Theories of Personality - Project One
1. Identify which two theories or approaches you will compare and contrast and explain why you chose them. Your response should be about 2 to 4 sentences.
I have chosen Humanistic psychology and the Psychoanalytic approach to compare and contrast. I choose the humanistic view because I really enjoyed learning about it, and it resonates with my own personal beliefs. Psychoanalytic theory is my other choice because I find it to be very though provoking, and although some of the ideas seem strange, they make complete sense, which is an intriguing contrast.
2. Describe how your two chosen theories differ on 3 topics. See the details for topics A through G in the assignment guidelines and rubric document. Your response for each topic should be about 3 to 5 sentences.
· Topic 1
Free will – Psychoanalytic theory is very different from humanistic theory in regards to views on free will. I have read that Freud completely denied free will and arguments that this is just a misinterpretation. Either way, the psychoanalytic perspective is that the unconscious is the major, perhaps only, motivation behind our behavior. Our behavior is driven by the psychosexual stages in childhood and our unconscious desires. The humanistic approach is a stark contract, limiting the role of unconscious in favor of seeing humans as deliberate, thinking individuals, who have free choice and are motivated by goals and happiness (Shiraev, 2017).
· Topic 2
Pathology – These two theories have different approaches to diagnosing and treating abnormalities and psychoanalysis. If you were treated by a follower of Freud, your therapist would be a figure in charge of the session, leading it. The focus would be on trying to resolve conflicts that arose in the psychosexual stages, often driven by sexual energy, and exploring your unconscious (Mandy, 2010).
The humanistic approach is patient led, where the therapist functions as a listener. They will encourage facing responsibility for behavior, growth, and working through emotions. They concentrate on the unique experiences and perspective of the individual, the entire context of a person, and on increasing emotional intelligence, such as self-awareness (Mandy, 2010).
· Topic 3
Nature vs. Nurture – Freud pondered this same question, and believed both are responsible for human development. Nature is responsible for our innate desires, as the id is present at birth (Roberts, 2019). These are inherent, biological forces that drive our behavior. Our ego and superego are shaped by our environment and serve to guide us, highlighting the importance of nurture (Roberts, 2019). The id, ego, and superego work in conjunction, showing the relevance of both nature and nurture.
The humanistic approach also believes in the importance of both nature and nurture, but emphasizes nurture’s role. This perspective supports nature’s role as it believes humans are innately good, that we are born this way. In Maslow’s hierarchy, the first level is about satisfying our basic, biological needs, emphasizing nature’s importance. The ability to progress or ever reach self-actualization depends on this need being met and maintained (Shiraev, 2017). Once that need is satisfied, our environment and experiences are the driving force that shape us.
3. Describe at least one similarity between your two selected theories. Your response should be about 3 to 5 sentences.
I have struggled to find a similarity between the psychoanalytic and humanism theories, as they are so different. In fact, they are quite opposite, with psychoanalytic emphasizing unconscious and humanism highlighting the conscious. The best similarity I see is in their views of internal vs. external stimuli. Both perspectives acknowledge the importance of inner thoughts and feelings on our behavior. Whether it be our id (psychoanalytic), or goal-oriented behavior (humanism), both schools of thought recognize the role of internal stimuli in driving our behavior throughout our lifespan development. External stimuli are also important to both perspectives. Our environment, society, and experiences within our world evoke reactions, drive behavior, and shape our personality.
References
Mandy. (2010, May 19). A Comparison of Psychodynamic and Humanistic Therapy. Owlcation; Owlcation. https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/psychodynamic-therapy-vs-humanistic-therapy
Roberts, L. (2019, April 19). Freudian Discourse on Nature v. Nurture | Knowledge, Education, and Identity. Scholar Blogs. https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/basicproblems002/2015/04/19/freudian-discourse-on-nature-v-nurture/
Shiraev, E. (2017). Personality Theories: a Global View. Sage. https://ereader.perlego.com/1/book/2034417/16
This assignment has helped me become more familiar with the different personality theories, focusing on their similarities and differences. I believe this is relevant to the programmatic theme of emotional intelligence. Each theory provides a unique explanation of how our personalities develop and why. While reading each perspective, I tried to apply it to myself, gaining a deeper understanding of my emotions and those of others.
Professions and Personality - Project 2
1. Personality and the Individual
A. Identify one trait from the Big Five (openness, also known as intellect/imagination; conscientiousness; extraversion; agreeableness; or neuroticism, also known as emotional stability) of your choice that you think is particularly important for your selected profession and justify your response.
In being a mental health professional, it is critical to possess conscientiousness for a variety of reasons. In dealing with a population who may be at a disadvantage, it is important to be thoughtful, mindful, and self-disciplined, all correlated with high conscientiousness (Lim, 2022). A mental health professional must consider how their behavior is affecting those they are working with and exercise impulse control, as this can be a highly emotional job. I also think it is imperative to follow rules and standards, such as their vocational ethics, in working with people who are vulnerable or at-risk (Lim, 2022).
