Psychodynamic Theory Analysis

415 Words2 Pages
There are four major theories of personality. These theories are psychodynamic, trait or five-factor model, humanistic, and social-cognitive. Sigmund Freud developed the psychodynamic theory. This theory suggests that behavior comes from certain psychological factors that affect individuals when they are not consciously aware. Methods of assessing this theory are projective tests and personal interviews. Advantages of the psychodynamic theory are that it focuses on how your past can have an affect on your present behavior, it proves we have a subconscious, and it takes nature vs. nurture into consideration. Disadvantages of the psychodynamic theory is that the hypothesis cannot be measured or proved wrong scientifically, it has an approach that…show more content…
The five-factor model consists 5 important traits that create a an individual’s personality. These traits are extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Methods of assessing this theory are through objective tests. Advantages of the trait theory are that it is pretty straightforward and impartial because it relies on hard evidence. Some disadvantages are that it does not inform you how traits develop or how you can improve an unfavorable trait. The humanistic theory focuses on the basic goodness of humans and the desire for one to reach their full potential. This theory shows that it is important to self-actualize. Humanists focus on the present, rather than trying to fix the past or future. This theory has given us a better understanding of personality. Methods of assessing this theory are objective tests and personal interviews. Advantages of the humanistic theory are that it stresses personal goals, choices, and responsibilities. Another advantage is that it values personal beliefs and self-actualization. A disadvantage is that the concepts are too vague and there is not a concrete approach. Another disadvantage is that it has an overly
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