CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY THEORY

Why do people behave as they do? Do individuals have some control over how they
define themselves? What accounts for similarities and differences among people? What makes
people act in predictable ways? Why are they unpredictable? Do hidden, unconscious forces
control people’s behavior? What causes mental disturbances? Is it more the environment or the
hereditary that influence human behavior?
These questions have been asked by philosophers, theologians, and other thinkers for
centuries as they considered the nature of human nature or even whether humans have a
fundamental nature. A number of personality theorists have made controlled observation of
human behavior since Freud's investigations in the final decade of the 19th century until the
present day. More than just differences in terminology, these individuals' theories differ from one
another. They arise from disagreements regarding fundamental human nature-related issues.
The Latin word "persona," which means "mask" or "role," is the origin of the term
personality. However, most psychologists use the term to refer to much more than the face or
facade people show to others. A pattern of traits that are relatively constant and one-of-a-kind
that give human behavior consistency and individuality is what personality is. The pattern is
unique to each individual (consistency and stability of behavior over time), despite the fact that
traits may be unique, shared by a particular group, or shared by the entire species. On the other
hand, a person's characteristics are unique qualities of an individual, which include things like
temperament, physical appearance, and intelligence.
The term theory is often used quite loosely and incorrectly to imply something other than
a useful scientific concept. Scientists use theories to organize their observations and conduct
research. It is characterized as a bunch of related assumptions that permit researchers to utilize
sensible logical thinking to plan testable hypotheses. People often confuse theory with
philosophy, speculation, hypothesis, or taxonomy. Theory is not synonymous with any of these
ideas, despite the fact that they are all related to each of these concepts. A single assumption can
never satisfy all of a good theory's requirements. Related, means isolated assumptions can
neither generate meaningful hypotheses nor possess internal consistency. Although not facts,
assumptions are generally accepted as true. Logical Deductive Reasoning is to deduce a clearly
stated hypothesis. Testable means that it must suggest the possibility that scientists
Philosophy (the love of wisdom) is a broader term than theory. Philosophy encompasses
several branches, one of which is epistemology, or the nature of knowledge. Speculation is the
basis for theories, but speculation must be supported by controlled observations made by
scientists. Science is the branch of study concerned with observation and classification of data
and with the verification of general laws. Scientists use theories as practical tools to guide their
research. A theory can lead to a large number of hypotheses, or educated guesses, because it is
more general than a hypothesis. A taxonomy is a classification system, and classification is
necessary to science. Hypotheses, which are a necessary component of a useful theory, are not
generated by taxonomies.
 Due to differences in personal background, philosophical orientation, and the data they
chose to observe, psychologists and other scientists have developed a variety of personality
theories. In addition, theories permit individual interpretation of the same observations, and each
theorist has had his or her own way of looking at things. A useful theory generates a number
of hypotheses that can be investigated through research, thus yielding research data. It explains
the findings and arranges the research data in a way that makes sense. It ought to (1) generate
research, both descriptive and hypothesis testing; ( 2) can be falsified; that is, it must conduct
research that can either support or refute its fundamental beliefs; ( 3) organizes and explains
data within a framework that is understandable; 4) able to guide action; that is, it gives the
practitioner a plan for making decisions every day; ( 5) relies on operational definitions that
define concepts in terms of specific operations and is internally consistent; and (6) is
parsimonious, or simple.
Personality theorists have had different conceptions of human nature. Six dimensions are
used by the authors of Theories of Personality to compare these ideas. The aspects include:
determinism vs. free choice, pessimism vs. optimism, causality vs. teleology, conscious vs.
unconscious determinants of behavior, biological vs. social influences on personality,
uniqueness vs. similarities between people, and causality vs. teleology. Personality theorists
frequently employ a variety of measurement methods in their studies of human behavior. These
methods need to be both valid and reliable. In researching human behavior, personality theorists
often use various measuring procedures, which must be both reliable and valid. Reliability refers
to a measuring instrument's consistency and includes test-retest reliability and internal
consistency. The accuracy or truthfulness of a test is known as validity, and it includes predictive
validity and construct validity.