W8: Final Application Paper Addison’s situation as a 23 year old with relationship issues, insecurities, and desire to change careers is not uncommon and many personality theories can be applied to her situation. Addison displays many personality traits and behaviors that are causing issues in her life, but proper application of personality theories could improve her quality of life. Three theories of psychology that could be applied to Addison’s life are Adler’s individual psychology, Erikson’s identity theory, and Maslow’s needs-hierarchy theory.
Individual Psychology Adler’s theory of individual psychology focused on each person’s uniqueness instead of universal goals, and he described every person as a social being shaped by social environments …show more content…
Erikson suggested that personality develops through eight stages over a person’s whole life time, more emphasis is placed on the ego as an independent part of the personality, and cultural and historic forces also shape personality instead solely biological forces (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p. 162). Addison’s development can be analyzed by the first six of the eight stages of development described by Erikson, and her current behavior and personality can be traced back to successes and difficulties in specific stages. Addison’s development appears to have been mostly healthy until the latency stage, industriousness versus inferiority, which occurs at between the ages of 6 to 11, and is the stage that children first begin to experience the social and academic settings of school (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p. 168). Addison did not develop a sense of industriousness during this stage as shown by her insecurity surrounding her academic ability throughout high school, but she later overcame her feeling of inferiority by finishing her bachelor’s degree. Addison does not appear to be struggling with her identity as she know exactly what she wants to do with her life despite working in an unrelated field. However, Addison seems to be struggling with intimacy as shown by her constant fights with her boyfriend and isolates herself from her coworkers by being overly defensive …show more content…
193-194). Allport’s theory contains 7 stages of development, similar to identity theory, and then an adulthood phase that Addison is currently in. A healthy adult personality is defined by an ability to have a sense of self that extend outside of them self, relating to others with intimacy, having self-acceptance, realistic perception of life, and focusing on future goals (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p. 202). Addison demonstrates some of the characteristics of a healthy adult personality such as being able to focus on her future goals, but she does not fit a majority of the criteria to have a healthy adult personality. Addison has issues with intimacy as displayed by her constant fighting with her boyfriend, Addison is unable to see how her actions effect other people or how others perceive her, Addison does not have insight into herself as shown by her lack of self-awareness, and Addison does not have emotional security. However, Addison displays functional autonomy of motives and she also shows signs of propriate functional autonomy outside of a few struggles with propriate patterning and maintaining a positive self-image (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, pp.
Individual Psychology Adler’s theory of individual psychology focused on each person’s uniqueness instead of universal goals, and he described every person as a social being shaped by social environments …show more content…
Erikson suggested that personality develops through eight stages over a person’s whole life time, more emphasis is placed on the ego as an independent part of the personality, and cultural and historic forces also shape personality instead solely biological forces (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p. 162). Addison’s development can be analyzed by the first six of the eight stages of development described by Erikson, and her current behavior and personality can be traced back to successes and difficulties in specific stages. Addison’s development appears to have been mostly healthy until the latency stage, industriousness versus inferiority, which occurs at between the ages of 6 to 11, and is the stage that children first begin to experience the social and academic settings of school (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p. 168). Addison did not develop a sense of industriousness during this stage as shown by her insecurity surrounding her academic ability throughout high school, but she later overcame her feeling of inferiority by finishing her bachelor’s degree. Addison does not appear to be struggling with her identity as she know exactly what she wants to do with her life despite working in an unrelated field. However, Addison seems to be struggling with intimacy as shown by her constant fights with her boyfriend and isolates herself from her coworkers by being overly defensive …show more content…
193-194). Allport’s theory contains 7 stages of development, similar to identity theory, and then an adulthood phase that Addison is currently in. A healthy adult personality is defined by an ability to have a sense of self that extend outside of them self, relating to others with intimacy, having self-acceptance, realistic perception of life, and focusing on future goals (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p. 202). Addison demonstrates some of the characteristics of a healthy adult personality such as being able to focus on her future goals, but she does not fit a majority of the criteria to have a healthy adult personality. Addison has issues with intimacy as displayed by her constant fighting with her boyfriend, Addison is unable to see how her actions effect other people or how others perceive her, Addison does not have insight into herself as shown by her lack of self-awareness, and Addison does not have emotional security. However, Addison displays functional autonomy of motives and she also shows signs of propriate functional autonomy outside of a few struggles with propriate patterning and maintaining a positive self-image (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, pp.