The study of personality is complex, involving many different branches of psychological study. However, common agreement states that personality can be defined by examining individuals enduring traits. Personality is referred to be “the sum total of the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual”. (Dictionary, 2015) Psychology aims to investigate personality using scientific values, methodology and testability. In this essay I will be investigating the psychodynamic and behavioural approaches and how they define personality. This essay will critically evaluate and compare the subject of personality from the behaviourist and psychodynamic approaches perspectives.
The psychodynamic approach argues experiences in …show more content…
This theory was later revised and was re structured as the structural model as difficulties were raised. The structural model now consists of the “ID” (unconscious basic drives, present in the new-born) and the “super ego” (represents the conscience developed by living in a community) which are managed by the “ego” which places social constraints on both. Freud also discovered that every child undergoes the psycho-sexual stages. Experience of These stages are said to have a large impact on adult personality development. The oral stage is the first, starting from birth to 1 years old. Babies are said to get there satisfaction from around their mouth at this age, so oral orientated behaviour would be sucking, biting and breastfeeding. A prolonged, or under stimulation of this stage can cause a fixation, in later life this can cause personalities to be fixated to oral subjects, resulting in smokers, nail biters, thumb suckers and finger …show more content…
To start with, the psychodynamic approach concentrates purely on the fact that experiences in childhood have an influence and impact throughout our lives to our personality without being consciously aware. Our childhood experiences provide a framework for judging an individual’s personality and behaviour. An example of this would be recognising the reasons for someone who just committed murder may be due to the fact that his violent mother or father had always physically-punished him since childhood. On the other hand, the behavioural approach argues that most behaviour is mechanical, and an individual’s personality is the product of stimuli and responses (as explained through classical and operant conditioning). Therefore the psychodynamic approach acknowledges everyone can suffer mental illnesses and conflicts without referring back to faults just from childhood
The psychodynamic approach argues experiences in …show more content…
This theory was later revised and was re structured as the structural model as difficulties were raised. The structural model now consists of the “ID” (unconscious basic drives, present in the new-born) and the “super ego” (represents the conscience developed by living in a community) which are managed by the “ego” which places social constraints on both. Freud also discovered that every child undergoes the psycho-sexual stages. Experience of These stages are said to have a large impact on adult personality development. The oral stage is the first, starting from birth to 1 years old. Babies are said to get there satisfaction from around their mouth at this age, so oral orientated behaviour would be sucking, biting and breastfeeding. A prolonged, or under stimulation of this stage can cause a fixation, in later life this can cause personalities to be fixated to oral subjects, resulting in smokers, nail biters, thumb suckers and finger …show more content…
To start with, the psychodynamic approach concentrates purely on the fact that experiences in childhood have an influence and impact throughout our lives to our personality without being consciously aware. Our childhood experiences provide a framework for judging an individual’s personality and behaviour. An example of this would be recognising the reasons for someone who just committed murder may be due to the fact that his violent mother or father had always physically-punished him since childhood. On the other hand, the behavioural approach argues that most behaviour is mechanical, and an individual’s personality is the product of stimuli and responses (as explained through classical and operant conditioning). Therefore the psychodynamic approach acknowledges everyone can suffer mental illnesses and conflicts without referring back to faults just from childhood