Compare and contrast two of the main approaches to personality psychology

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Compare and contrast two of the main approaches to personality psychology

        Psychology of personality is a difficult concept to define and quantify, therefore most personality theories, however different they may be in other respects, share the basic assumption, that personality is a particular pattern of behaviour and thinking, that prevails across time and situations and differentiates one person from another. Most theories attempting to explain personality represent part of the classic psychological Nature verse Nurture debate. In other words, is personality “inherited”, or developed through our interactions with the environment. In addition, we shall compare and contrast two of the main approaches to personality psychology by concentrating on Psychoanalytical Theory (Freud) and Social Learning Theory (Bandura).

By looking at the Psychodynamic approach, developed by Freud, we can argue that it emphasizes the

interplay of unconscious psychological processes in determining human thought, feelings, and behaviours. The basis of this approach is that psychological factors play a major role in determining behaviour and shaping personality. Freud argued that personality is composed of three major systems the id, the ego, and the superego. The id (biological part of personality) is present at birth and consists of inherited instincts and all psychological energies. The id operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking to reduce tension, avoid pain and obtain pleasure. The ego (executive part of personality) is conscious part of the mind, the “real” us. The function of the ego is to express and satisfy the desires of the id in accordance with reality and the demands of the superego. The ego operates in accordance with reality principle. The third structure is superego (moral/judicial part of personality), it’s subdivided into conscience and the ego-ideal. The conscious is the internalisation of the rules and restrictions of the society. It determines which behaviours are permissible and punishes wrongdoing with feelings of guilt. The ego-ideal, however promises the ego reward (in the form of pride and high self- esteem) for good behaviour.

Freud believed that the healthy personality must keep all three systems in balance. If the id is too strong, the person is likely to be selfish, impulsive and antisocial. However, someone who is too controlled by the superego is likely to be rigid, moralistic and authoritarian. Someone with the weak ego is unable to balance personal needs and realistic limitations and may suffer from vague and unwarranted feelings guilt and unworthiness. Personality differences also arise from the different defence mechanisms that people use. According to Freud three parts of personality are often in conflict, and Freud regarded conflict as the core of personality. Defence mechanisms become active whenever unconscious instinctual drives of the id come into conflict with internalised prohibitions of the superego.

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There are six important defence mechanisms:

  1. Repression (responsible for actively keeping threatening or anxiety- provoking memories from our conscious awareness).
  2. Projection ( involves denial of one’s own unacceptable desires and the discovery of evidence of those desires in the behaviour of other people)
  3. Reaction Formation (involves replacing anxiety- provoking idea with its opposite).
  4. Sublimation (is the diversion of psychic energy from an unacceptable drive to an acceptable one).  
  5. Rationalisation (process of inventing an acceptable reason for a behaviour that is rally being performed for another, less acceptable reason). ...

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This work has covered in some depth two different personality theories. Freud's theory of personality has been explained and the writer has shown an understanding of the struggles between the id, the ego and the superego. There is also mention of the psychosexual developmental stages too. A little more could have been written about Bandura since his work has been particularly influential with regards criminal behaviour. It would be advisable in order to avoid plagiarism, to not write long lists. However, overall this writing covers most of the necessary components