PSY 328 Project One Template
For this project, you will write a theory application paper; you will apply theories of personality to
yourself, someone you know, or someone you have read about in a biography or autobiography.
Complete this template by replacing the bracketed text with the relevant information.
1. Identify who you are applying theories of personality to and explain why. Your response should
be about 3 to 5 sentences in length.
I am applying the theories of personality to analyze myself. I believe that I can recognize the
many theories in myself with some degree of accuracy, and as a result, I can apply them
correctly. I am also excited to see if this paper will reveal anything new about who I am. Since I
believe both humanistic psychology and psychoanalytic theories have value and I can see
elements of both in my own personality development, I am concentrating on both. They have
both assisted me in comprehending the possible origins of the actions and characteristics I had
as a kid, youth, and adult.
2. Describe how components of a personality theory of your choice relate to your subject. Your
response should be about 6 to 10 sentences in length and include the following:
A. Components of personality theory, including but not limited to traits, behaviors,
motives, or defense mechanisms
B. Multiple components from the theory applied to your subject with examples (i.e.,
behaviors that exemplify the concepts)
C. Citations when you are describing the theory
One of the theories of humanistic Psychology is that people are in control of themselves
and the choices they make (Shiraev, 2016). We were brought with those thoughts about
our lives and ourselves in my family. We had to deal with the repercussions of our
decisions and were held accountable. Setting goals that would benefit my life both now
and in the future was something I was encouraged to do from an early age. Humanistic
psychology recognizes that in addition to our internal ideas and wants, our surroundings
also have an impact on our experiences. But according to humanistic psychology, it is
the individual's duty to make the required changes when they are required in order to
enhance the circumstances and positively impact their needs and personality (Cherry,
K., 2022). Since humans have free will and not all behavior is predetermined, free will
plays a crucial part in influencing an individual's actions and personality traits in
humanistic psychology. According to Shiraev (2016), Humanistic Psychology taught me
that "circumstances can affect all of us, but we, as humans, have the power to
overcome the challenges." As a result, I have tried to regulate how I react to situations
and modify my behavior to fit the needs of the moment. Ever since my diagnosis of
depression and anxiety, I was able to get medication and come to terms with my illness,
in turn finding coping strategies. Now, I see how I control my actions and reactions to
situations and how that makes me happier overall.
3. Describe how components of a second personality theory of your choice relate to your subject.
Your response should be about 6 to 10 sentences in length and include the following:
A. Components of personality theory, including but not limited to traits, behaviors,
motives, or defense mechanisms
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B. Multiple components from the theory applied to your subject with examples (i.e.,
behaviors that exemplify the concepts)
C. Citations when you are describing the theory
The second personality theory I am going to focus on is Psychoanalytic theory. Since
psychoanalytic theory holds that human behavior and personality traits are shaped by childhood
experiences and unconscious desires, the function of environmental factors is crucial (APSAA,
n.d., 2023). The experiences we have "in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives,
shaping our personality.” For example, anxiety that stems from a person's painful past
experiences is hidden from awareness and might lead to problems as an adult (in the form of
neuroses). Freud also highlighted the significance of the unconscious mind, arguing that it also
controls behavior. I had a lot of painful experiences as a child, such as growing up without a
father and witnessing my mother's ongoing struggles, which led me to create a lot of defense or
protection mechanisms. Due to my lack of conscious awareness, many of my early experiences
and feelings were suppressed. According to psychoanalytic theory, repression, unconscious
thoughts, and unresolved childhood issues are the root causes of people's problems (Shiraev,
2016). Unconsciously, I made decisions that hurt me emotionally and occasionally physically. I
attempted to make up for it as a teenager by going out to parties too much and even smoking.
Even now, I can see that I still attempt to make up for it in my life by treating my kids or students
the way I wanted to be loved by my mother. My urge to interact with others and adjust
positively to the observed social environment is what Adler referred to as "social interest"
(Shiraev, 2016). I try to act how I think people should act in a social situation instead of how I
feel in social situations.
4. Describe the limitations of each of the two theories you related to your subject. Your response
should be about 6 to 10 sentences in length and include at least one limitation for each theory.
Both psychoanalytic theory and humanistic psychology have numerous shortcomings when it
comes to how my behaviors, motivations, defense mechanisms, and personality traits are
shaped. One drawback of psychoanalytic theory is that it absolves you of any accountability for
your decisions, which are meant to be the result of the unconscious mind, which is beyond your
control (Shiraev, 2016). Nevertheless, the humanistic method has a drawback in that it offers
you complete power over your choices, which does not appear to be proper either (Shiraev,
2016). Looking at people in such a subjective way in humanistic psychology without having
background information about other factors that are significant and contribute. I have
discovered that I act and react in both conscious and unconscious ways throughout my life and
personality. In addition to acting differently when I experience stress in my life, I will
automatically react to situations that set me off. Rather than relying solely on one theory, we
are more of a hybrid of the two. The psychoanalytic theories' limitations shows that humans are
largely motivated by the Pleasure principle rather than the Reality principle. Psychoanalytic
theory can be likened to our own self-perceived negative conscience. Additionally,
psychoanalytic theories usually overlook some crucial biological, social, and cultural aspects.
Furthermore, it overemphasizes technique and lacks intervention theory.
5. Explain why taking a holistic approach and applying multiple theories to a subject is better than
applying only one. Your response should be about 6 to 10 sentences in length.
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The holistic approach looks at people and thinks the physical, mental, and spiritual components
leading to an individual's condition are interrelated and equally significant in therapy, hence
applying numerous theories to a topic is preferable to applying just one. (Shiraev, 2016). The
ability to assess a range of potential contributing factors to a psychological problem is one of the
main advantages of the holistic approach. Instead, then focusing on just one small part of an
issue, researchers can look at all the potential contributing factors. You can learn more about
the individual by approaching personality theory holistically. Examining personality theories
collectively will help you better understand how a person's personality formed rather than
concentrating on just one facet of it. However, examining a person's personality based only on
their conscious decisions also does not seem to match completely. Even the combination of
these two ideas provides a more comprehensive insight of an individual's personality than each
theory alone.
References
Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories. SAGE Publications, Inc.
(US). https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/978150630079
APSAA. (n.d.). Psychoanalytic theory & approaches. American Psychoanalytic Association. Retrieved
January 26, 2023, from https://apsa.org/content/psychoanalytic-theory-approaches
Cherry, K. (2020, April 19). How holism can help us understand behavior. Verywell Mind.
Retrieved February 16, 2023, https:/www.verywellmind.com/what-is-holism-4685432
Cherry, K. (2022, November 14). What Is Humanistic Psychology? A Psychology Perspective Influenced
By
Humanism. Verywell Mind. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-humanistic-psychology-2795242
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