Introduction
It is important to note that personality is a term referring to differences between individuals when it comes to their behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. The given assessment is concerned with my personality viewed under the lenses of Freudian and Adlerian psychodynamic frameworks, the social learning theory, and Maslow’s personality theory of humanism. By thoroughly analyzing my personality within the contexts of both psychodynamic and non-psychodynamic theories, it became apparent that Freudian and Adlerian theoretical models provide the most comprehensive explanation.
Issues with Modern Non-Psychodynamic Theoretical Views On Personality
The main reason why my personality is best explained through psychodynamic theories is that modern theoretical views on personality have major flaws. Firstly, Maslow’s personality theory of humanism is centered around Maslow’s hierarchy or pyramid of needs. It states that human needs are prioritized, where one’s failure to satisfy his or her basic needs means that he or she will not be able to pursue the higher ones (Pau et al., 2020). These needs from bottom to top are physiological, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization (Pau et al., 2020). For example, if a person is hungry or does not feel safe, he or she will not care about love and belongingness before the basic needs are met.
The problem with why this theory does not explain my personality is that I have my safety and physiological needs satisfied and have been in such a state since I was born. In addition, I always felt loved and connected due to my family and friends. However, I regularly find it difficult to find the motivation to exercise, read, and self-improve despite the fact these actions would give me more esteem as I am supposed to pursue, according to Maslow. Exercising would give me strength and self-esteem, whereas being more knowledgeable and financially secure would boost my self-respect as well as respect from others. Regardless, I tend to procrastinate and pursue physiological needs more often, such as shopping for leisure or ordering food, even though I am not hungry. Therefore, I find it difficult to explain my behavior and thought process through the given theory.
The same observation can be made concerning another modern non-psychodynamic concept of the social learning theory. The psychological perspective of social learning theory suggests that “behavior is learned through peer association and the biosocial perspective” (Fox, 2017, p. 22). For instance, a criminal is a person who is influenced by social and environmental factors. Thus, such activities are the direct result of nurture rather than nature. In other words, an individual’s personality is the result of environmental influences from the perspective of social learning theory. However, it does not explain my personality of being impulsive and addictive even though my social surrounding does not necessarily exhibit similar patterns of behavior. I find it difficult to explain through the theory why my parents are pragmatic individuals, whereas I am prone to live in the realm of imagination. It is possible that social conditioning and learning processes are impacted by the internet and media as well, but my social circle and I share only a fraction of common hobbies and interests.
Freudian and Adlerian Psychodynamic Theoretical Models
Both Freudian and Adlerian theoretical models are psychodynamic frameworks, which were selected together since both provide insight into my personality, especially concerning the problematic areas. Sigmund Freud’s explanation on Id, Ego, and Superego provides a deeper insight into why I tend to have an addictive and impulsive personality. The psychodynamic theory and counseling approach was historically developed by Sigmund Freud due to his early works on hysteria in the late 1890s. At the beginning of the 20th century, Freud developed his core theories based on the case of hysteria, which was focused on the explanation where the issue is the result of a past traumatic experience rather than a physical factor (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). In other words, unconscious and hidden problems of the memory affect a person’s current state, where the manifestation is the hysteria itself.
My personality is best explained through Id, Ego, and Superego. I likely have a strong Id compared to my Superego, which results in my Ego resolving this conflict by being more biased toward the Id. For example, even though I know that exercise is good for me mentally and physically through my Superego, I find clever excuses to engage in it because the urge not to do it is stronger due to a more powerful Id. As a result, my Ego is forced to find a compromise in favor of my Id, where it comes up with reason and logic for why I should not exercise.
The basis of all assumptions of the psychodynamic theory is rooted in the notion that all behavioral issues originate from the unconscious part of the mind. In other words, the concept can be called psychic determinism, which emphasizes the fact that all behavioral patterns and elements of behavior have a causal origin, and thus, they do not emerge on their own (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). One of the most critical phases of human development is a person’s childhood, which has the strongest and long-lasting impact on the behavioral aspects of an individual. The psychodynamic theory accentuates that one’s psyche is comprised of three major components, which are Superego, Ego, and Id (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2018). These elements of the mind are tightly interconnected and play a major role in shaping a person’s behavior, and the corresponding issues are the result of problems that originate from these parts of the psyche.
The key concepts of Alfred Adler’s theoretical approach revolve around the notion of belongingness. The author argued that inferiority is an integral part of human development, which is why all people seek to be validated, accepted, and connected (Myers & DeWall, 2020). In other words, childhood is a highly critical period not due to psychosexual development, as Sigmund Freud argued, but due to psychosocial development, where children are inherently inferior, which imposes a certain degree of stress and feeling. Adler’s theory connects all aspects of human behavior with my lifestyle – a combination of modes of behavior, habits, and human traits that determine the individual picture of my existence.
Therefore, my lifestyle is based on the concepts of inferiority and compensation. As already indicated, in early childhood, I probably felt inferior, and this encouraged me to want to compensate for my weakness. The lifestyle was firmly established at an early age and became the core of future behavior. For example, my desire to raise my intellectual level predetermined a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, where I am more interested in reading and thinking than exercising.
Conclusion
In conclusion, psychodynamic theories explain my personality better than non-psychodynamic models. It became apparent that Freudian and Adlerian theoretical models provide the most comprehensive explanation by thoroughly analyzing my personality within the contexts of both psychodynamic and non-psychodynamic theories. My addictive and impulsive personality is due to my childhood inferiority as well as my strong Id compared to my Superego. Although it is difficult to determine what caused such a childhood ‘trauma,’ it still provides a cohesive understanding of my personality.
References
Fox, B. (2017). It’s nature and nurture: Integrating biology and genetics into the social learning theory of criminal behavior. Journal of Criminal Justice, 49, 22–31.
Myers, D. G., & DeWall, N. C. (2020). Psychology (13th ed.). Worth Publishers.
Pau, K., Ahmad, A., & Tang, H. Y. (2020). Crisis, disaster, and trauma counseling: Implications for the counseling profession. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(8), 736-739.
Sommers-Flanagan, J. & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2018). Counseling and psychotherapy theories in context and practice: Skills, strategies, and techniques (3rd ed.). John Wiley and Sons.