Running head: PERSONALITY THEORIES HISTORY PAPER

Personality Theories History Paper

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Personality Theories History Paper

In psychology, Carl Rogers and Sigmund Freud have made great contributions to the

field by looking at client-centered therapy and personality theories respectively. Over the

years, the clinical experiences of psychologists have built on the knowledge of Rogers and

Freud despite their different assumptions. In this paper, articles under review will bring out

Rogers and Freud’s different views and how they have influenced contemporary psychology.

Review of Literature

Jooste, Kruger, Steyn, & Edwards’s article conducts a literature review that is

conceptual and evaluative, which probes and contextualizes the strong parallels presented

between Roger’s humanistic person-centered (PC) approach and the mindfulness derived

from meditation. According to Carl Rogers, PC is an approach that has managed to embrace a

naturalistic phenomenon, which is characterized by a strong sense of presence with a strong

oriental view resemblance. Shared ideology is inherent in the evidence provided from the

review and this showed how mindfulness harmonises, cultivates, and deepens the essential

qualities of therapists. As such, the information will be important for trainee therapist’s

implementation of those activities that are meditation-inspired during their practical work. By

so doing, the trainees will be optimizing their proficiency and will refine their practice.

Lane, Weihs, Herring, Hishaw, & Smith’s article looks at an impairment that is a new

sort of agnosia that gives them the aptitude to mentally represent or recognize an individual’s

feeling. The information resented has proposed that by using “affective agnosia” concept, the

theory has been advanced to “alexithymia.” This new measurement and treatment means

“lack of words for emotion” and the authors have identified the origin of the construct. They

continue further to discuss their strengths and limitations. Evidence reviewed shows that

emotions represented and put into words becomes an achievement that is development and

strongly influences an individual’s ability to recognize, experience, use, and understand one’s
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emotional responses. Emotional awareness has neural substrates that are identified in the

article that helps in comparing and contrasting it to affective agnosia. The authors also give

the contribution of the new measurement to contemporary psychology.

Views of Human Nature and their Worldviews

According to Freud, the psychosexual stages (the id, ego, and superego) have

managed to define the behaviour and actions of an individual as a result of their childhood

experiences. The adult personality is built from their childhood experiences and the problems

they face during their developmental stages may impact them positively or negatively.

Carl Rogers, on the other hand, introduces the non-directive therapy, which is an

upside down because the therapists are inclined to follow their clients. The concept

introduced manages to help patients uncover their unique solutions, meaning they are client-

centered. It became a direct challenge to the psychoanalysis and behaviourism approaches

that are therapist-directed.

Carl looks at the concept of self as being primary conscious, but Freud believed that

people are chiefly controlled by their unconscious urges. As such, people are driven to

engage in those activities that bring about individual gratification, which is valuable to the

community. The humanistic view of Rogers is ascribed to the human nature always want to

reach their self-actualization stages.

Aspects of their theory that would be Different Today

Freud’s aspect of differentiating between male and female sexuality would have

changed if he was different today. The change would have come about as women take pride

in their sexuality and now act independently of men. The self-actualization theory of Carl

Rogers would change due to the war and violence present in today’s world. Bearing his belief

on individual behaviour, then his thoughts and views would have changed as the nature of the

world is now violent, which introduces their perceptions of surroundings.

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Social and Cultural Factors. Freud’s personality theory was developed by

combining people’s social and cultural backgrounds and his family structure was quite

different considering his father had previously married two other women before Freud’s

mother. The prevailing cultural conditions at the time required him to stay with his parents

until he was 27 years (Gelfrand & Kerr, 2013). After clearing medical school, he became a

resident physician for three years and he also engaged with psychiatric patients for five

months. During this period, it was evident that human behaviour in the psychology field

attained little attention and this is what led him to develop his research. His psychoanalysis

theory influenced people’s view of psychology and human behaviour.

Roger’s family was different and they were a strict Christian family. His family

traditions influenced his starting school at a very late stage by studying agriculture, but later

changed to religious studies due to his social influences and obligations (Thorne & Sanders,

2012). He later changed to psychology and his thoughts were greatly influenced by his

travels, which saw him encounter national and or social conflict present in the face of the

world.

Conclusion

From the above information, it is evident that a contradiction of theories exists

between Roger’s humanistic and Freud’s psychoanalytic approaches. The foundations of

these two psychologists are brought forth by their social and cultural factors.
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References

Gelfrand, T. & Kerr, J. (Eds). (2013). Freud and the history of psychoanalysis. Hillsdale, NJ:

The Analytic Press Inc.

Jooste, J., Kruger, A., Steyn, B. J., & Edwards, D. J. (2015). Mindfulness: A foothold for

Rogers's humanistic person-centred approach. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 25(6),

554-559.

Lane, R. D., Weihs, K. L., Herring, A., Hishaw, A., & Smith, R. (2015). Affective agnosia:

Expansion of the alexithymia construct and a new opportunity to integrate and extend

Freud’s legacy. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 55, 594-611.

Thorne, B. & Sanders, P. (2012). Carl Rogers (3rd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.