Perspectives of Pyschology

Part 1 Extended Response

Psychoanalytic is the perspective that childhood sexuality and unconscious motivations influence personality. It is accountable for the development of an introverted or extroverted type of personality because if a person is unconsciously aware of their actions then it’s possible they do not have a lot of control over certain behaviors such as greed or pride. Also when someone becomes fixated on any of the psychosexual stages then it can alter behaviors and will affect personality as the child develops. So for example if a person has a very weak ego and a more dominant superego or more dominant id then it can have a huge affect on their personality. If the person is a do-gooder then their superego will emit feelings of pride and is likely to have an extroverted personality, but if they give in to their id, the superego will emit feelings of quilt and can create a more introverted personality. Another example is in the psychosexual stages. For example if they become fixated at the phallic stage then as they grow older they may experience a lot of guilt and are prone to keep to themselves creating a more introverted type personality.

Humanistic is the perspective that inner capacities for growth and self-fulfillment influence personality. It is accountable for the development of an introverted or extroverted type of personality because how a person perceives themselves is what I believe to be most important. For example if they don’t think they can do well when they are young then it’s likely no one will ever change their mind and that same issue will continue as they grow older. Therefore if a person believes in themselves and has a lot of confidence then they will probably have a more extroverted type of personality. If though the person doesn’t believe and has low self-esteem then they will have an introverted type of personality. This perspective doesn’t involve a lot of outside influences; it has a lot to do with self-esteem and what that person is capable of.

Trait is the perspective that peoples characteristic behaviors and conscious motives influence personality. It is accountable for the development of an introverted or extroverted type of personality because behavior displayed in children is often expressed similarly when they get older. So for example if a child is often misbehaving and always gets into trouble then it’s possible they will begin to think everything they do is wrong. As the child grows older he then becomes more shy and unsociable creating an introverted type of personality. On the other hand, if a child is often misbehaving and the other children laugh then its likely they will act out more to amuse those other children. As the characteristics of this child develop then its probable they will have a more extroverted type of personality. Heredity is also a factor in the trait perspective. If a family has a history of calm, reliable, and quiet individuals then their offspring will have the same characteristics.

Social cognitive is the perspective that behaviors are learned by observing and modeling others and emphasizes the importance of mental processes. It is accountable for the development of an introverted or extroverted type of personality because what children learn when they are younger affect them as they grow older. For example if a child looks up to someone who is very talkative and carefree then its likely they will want to model the same behaviors. Such as, talking to the new kid at school and being very laidback. As they grow older these behaviors will then evolve and develop into an extroverted type of personality. So then if they were to look up to someone who was more shy and careful about life the child would develop characteristics that reflected the person they had looked up to.

Part 2 Short Responses

A.

1. Learned helplessness is hopelessness and passive resignation a human or animal learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events. If a teen studies before every algebra test but repeatedly fails the test then they will begin to think they can never pass. This creates a feeling of hopelessness so the behavior of studying creates a new behavior of giving up and not studying.

2. Optimistic attributional style is a positive way to explain life events. This can affect behavior in a good way; because rather than being down about an event it’s as if the person looks on the bright side of things. For example say someone has a close family member that dies; instead of blaming it on God they thank