Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality

Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality

A theory can be defined in the dictionary as “the supposition or system of ideas explaining something” ("Theory," 2012).  The field of psychology has expanded over decades because of various theories that have been developed to give explanations on human behavior.  This paper will discuss theories involving biological and humanistic approaches to personality by using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to discuss the extent to which growth needs influence personality formation as well as provide a description of biological factors that influence the formation of personality.  This paper will also examine the relationship of biological factors to Maslow’s theory of personality and explain the basic aspects of humanistic theory that are incompatible with biological explanations of personality.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow developed a theory known as hierarchy of needs that “explains human behavior in terms of basic requirements for survival and growth” (Schmutte, 2006) and contributes to the formation of personality.  According to this theory the needs are in order of “importance for survival and their power to motivate the individual” (Schmutte, 2006).  Food, water and oxygen represent the lowest level of the need hierarchy and these needs must be fulfilled before other needs can be met.  Needs on higher levels of the hierarchy focus more on the psychological well-being of an individual and they are often influenced by education and experiences in life. As stated earlier, “the basic needs for human survival include food, water, shelter, oxygen, and sleep” (Schmutte, 2006) and are known as the physiological needs on the pyramid and when these needs are not satisfied, individuals are unable to focus on higher needs such as safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization.  According to the pyramid once physiological needs are met safety needs begin to surface which include “a sense of security and predictability in the world” (Schmutte, 2006) and attempts are made by individuals to maintain conditions that allow them to feel safe and avoid danger.  Maslow believed that if an individual was not successful in satisfying safety needs it would lead to “neurotic behavior and other emotional problems” (Schmutte, 2006) that could impact personality formation. The need for love and belonging emerge once physiological and safety needs are satisfied.  Love and belonging needs consist of “longings for an intimate relationship with another person as well as the need to belong to a group and to feel accepted” (Schmutte, 2006). Self-esteem and the esteem of others are included in the esteem needs on the pyramid.  Self-esteem “is the feeling that one is worthwhile, competent, and independent and the esteem of other involves the feeling that other people respect and appreciate the person” (Schmutte, 2006).  Maslow believed that once an individual has fulfilled their basic needs, “concerns about worthiness emerge and the focus becomes not just surviving, but doing well according to meaningful communal standards” (Schmutte, 2006).  At the top of the pyramid are self-actualization needs which are needs “associated with realizing one’s full potential” (Schmutte, 2006). The need for self-actualization occurs when an individual begins to focus on doing what they are meant do in life in relation to “developing his or her talents and abilities to their fullest extent” (Schmutte, 2006). The Hierarchy of need explains how basic human needs motivate human behavior which in turn influences personality development.

Biological factors that influence personality

Biological factors that influence the formation of personality consist of genetic traits that are inherited, endocrine glands, and the nervous system.  Genetic traits that are inherited is known as heredity which is “the biological transmission of genetic characteristics from parent to offspring” ("Heredity," 2009) and is considered a very important factor in the development of personality.  The endocrine glands are “ductless glands that produce and secrete hormones into the bloodstream” ("Endocrine glands," 2003) and consist of thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and gonads.  Hormones are “biochemical messengers that affect body states or growth by carrying signals from one group of cells to another” ("Hormones," 2009) which can have a direct effect on personality due to the levels that are being transmitted and how those levels influence behavior.  The nervous system is a “network of specialized tissue that controls actions and reactions of the body and its adjustment to the environment” ("Nervous system," 2013).  Genetic traits influence personality because they are inherited characteristics that shape an individual; however it is possible that some traits can be influenced by the environment which is also an important component of personality formation.

Relationship between biological factors to Maslow’s theory of personality

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is a theory on personality that explains that individual’s will reach their full potential in life by satisfying certain needs in life and that theory relates to biological factors because those components contribute to personality and if there are issues it is possible that an individual could have difficulty with satisfying the needs in the pyramid.  For example, if there is an excessive production of certain hormones it could cause an individual to display certain characteristics that are considered to be unstable and could prevent them from satisfying certain needs.

Humanistic Theory

Humanistic theory “emphasizes subjective experience, conscious free-will, and human aspiration” ("Humanistic theory," 2009).  Humanistic theory conflicts with theories that were presented prior such as psychoanalytic and behaviorist because it “presented an optimistic view of human nature, in which humans are active, creative, and concerned with growth” ("Humanistic theory," 2009).  Humanistic theory is incompatible with biological explanations of personality because it states “that humans think consciously and rationally and can exert control over their biological urges” ("Humanistic theory," 2009) in which sometimes can be impossible for certain individuals especially if they are experiencing chemical imbalances. Another incompatibility between humanistic and biological theory is that humanistic theory states that individuals develop inadequate personality traits through learning experiences which is opposite of the biological theory that states certain traits are inherited.

