Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality

Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality

Cassandra Malone

PSY/250

March 14, 2016

Dorothy Rodwell

Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality

Our environment defines the needs and the order that we require those necessities to be met. Dr. James D. Watson “claims that who we are is there in our genes.” –unless you were African whom Watson felt had an inferior genetic code (the latter remark resulted in dismissal from a prestigious research laboratory) (Friedman & Schustack, 2011). Biologically, we are destined to exist in a manner that is predetermined by our ancestors however; humanistic factors suggest that our environmental influences create a personality unrelated to our needs.

 Mind, body, and soul collide in these two worlds of biological and humanistic approaches and evaluating the basic aspects shall reveal either the truth or just create more question. Defining personality, as which constitutes distinction of individuals, Eysenck Hans established his major theory that is based upon fundamental elements of the inherited characteristics. He divided genetic aspects of personality into three factors namely introversion-extroversion, neuroticism and psychoticism in regard to individual personality as well as the individual specific disposition and character. Hans contends that the genetic composition of any individual is monumental to overrule other external influences as a major means in which people form their personality. Moreover, he affirms that unique environment and genes are quite imperative though shared environment is not usually that crucial. In analyzing as well as comparing the humanistic and biological approaches to personality one can result to difference in opinions (Hans & Hans, 2006).

Abraham Maslow studied the development of personalities based on human needs. His needs hierarchy portrays the influence of human needs to formations of peoples’ unique and individual personalities (Maslow, 1954). There are some biological factors which does influence formation of one’s personality which usually plays a major role. Through reviewing the relationships that are there between Maslow’s theory and biological factors we will be in a position to see some focused similarities as well as its upcoming. Analyzing some of the main tenets of humanistic theory with some of the biological explanations will help us to be enlightened on different views of every personality theory.

Discussion

Personality is basically defined as the complex of all the attributes which are possessed by individuals and which uniquely defines their temperamental, behavioral, mental and emotional characteristics from the other people. Personality psychology, on the other hand, can be defined as the psychological forces that tend to make individuals unique (Friedman & Schustack, 2011). The basic belief of humanistic theories is the fact that people are usually naturally good with their mental and social problems as a result of divergence from their natural tendency. The theory helps to remove stigma during therapy and influence the people to explore on their potentials.