Question

Explain various perspectives of studying personality.

Answer 1

There are various perspectives of studying personality. Brief information of some of them is given in the following:

• Psychoanalytic Perspective: This perspective emphasizes the importance of early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind in the development of personality.
• Humanistic Perspective: This perspective assumes the importance of free will and psychological growth in the personality development of an individual.
• Trait Perspective: This perspective assumes that every individual possesses specific traits in different quantities and so every individual has a unique personality.
• Type perspective: This perspective assumes that every individual has a unique personality type based on his physique, temperament and mental characteristics.

1. Carl Jung’s Theory of Personality: 
   Carl Jung’s theory of personality is one of the personality theories based on the type perspective of studying personality.
   Carl Jung, a Swiss Psychiatrist classified people on the basis of mental characteristics into introverts and extroverts as follows:
   1. Introverts: Introvert individuals tend to look within themselves for stimulation. Mostly they are shy and reserved. They prefer to work alone and avoid social contact.
   2. Extroverts: Extrovert individuals are aroused by external stimulation. They are social, outgoing, mix easily with others and prefer jobs that bring them in contact with others.
2. Allport’s theory of personality: Allport’s theory of personality is one of the theories based on the trait perspective to study personality. Gordon Allport, an American psychologist identified 18000 separate terms which could be used to describe personality. Based on these descriptions he suggested the following three basic categories of traits:
   A trait is a relatively enduring and consistent way of thinking, feeling and acting. That means the trait is consistently found in an individual over a period of time.
   
   1. Cardinal Trait: It is a single trait that dominates an individual’s entire personality. The person becomes known specifically for this trait. It dominates and shapes a person’s behaviour for their whole life.
      For example, a trait of truthfulness was the cardinal trait in Mahatma Gandhi’s personality. Similarly, a trait of humanitarianism was the cardinal trait in Mother Teresa’s personality, a trait of ambition was the cardinal trait in Napolean Bonaparte and Power was the cardinal trait in Julius Caesar's personality.
   2. Central Traits: These traits are general characteristics that form the basic foundation of a personality of an individual. Around 5 to 10 traits that best describe an individual’s personality are called central traits. 
      For example, traits like sensitivity, sociability, self-confidence, diligence, honesty, etc.
   3. Secondary Traits: These traits appear only in specific situations and hence are narrow in effect. Such traits play a very minor role in determining the personality of an individual because such traits are situational.
      For example, getting anxious when speaking to a group, being impatient while waiting in a queue, etc.
3. Big Five Factor Model of personality: (OCEAN)- 
   The big five-factor model is one of the personality theories based on the trait perspective to study personality.
   Robert McCrae and Paul Costa (1987) developed a theory of personality explaining the five major factors of personality. According to them, personality traits are considered as basic tendencies that are rooted in biology and that interact with external influences including culture in shaping the skills, habits, tastes, and values of the individual. The five major factors (traits) of personality are as follows:
   • Openness to experience (O): Openness to experience is a trait related to appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, creativity, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience. People who are open to experience are curious, imaginative, and creative whereas those who are less open to experience are non-creative and lack aesthetic sense.
   • Conscientiousness (C): Conscientiousness is a trait showing tendency to display self discipline. It is related to the way in which people control, regulate, and direct their impulses. People having high conscientiousness are well organized, responsible, dependable, hardworking whereas people having low conscientiousness are unorganized, irresponsible, spontaneous and careless.
   • Extroversion (E): Extroversion is a trait characterized by breadth of activities and energy creation from external means. People having high extroversion are talkative, enthusiastic, open-minded, sociable, assertive, and courageous. On the other hand, people having low extroversion are less talkative, shy, alone and less involved.
   • Agreeableness (A): Agreeableness is a trait showing an ability of an individual to get along with people and concern for social harmony. People having high agreeableness are kind, loving, caring, friendly and cooperative whereas people having low agreeableness are uncooperative, jealous, hostile and argumentative.
   • Neuroticism (N): Neuroticism is a trait showing the tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression. People having high neuroticism are anxious, depressed, irritable, fearful, impulsive, angry and unstable. People having low neuroticism are balanced, calm and stable.