Conclusion

Biological and humanistic theories have different approaches on the explanation of personality development; however they do share a few similarities.  Abraham Maslow developed a Hierarchy of Needs theory to explain personality development as a part of basic human needs and his pyramid shows how satisfying human needs impact personality formation.  Maslow’s believed that in order for an individual to reach self-actualization, which is the highest level on the pyramid they first had to satisfy basic needs such as physiological and then psychological needs and during these stages the experiences would contribute to personality formation.

References

Endocrine glands. (2003). The Macmillan Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/content/entry/move/endocrine_glands/0

Heredity. (2009). The penguin dictionary of psychology. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/content/entry/penguinpsyc/heredity/0

Hormones. (2009). The Sage glossary of the social and behavioral sciences. doi:10.4135/9781412972024.n1206

Humanistic theory. (2009). The sage glossary of the social and behavioral sciences. doi:10.4135/9781412972024.n1219

Nervous system. (2013). The Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/content/entry/columency/nervous_system/0

Schmutte, D. L. (2006). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, 3(2nd), 1662-1665.

Theory. (2012). Key terms in literary theory. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/content/entry/contlt/theory/0

Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment

Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment

Psychoanalytic Theory was first developed by Sigmund Freud which was based off of treatment that administered to his patients suffering from neurological disorders and is the “framework for understanding the impact of the unconscious on thoughts, feeling, and behavior.  Freud posited that most of what motivates individuals lies outside of their immediate awareness” ("Psychoanalytic Theory," 2008).  This paper will provide a Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment by comparing and contrasting the psychoanalytic theories of Freud, Jung and Adler and give two characteristics of each theory that I agree with and two characteristics that I disagree with. As a part of the assessment this paper will describe the stages of Freud’s theory and explain characteristics of personality using those components and describe uses of at least three Freudian defense mechanisms with real-life examples. 

Freud, Jung, Adler

Freud is considered to be the father of psychoanalysis because of his theory that was developed concerning the mind and for a method of treatment for mental illness.  Freud’s theories of the mind consist of “the division of mental experience into the conscious and the unconscious, and the structure of the personality in the ID, ego and superego” ("Freud, Sigmund," 2006).  Freud’s theory interpreted “the id as fundamental, containing the inherited biological disposition of the individual, with the ego and superego developing through the formative first five years of life” ("Freud, Sigmund," 2006).  

Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic theory is considered to be an “expansion of Freud’s theory beyond its sexual/gender connotation” (Blackbourn, 2006).    Jung’s theory followed many of Freud’s concepts but his approach was different in relation to women and has less emphasis on sex.  Jung’s theory states that “the human psyche is made up of the collective unconscious, conscious, ego, and persona.  The ego is reflective of individual experience partly existing in one’s conscious and partly unconscious” (Blackbourn, 2006).  Jung believed that “in the collective unconscious, we find these pre-mortise images, racial images established perhaps thousands of years ago” and that there are two main archetypes “anima which is the ideal male mate, and animus which is the ideal female mate and that the personal is a superficial social mask that the individual presents, or puts on while involved in a social relationship” (Blackbourn, 2006).     

Alfred Adler worked with Sigmund Freud for a period time as a member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society; however their difference in opinions on psychoanalytic theory forced Adler to leave the Psychoanalytic Society and establish his own school of individual psychology that was based off of his beliefs that “striving for social success and power was fundamental to human motivation” ("Adler, Alfred," 2008).  According to Adler’s theory “individuals develop problems and maladjustments when they cannot surmount feelings of inferiority acquired in childhood.  This inferiority complex is often compensated for by assertive or aggressive behavior” ("Adler, Alfred," 2008). 

Freud believed that each personality was made up of a multilateral structure that consists of “the id which is the unconscious emotions, desires and fears which may surface in dreams or madness; the ego which is the conscious rationalizing section; and the superego, which may be compared to the conscience” ("Freud, Sigmund," 2008).  I agree with Freud’s theories on id, ego, and superego just like Jung and Adler; however I do not believe that everything is motivated by sexuality in the manner that Freud stated in his theory.  Freud’s theory is based off of stages that an individual must go through starting at a very young age with desires that need to be fulfilled and as the child becomes older and the ego develops it allows room for an individual to make decisions pertaining to their desires realistically and soon when the superego develops decisions can be made according to moral values of society.  Freud also believed that “the adoption of a satisfactory superego is dependent on the resolution of the Oedipus complex” which he considered a very important part of the Phallic Stage in his psychodynamic theory of development in which “the unconscious wish of little boys is to kill their father and marry their mother” ("Oedipus complex," 2006) and that is something that I completely disagree with. 

