Lee High School
Personality Psychologist
Francisco Zainos Senior Capstone
Brian Cahoon Spring 2015
Francisco Zainos Brian Cahoon Senior Capstone March 26 ,2015
Personality Psychologist
What comes to when thinking about personality? The definition of personality is the aspect of ourselves we select to display to the world (Hergenhahn and Olson 1). Considering both definitions, one can start to wonder what’s their personality and how was it formed? There are so many other question out there that no one can really answer except psychologists, to be more precise a personality psychologist. Personality psychologists conduct studies to be able to find what influences the outcome of an individual’s or group’s personality. With this studies a personality psychologist can be able to help understand what their personality is and how it is formed.
Psychology is the study of the mind which makes this a really broad topic. Psychology has many subcategories under it; biopsychology, clinical, educational, forensic, personality, social, etc(Cherry). Personality psychology is the field that goes in depth on the aspects of
personality. Many things will fall under personality psychology such as how one can someone be open to an experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism (Kuyers), also known as the “Big Five” of contemporary developments (Hergenhahn and Olson 260).
Open to experiences has to do how one is downtoearthimaginative, curiouscurious, conservativeliberal. Conscientiousness has to deal with how can be lazyhardworking,
latepunctual, quittingpersevering. Extraversion is how someone can be reservedaffectionate, lonerjoiner, quitetalkative. Agreeableness will be how one is ruthlesssofthearted,
suspicioustrusting, stingygenerous. Neuroticism has to do with calmworrying,
unemotionalemotional, hardyvulnerable. The reason for the explanation of the Big Five is because before one can understand what can impact and cause someone’s personality to change one has to understand how it is developed and categorised. The Big Five is just but a theory and just like the Big Five there are hundreds of theories of how the mind is developed. The Big Five theory is the current most supported theory by many personality researchers. This theory serves as a dimension that composes the human personality.
Before being able to talk about what impacts a personality, more of the theories of development need to be explained. A person’s personality can be developed at such a young age and it all depends on how the child is treated. However the child is treated will determine which one of the Big Five will that person fall under. Two possibilities can exist for a child: (1) The parents show that they care for the child which will satisfy an urge of safety: or (2) The parent can show some type of hatred towards the child which will leave them craving for safety
(Hergenhahn and Olson 136). The first possibility will lead towards a normal development while the second possibility can lead to neurotic development. As stated before neurotic has to deal with being calmworrying, unemotionalemotional, hardyvulnerable(Hergenhahn and Olson 260). This theory was called “Basic Evil” by Karen Horney (Hergenhahn and Olson 136).
Horney’s Basic Evil theory has to do with behaviors towards children that show rejection
towards the child, unfair punishment, erratic behavior, and even unkept promises. Once a child is
abused by one or more of the behaviors they start to experience “Basic Hostility.” Basic Hostility is a continuation of the Basic Evil theory. The child will start to be between having feelings of dependency towards the parents and hostility towards them. In order to survive at such a young age the child must repress any feelings of hostility towards their parents which then leads to different feelings. helplessness, fear, love, or guilt (Hergenhahn and Olson 137). Horney explains that the child represses the feelings of hostility because all the other feelings are trying to speak.
Helplessness say, “ I’ll repress because I need you.” Fear will say, “I fear you so therefore I’ll repress my hostility.” Love says, “I don’t want to lose your love so I’ll repress all hostility.”
Guilt tends to say many things such as “They are my parents I shouldn’t feel hostile.” Horney states that all this feelings don’t stay isolated but are instead generalized to the world and everyone which then leads to “Basic Anxiety.” Basic Anxiety is the third and last part of the Basic Evil, Hostility theory. Basic Anxiety is Horney’s most important concept out of all three and the reason behind that is because it is inseparably interwoven with a basic hostility
(Hergenhahn and Olson 137). This theory is an example of how theories acknowledge each other and sometimes cooperate with each other.
The Basic Evil, Hostility, and Anxiety theory showed how the care of children at such a young age can impact the development of their personality. There are many other things that will play a role in the development such as personality disorders. A personality disorder is a term used for several behavioral problems that consistently cause people not to get along with others (Carey). People with personality disorders tend to have a hard time maintaining any type of healthy relationship. The disorder will make the person think it’s the other person’s fault, this
then lead to feelings like loneliness and isolation. There are nine types of personality disorders;
antisocial, avoidant, borderline, dependent, narcissistic, obsessivecompulsive, paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal. People who suffer from any type of disorder won't seek help either because they don’t think they have a problem or they feel that other people are the ones with the problem. People with a disorder will eventually be forced to seek treatment due to the
consequences that their behavior to others got them. Treatment consist of prescription
medication; antidepressants and/or anxiety pills, and psychological counseling. The treatment can be very successful especially if the person doesn’t stop the treatment, even when they start to feel better.
Considering the Big Five, Basic Evil, Hostility, and Anxiety, and the Personality
Disorders, one can see that they all have something in common. The thing they have in common is that they all have to do with the development of personality. This means that the all can explain what a personality is and how it’s formed. Personality psychologist can look at all development theories and be able to find how to relate to an individual's personality. Another thing that a psychologist must be able to do is to categories someone’s personality under a type of disorder (if it may apply). A psychologist conducts many researches to be able to understand everything that has to deal with personality. But before a psychologist can do any of this they must first attend college. To reach a the highest level of psychology a Doctoral degree and a state licence will be required, this are also required to be able to practice psychiatry. Once there is an established career a personality psychiatrist will be looking at roughly $88,400 a year
("Personality Psychologist: Job Description and Education Information"). Salary will change
depending on the type of practice the psychologist decides to choose; research, private,
government, nonprofit, and academic (Miller). Another thing that might impact the salary will be location and the demand for the career.
Personality psychology is a really interesting career due to the research one must be able to do. Personality psychologist will do the research and connect all the dots between all the different theories that have come up over the years. Being able to help people understand why they are how they are. To explain to someone what their personality is and how it is formed.
Work Cited Page
Carey, Elea. "Personality Disorder." Healthline. Healthline Networks, Inc., 31 July 2012. Web.
27 Mar. 2015.
Cherry, Kendra. "Psychology of Personality (Definition, Theories, Disorders)." About Education. About, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Cherry , Kendra. "Types of Psychologist and What They Do." About Education. About, n.d.
Web. 27 Mar 2015.
Hergenhahn , B.R., and Matthew H. Olson. An Introduction to Theories of Personality. Sixth.
Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1980. 1, 136138, 260. Print.
Kuyers, Gina. Personal Interview. 25 Mar 2015.
Miller , Ashley . "Jobs in Personality Psychology ." Work. Chron. Demand Media , n.d. Web. 27 Mar 2015.
"Personality Psychologist: Job Description and Education Information." Study. N.p., n.d. Web.
27 Mar 2015.
