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.
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