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[PSY 101 Graphic]   PSY 101 Personality II

   Class 28: Humanistic & Other Selected Approaches to Personality Theory (Outline)

Evaluation of Freudian Theory 

Pro
 		Con
  • Unconscious forces
  • Internal conflict
  • Early childhood experiences
  • Defense mechanisms
  • Poor testability. Vague/it can't be disproved
  • Non-representative sample
  • Few systematic studies
  • Highly male-centered
  • Contradictory evidence


Other Selected Approaches to Personality Theory

Humanistic Psychology & the Self's Potential for Growth
= an orientation which emphasizes the unique qualities of each individual person as well as our freedom to act and our potential for personal growth.
Carl Rogers
 		incongruenceCarl Roger's Person-Centered Theory
  • self-concept" = a collection of beliefs (positive and negative) about one's own nature, unique qualities, and typical behavior.
  • if there is a gap between the self-concept and actual experience, persons experience incongruence
  • Role of unconditional positive regard in growth
Abraham Maslow

Humanistic Psychology & The Self's Potential for Growth

Abraham Maslow

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Scott Barry Kaufman Malow Sailboat MetaphorSecurity involves the need for
  • Safety
  • Connection
  • Self-Esteem
Growth involves the need fror
  • Exploration
  • Love
  • Purpose

Self-Actualization

Transcendence
Walter Mischel Walter Mischel: Person-Situation Consistency
  • Do humans behave and think in the same ways across different situations?
  • Mischel says "no" - we act differently in different situations
 [Markus]  [Kitayama]
 The "Western" Self vs. The "Eastern" Self

Hazel Markus & Shinobu Kitayama
  • West emphasizes independence & self-achievement.
  • East emphasizes interdependence with family & fitting into society. The group over the individual.
McAdams 2006 Braga
 		Dan P. McAdams

Three-Level (Actor-Agent-Author) Model of the Person = "The Narrative Theory of Identity" (not in book)

"Narrative" = "a story or tale that has a beginning (the past), a middle (now), and looks toward an end in the future"

Humans are brainy, bipedal [= walk on two feet] creatures who live together in social groups
 
McAdams' Model





This page was originally posted on 10/31/03