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THEORIES PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

The 4 Major Personality

Perspectives
By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Updated on January 10, 2023
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Medically reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Fact checked by Aaron Johnson

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Table of Contents
Psychoanalytic Perspective

Humanistic Perspective
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Trait Perspective

Social Cognitive Perspective

The study of personality is one of the signi3cant topics of

interest in psychology. Numerous personality theories exist,
and most major ones fall into one of four major
perspectives. Each of these perspectives on personality
attempts to describe di>erent patterns in personality,
including how these patterns form and how people di>er on
an individual level. Advertisement

This article discusses four of the major perspectives on

personality, the theorists associated with each theory, and
the core ideas that are central to each perspective. Learning
more about these theories can give you greater insight into
the many di>erent aspects of human personality.

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 Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell

Psychoanalytic Perspective
The psychoanalytic perspective of personality emphasizes
the importance of early childhood experiences and the
unconscious mind. This perspective on personality was
created by psychiatrist Sigmund Freud who believed that
things hidden in the unconscious could be revealed in a
number of di>erent ways, including through dreams, free
association, and slips of the tongue.

Neo-Freudian theorists, including Erik Erikson, Carl

Jung, Alfred Adler, and Karen Horney, believed in the
importance of the unconscious but disagreed with other
aspects of Freud's theories. [1]

Major Theorists
Below are the most prominent psychoanalytic perspective
theorists:

Sigmund
Sigmund Freud
Freud:: Stressed the importance of early
childhood events, the inZuence of the unconscious, and
sexual instincts in the development and formation of
personality.
Erik
Erik Erikson
Erikson:: Emphasized the social elements of
personality development, the identity crisis, and how
personality is shaped over the course of the entire lifespan.
Carl
Carl Jung
Jung:: Focused on concepts such as the collective
unconscious, archetypes, and psychological types.
Alfred
Alfred Adler
Adler:: Believed the core motive behind personality
involves striving for superiority, or the desire to overcome
challenges and move closer toward self-realization. This
desire to achieve superiority stems from underlying feelings
of inferiority that Adler believed were universal.
Karen
Karen Horney
Horney:: Focused on the need to overcome basic
anxiety, the sense of being isolated and alone in the world.
She emphasized the societal and cultural factors that also

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 play a role in personality, including the importance of the
parent-child relationship. [2]

Modern Relevance
Classical Freudian psychoanalysis is viewed with skepticism
and there has been an overall decline in the approach in
recent years. [3] While many of Freud's theories have fallen
out of favor, the psychodynamic tradition is still an
essential part of psychology.

Research has shown that psychodynamic approaches

can be an e>ective tool for self-examination. This
approach to treatment can also help foster long-term
emotional growth. [4]

Related:
Related: Overview of Personality Psychology

Humanistic Perspective
The humanistic perspective of personality focuses on
psychological growth, free will, and personal awareness. It
takes a more positive outlook on human nature and is
centered on how each person can achieve their individual
potential. [5]

Major Theorists
The following are the most inZuential humanistic
perspective theorists:

Carl
Carl Rogers
Rogers:: Believed in the inherent goodness of people
and emphasized the importance of free will and
psychological growth. He suggested that the actualizing
tendency is the driving force behind human behavior. [6]
Abraham
Abraham Maslow
Maslow:: Suggested that people are motivated by
a hierarchy of needs. The most basic needs are centered on
things necessary for life such as food and water, but as
people move up the hierarchy these needs become centered
on things such as esteem and self-actualization. [7]

Modern Relevance
Humanistic psychology continues to have a tremendous
inZuence today, particularly in psychotherapy. The 3eld of
positive psychology, which is focused on helping people live
better lives, has also grown out of the humanist tradition.

Humanistic therapy can e>ectively treat various mental

health conditions, including anxiety, depression,
substance use, interpersonal issues, and personality
disorders. [8]

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 Trait Perspective
The trait perspective of personality is centered on
identifying, describing, and measuring the speci3c traits
that make up human personality. By understanding these
traits, researchers believe they can better comprehend the
di>erences between individuals. [9]

Major Theorists
Below are the most important trait perspective theorists:

Hans
Hans Eysenck
Eysenck:: Suggested that there are three dimensions
of personality: 1) extraversion-introversion, 2) emotional
stability-neuroticism, and 3) psychoticism. [10]
Raymond
Raymond Cattell
Cattell:: Identi3ed 16 personality traits that he
believed could be utilized to understand and measure
individual di>erences in personality. [11]
Robert
Robert McCrae
McCrae and
and Paul
Paul Costa:
Costa: Introduced the big 3ve
theory, which identi3es 3ve key dimensions of personality:
1) extraversion, 2) neuroticism, 3) openness to experience,
4) conscientiousness, and 5) agreeableness. [12]

Modern Relevance
Trait theory is still a standard approach for understanding
human personality. Today, many experts agree that
personality is composed of a number of broad dimensions,
although they don't completely agree on the labels for each
dimension. [13]

However, modern researchers are now also interested

in understanding more about how these traits develop
and how understanding them can help improve mental
well-being. [14]

For example, research has found that while people may have
certain traits, these qualities don't necessarily serve as
accurate predictors of behavior. Contemporary research may
focus more on understanding how these traits shape
people's behavior rather than just labeling the existing
traits.

Social Cognitive Perspective

The social cognitive perspective of personality emphasizes
the importance of observational learning, self-eecacy,
situational inZuences, and cognitive processes. [15]

According to this approach, personality is shaped by

observation, imitation, and modeling. Cognitive factors such
as attention, attitudes, motivation, and emotion also play a
pivotal role. The interaction between the individual, their

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 environment, and their thoughts contributes to their
personality and behavior.

Major Theorists
The main proponent of the social cognitive perspective is:

Albert
Albert Bandura
Bandura:: Emphasized the importance of social
learning, or learning through observation. His theory
emphasized the role of conscious thoughts including self-
eecacy, or our own beliefs in our abilities. [16]

Modern Relevance
The social cognitive perspective remains relevant today in
understanding how learning occurs in social contexts. It
also allows researchers and educators to consider the
dynamic between the individual, their environment, and
their behavior.

Social cognitive theory is also utilized in the 3eld of

public health to develop programs aimed at health
promotion. Understanding how observational learning
and self-eecacy inZuence health behaviors allows
researchers to create programs that foster healthier
behaviors and choices. [17]

A Word From Verywell

Many theories have been proposed to describe and explain
human personality. Four of the most prominent are the
psychoanalytic, humanistic, trait, and social-cognitive
perspectives.

One important thing to remember is that no single theory

alone explains every aspect of personality. Instead, each of
these theories has played a part in adding to our
understanding of di>erent aspects of personality, their
causes, and how they shape behavior and individual
experiences.

17 Sources

By
By Kendra
Kendra Cherry,
Cherry, MSEd
MSEd
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation
specialist, psychology educator, and author of the
"Everything Psychology Book."

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