Adler’s theory states that “humans are motivated more by their subjective expectations of the future than by their objective experience of the past;” and that is a characteristic that I can agree with because I believe that when someone expects certain things to happen in their life they will set goals that will make them more inclined to work harder to achieve those goals which is motivation; however I do believe that certain experiences of the past can also be a source of motivation.

While I agree with Jung’s theory that states personality consist of “collective unconscious, conscious, ego, and persona” (Blackbourn, 2006),  I do not agree with his idea with what he believed to the content of the “collective unconscious” because I think it is impossible to have images in your unconscious mind from a time that you did not exist. 

Stages of Freud’s Theory and characteristics of personality

The first stage of Freud’s psychosexual development is the oral stage which is believed to take place before the one year’s of age in which “infants are driven to satisfy their drives of hunger and thirst, and they turn to their mother’s breast or bottle for this satisfaction, as well as for the security and pleasure” (Friedman & Schustack, 2012 p.68).   During this stage infants are provided with comfort and develop trust; however at some point they have to learn to become less dependent on caretakers as they become older or they will experience a sense of codependency that could result in aggressive behavior.  After the oral stage comes the anal stage which occurs around the age of two “during which children are toilet trained” (Friedman & Schustack, 2012 p. 69).   Freud believes that during this stage desire is controlled by bladder and bowel movements in which children have to learn how to control their bodily needs and once they are successful at that task there is feelings of accomplishment and independence.  Freud believed that success at this stage is determined by the way in which parent’s toilet train because when praise and rewards are used when the child uses the toilet at the proper time it helps children feel competent.  The Phallic stage begins around the age of four and Freud believes that during this stage “sexual energy is focused on the genitals and children may explore their genitals and masturbate” (Friedman & Schustack, 2012 p. 70).  During this stage children begin to identify with the same-sex parent as they learn the difference between male and female in which feelings of inferiority can develop due to envy of the opposite sex.  The Latency stage occurs between the ages of 5 to 11 “in which no important psychosexual developments take place and during which sexual urges are not directly expressed by instead are channeled into other activities such as going to school and making friends” (Friedman & Schustack, 2012 p.72). During the latent period children are more focused on relationships with peers and hobbies which are very important for the development of social and communication skills and well as building self-confidence.  The genital stage is the final stage that occurs at the beginning of “adolescence in which attention is turned toward heterosexual relations” (Friedman & Schustack, 2012 p.72) and lasts throughout an individual’s life in which there is a growing interest in the well-being of others which differs from earlier stages which were mainly concerned with the needs of oneself. 

Defense Mechanisms

Repression is “a defense mechanism that pushes threatening thought into the unconscious” (Friedman & Schustack, 2012 p.75). Many rape victims cope with using repression as a defense mechanism because sometimes it helps them to cope with everyday life because they push the traumatic events into their unconscious as if they never happened.  As someone becomes older and claims to have no memory of childhood experiences it could be very possible that they have repressed that time in their due to traumatic experiences. 

Denial is a “defense mechanism in which one refuses to acknowledge anxiety provoking stimulus” (Friedman & Schustack, 2012 p.82).  Denial is a very common defense mechanism; however it is most common in individuals that are suffering from drug and alcohol addictions because they refuse to acknowledge that a problem does exist.  An individual that is in denial has actually forced themselves to believe that nothing is wrong and then they try to convince others such as friends and family. 

Rationalization is “a defense mechanism in which post-hoc logical explanations are given for behaviors that were actually driven by internal unconscious motives” (Friedman & Schustack, 2012 p.85).   Everyone always tries to rationalize their behavior especially when they know it was wrong but somehow they try to give a logical explanation such as the person that gets caught stealing out of the grocery store.  They know they behavior is wrong but they will try to rationalize that behavior by claiming to be in dire need of food; however stealing food is not the way to solve your hunger problem because they are other options but they will try their best to rationalize that behavior.

Conclusion

Sigmund Freud was the first to develop psychoanalytic theory based off of his case studies of his patients that were suffering from neurological disorders.  Freud believed that the structure of human personality derived from the id, ego and superego and from that he developed psychosexual stages of development to explain how one’s personality developed with much emphasis on sexuality which is something that Jung and Adler disagreed with because they did believe that sexuality played much of a role in personality development.  Jung believed in the concepts of archetypes and Adler believed that individuals are self-determined; however both Jung and Adler agreed with Freud’s concepts of the id, ego and superego.  The concept of defense mechanisms is a part of psychoanalytic theory developed by Freud that “distort reality to protect the ego” and are used by individuals in various situations for different reasons and can sometimes be unknown.

References

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