B. Describe whether it would be most ideal for your selected professional to be low, high, or mixed for the Big Five trait you identified for most situations and justify your response.
I believe it would be an asset to be high in the Big Five trait conscientiousness. People who score high on this tend to be hardworking and less reactive to stressful situations, as a mental health professional would surely be exposed to at times. A career such as this may be emotionally draining at times, so being emotionally stable, rational, and more optimistic would be beneficial (Gordon, 2022). Scoring low in this trait would show an individual who is impulsive, often fails to follow through, and is disorganized, which would not be ideal qualities for a mental health professional (Lim, 2022).
C. Explain whether you think the effectiveness of the Big Five trait you selected depends on the situation. To justify your response, provide a real or imagined example where the trait would benefit the professional and an example where the same trait would not benefit the professional.
I think the effectiveness of being highly conscientious does vary by situation. There are professions and environments where this would be a very helpful trait, but you may be presented with situations where rating high in conscientiousness could be ineffective. Being goal-oriented, hardworking, persistent, well-organized and punctual would certainly be effective in making treatment plans or making a case study, which may be a task of a mental health provider. However, a mental health professional would undoubtedly have unpredictable encounters where being highly conscientiousness may not be effective. Dealing with a patient/client who is experiencing an episode of being irrational and unpredictable, they would need to improvise and be spontaneous, qualities not associated with high conscientiousness.
2. Personality and Teams
A. Identify another trait from the Big Five for your selected profession and describe how scoring low, high, or mixed on that trait might influence how those professional conducts their work or interacts with others.
Extraversion is another trait from the Big Five Personality test that may influence how a mental health professional interacts with others. High extraversion is characterized by being outgoing and sociable, which can help the professional in their interactions by putting people at ease and making connections (Lim, 2022). For a mental health professional scoring low on extraversion, they are more reserved and reflective (Lim, 2022). In mental health, there are many occasions where listening and observing are the most influential ways to conduct your work. Both measures of this trait have positive ways that will affect how the professional interacts.
B. Explain whether you think it is better to have a diversity of traits within the same profession or among professionals with the same role or whether it is better for the professionals to exhibit the same traits. Justify your response.
I think it is very important for a diversity of traits within the same profession. I think for any job that involves interactions with people, there is not a one size fits all. We have learned how diverse personalities are and therefore different viewpoints and approaches are necessary. I think having different ways of reaching the same goal, and considering different perspectives would lead to the most success in any given profession. Employing professionals with a variety of traits will enable success because as situations and needs vary, the traits necessary to excel change as well.
3. Personality, Stress, and Coping
A. Describe how you would expect your selected professional to cope with stress using a trait you identified previously or a new trait of your choosing.
A mental health professional must be able to effectively handle stress, as this can be a stressful occupation. I believe a highly conscientiousness mental health professional would be an individual who would approach stress in a logical and resourceful manner (Gordon, 2022). I would expect them to exercise good impulse control, not be reactive, and be mindful to sensitive matters. I believe they would also be persistent, which is necessary for coping with stress, as opposed to procrastination or avoidant behavior (Shiraev, 2017).
B. Explain what kind of support you would expect from a person in this profession if you were seeking help or advice. Consider how much emotional intelligence you might expect your selected professional to display.
I would have high expectations of support for someone in this profession. A mental health professional is dealing with people often at their most vulnerable times. Someone reaching out for mental health is likely scared, overwhelmed, confused or feeling hopeless. I think the professional would need a high level of emotional intelligence in order to effectively offer support or guidance to these individuals. Being perceptive and considerate of others’ emotions and being interested in their well-being is the foundation for building a relationship with someone who is seeking help for mental health. Each client/patient is unique and adapting to each individual and situation is necessary to provide the best possible care and treatment plan. I would expect them to be rational and dependable, which is often seen if those with high conscientiousness.
References –
Gordon, S. (2022, April 26). Understanding How Conscientiousness Affects Your Behavior. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-conscientiousness-affects-your-behavior-4843763#:~:text=When%20someone%20is%20conscientious%2C%20they%20are%20able%20to
Lim, A. (2022, November 3). Big Five Personality Traits: The 5-Factor Model of Personality. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html#Extraversion
Shiraev, E. (2017). Personality Theories: A Global View. Sage. https://ereader.perlego.com/1/book/2034417/16
I believe that this assignment has provided me with valuable information that is relevant to the programmatic theme of career connections. It can be difficult to navigate a workplace with many diverse personalities. Therefore, being aware of various personality traits, their strengths and weaknesses, can be beneficial in fostering successful relationships and positive interactions, especially in a professional setting.