psyc129 comp paper2
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/7/2019 Psyc129 Comp Paper2
1/5
1
Abby Hildebrand
PSYC 129: Theories of Personality
Professor Vajda
April 22, 2010
-
8/7/2019 Psyc129 Comp Paper2
2/5
2
Through the details of Patricks life so far, much is known about the development
of his personality. Depending on the lens through which one sees Patrick, his
development has been healthy and normal. One can make different claims about the
personality of Patrick by using various theorists. The ideas several influential personality
theorists are applied to the life of Patrick throughout the rest of this paper.
Eric Erikson expanded on Freudian theory by extending the stages of
development beyond the first years of life, basing the theory on epigenetic principles and
the idea that each theorys resolution impacts the next theory. Each of Eriksons eight
stages has a conflict, and one can end up positively or negatively resolving the conflict.
In the case of Patrick, the first three stages have been resolved positively because they
have allowed for him to positively complete the fourth stage of industriousness versus
inferiority. Patrick emerged with competence as demonstrated by his ability to get his
grades up in private school, as well as through his social ability and athleticism. He was
clearly able to complete tasks industriously as he created moneymaking schemes using
his charm. In his fifth stage, Patrick faced an identity crisis during his first semester of
college. Since he started drinking and partying too much, his grades slipped and his
girlfriend broke up with him. However, he picked up his grades and convinced his
girlfriend he would get back on track. His ability to emerge from his identity crisis with a
cohesive ego identitythat of a future lawyer, husband, and father shows he has
developed fidelity. The sixth stage of intimacy versus isolation is positively resolved as
well, as Patrick got married, maintains relationships with his family, and has made
connections with his coworkers since he has made partner. Through his work at his
church as an elder, volunteer work with the local school, and role as a loving parent,
-
8/7/2019 Psyc129 Comp Paper2
3/5
3
Patrick has displayed charity towards the next generation, or generativity, and
successfully resolved stage seven. Speculating stage eight, it seems as though Patrick
could look back on his life as a devoted family man, community leader, and hardworking
lawyer and feel content about all his accomplishments, resulting in wisdom and a positive
resolution.
According to Adlers theory, since all infants lack control, everyone develops
feelings of inferiority, and Patrick was no exception. Because of the comments Patricks
dad made about his older brother, Patrick always felt that he would not be good enough
or that his father would make those same comments about him. To compensate, Patrick
worked hard to excel in sports. His behavior became centered on striving for superiority:
he weight lifted before anyone else, he was captain of a large schools football team, and
worked his way through law school. This drive for superiority, or perfection, is not so he
could feel better about himself in relation to others, but so he could feel complete.
Erich Fromm thought the basic human dilemma stemmed from the conflict
between freedom and security. The opposition to this conflict, according to Fromm ,
comes in the form of six psychological needs that balance freedom and security. Of
Fromms six psychological needs, Patrick meets them all. From an early age, Patrick has
been a socially successful person. From his friends to his wife to his colleagues,
relatedness to others is clearly a need met by Patrick. Transcendence is not so apparent,
but is still met by Patrick. His ability to parent and play with his children, as well as to
succeed as a lawyer, required him to use imagination and reason, which meets this need.
Patrick is deeply connected to his family and his community. He lives next door to his
parents, his children attend the same school as their father, his family are active in their
-
8/7/2019 Psyc129 Comp Paper2
4/5
4
church, and he met his wife in high school, which all meet the need for rootedness.
Throughout his life, Patrick has developed his athletic, academic, and social abilities
through school and participation in football. He knows who he is, and thus, successfully
met the need to create an identity. After overcoming a rough transition from high school
to college, Patrick worked hard to become a successful lawyer and to start a family, and
through these goals, Patrick created a framework of orientation through which to
organize his life. Lastly, with raising children, working, and participating in his church
and various community activities, Patrick has satisfied his need for excitation and
stimulation.
According to Carl Rodgers, we only believe we are worthy of approval when we
act in accordance with acceptable behaviors and attitudes set fourth others (typically our
parents) and refrain from acting in ways that bring disapproval. These conditions of
worth teach people to engage in and to avoid specific behaviors, regardless of their own
sentiments, which can prevent proper development of the self. In order for Patricks
father to accept his sons, he felt they needed to be athletic and competitive just like he
was. This expectation for excellence in sports became a condition of worth for Patrick.
This creates a conditional positive regard, meaning that Patrick can only feel a positive
self-regard if he meets the condition of worth. In Patricks case, there were not
detrimental consequences to his fathers condition of worth but he did conform his
behavior to the standards set by his father.
Julian Rotters theory is based on the idea that individuals make choices based on
whether our actions will be reinforced or punished. His concept of locus of control seeks
to find the extent to which an individual believes he or she can control the reinforcement
-
8/7/2019 Psyc129 Comp Paper2
5/5
5
they receive in lifethat is, in general, does the individual or the environment exert more
control over life events? All in all, Patrick has an internal locus of control. His self-
motivation leads him to ask his parents to move him back to public school, to work hard
to become a lawyer, and to get his girlfriend back. He questioned whether or not it was
through his own merit he earned an internship, was admitted to law school, and was hired
at his fathers law firm. Besides this doubt, Patrick controlled most of the things that
happened in his life through goal seeking behaviors, and achieved those goals though his
own accord. He did not feel that things happened to him or he was lucky.
After considering Patricks life from various viewpoints, it still holds true that
Patrick has a healthy and normal life so far. His successes in all aspects of life are a
tribute to a variety of factors-- his family, his peers, his teachers, his culture, and his
societyin the same way that his personality can be described by a variety of theories.