Personality Assessment and Theories

The four types of theories that are used to evaluate the human personality are the psychodynamic, humanistic, trait, and cognitive social theories. Each specific theory evaluates the human personality in its own unique way, and specific tests are used to properly evaluate the outcomes.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES

Psychodynamic theories explain the behavior of humans based on the idea that human behaviors are based on unconscious and conscious influences, but most mental problems within adults are caused from unresolved issues from childhood (Depression Guide, 2005). These issues are implanted within each person as they grow older, and when certain issues remain unresolved, they can cause various mental and personality problems as people turn into adults.

Sigmund Freud is credited with psychoanalysis, and he claimed that human personality was based on three instincts; the id, the ego, and the superego (Axia College, 2009). The id is based solely on the pleasure principle, the ego is the conscious part of the mind that keeps the id and the superego happy, and the superego is the area that maintains morality and prevents any wrong actions (Nehemiah, nd).

The main assessment achieved through psychoanalysis deals with anxiety, defense mechanisms used to deal with stress, and the long term behavior patterns which are retained within the person. These traits, as explained, are ingrained into the person when they are children, and they do not change. The two types of assessment tests used in psychoanalysis theories are projective tests and personal interviews.

HUMANISTIC THEORIES

Humanistic personality theories state that humans continually strive to reach higher levels of achievement, and as such the human personality traits continually change as people grow and mature. Rogers, who is said to have started the humanistic theories, stated that every organism is born with certain traits, and every person's life goal is fulfill these traits to the best of that person's ability (Axia College, 2009). People are considered to be fully functioning when they reach a level of their inborn traits were they no longer swayed by the opinions of others. Instead, fully functioning people make decisions for themselves, whether those decisions are good or not.

According to assessments of the humanistic theories, problems arise within people when they lose sight of their traits that they were born with, and destined to achieve. For instance, people that do not achieve a level of a fully functioning person will ever attain happiness within their lives because they will be too concerned with pleasing everyone else around them. The two types of assessments tests used in humanistic theories are objective tests and personal interviews.

TRAIT THEORIES

According to trait theories, a person's inherited traits determine how a person acts, and these traits can be used to describe the personality of the person. These personality traits have been broken down into what is called The Big Five, and they are; extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and culture (Axia College, 2009). These five inherited traits combine in various ways that cause such things as alcoholism, aggression, social and eating disorders, and other such undesirable personality types.

The assessment test used for trait theories are objective tests and they show specific personality traits. These tests show whether a person is shy, insecure, arrogant, or any other such personality types that can be found throughout the human population.

COGNITIVE-SOCIAL LEARNING THEORIES

The cognitive-social learning theories state that each person has a unique internal value in which they live up to, and this is what shapes a person's personality. These behaviors are influenced by the persons own life history, such as the immediate environment, past experiences, and the learning that occurs along the way, and they are the foundation for the person's attitudes and behaviors (Axia College, 2009). The self expectations of people become a part of their explanatory style, which has a great influence upon human behavior.

Cognitive-social learning theories are assessed by using interviews, observations, and objective tests. These assessments show why people behave inconsistently, and these tests can help people change areas of their personality that they feel are negative traits. Cognitive-learning theories have been found to be extremely useful when it comes to employment behaviors and attitudes.

The four types of theories that are used to evaluate the human personality are the psychodynamic, humanistic, trait, and cognitive social theories. Each has its own way of evaluating the human personality, and each has its specific usefulness.

References:

Axia College Psychology: An Introduction Axia College of Phoenix University
Babylon Definition of Objective Test Babylon Dictionary
Depression Guide Psychodynamic Theory Bank of America
Yitzhak Nehemiah Introduction to Sigmund Freud Helium.com