study of the psychology of personality, called personality psychology, attempts to explain the tendencies
that underlie differences in behavior. Many approaches have been taken on to study personality, including biological,
cognitive, learning and trait-based theories, as well as psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches. Personality
psychology is divided among the first theorists, with a few influential theories being posited by Sigmund Freud, Alfred
Adler, Gordon Allport, Hans Eysenck, Abraham Maslow, and Carl Rogers.
According to Sigmund Freud, human personality is complex and has more than a single component. In his
famous psychoanalytic theory, Freud states that personality is composed of three elements known as the id, the ego,
and the superego. These elements work together to create complex human behaviors.
3 Components of Personality
The Id
According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.
The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth.
This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes instinctive and primitive behaviors.
The Ego
According to Freud, The ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a
manner acceptable in the real world.
The ego functions in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind.
The ego is the component.
The Superego
The last component of personality to develop is the superego.
According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age five.
The superego holds the internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from our parents and society
(our sense of right and wrong).1
The superego provides guidelines for making judgments.
The superego has two parts:
The conscience includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. These
behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments, or feelings of guilt and remorse.
Theories of Personality
Major Theorists
Sigmund Freud: Stressed the importance of early childhood events, the influence of the unconscious, and sexual
instincts in the development and formation of personality.
Erik Erikson: Emphasized the social elements of personality development, the identity crisis, and how
personality is shaped over the course of the entire lifespan. 2
Carl Jung: Focused on concepts such as the collective unconscious, archetypes, and psychological types.
Alfred Adler: Believed the core motive behind personality involves striving for superiority, or the desire to
overcome challenges and move closer toward self-realization. This desire to achieve superiority stems from
underlying feelings of inferiority that Adler believed were universal.
Karen Horney: Focused on the need to overcome basic anxiety, the sense of being isolated and alone in the
world. She emphasized the societal and cultural factors that also play a role in personality, including the
importance of the parent-child relationship.