In describing personality, we'll go through six different personality theories: psychoanalytic theory, humanistic theory, trait theory, social-cognitive theory, biological theory, and behaviorist theory.
2. Theories of Personality
• In the attempt to explain the complex nature of personality
structures,the following theories are developed to provideus with
some explanations.
A.Theory of Body Types( William Sheldon).This Treory relatates
personality with bodily consitutions,health ,and vigor.The types names
arederived from the names of the cell layers in the embryo where
different body tissues originated.
3. a. Edomorphic Components
• This means prominence of intestines and visceral organs, and fats are
in proportion to height.Individuals under this type are classified
temperamentally as viscerotonic.Such persons seek comfort love to
find food,and eat too much.They are sociable and are greatly
interested in seeking affection.
4. 2. Mesomorphic Components
• These refer to bones and muscles.This Individual is trong,tough,and
atheletic.he is well built and proportionate.Temperamentally,he is
somatotonic.Such persons are energetic.they like exercise are are
direct in manners.They tend to agresssive and self assertive.
3. Enomorphic Components-The individual tends to be long,thin,and
poorly developed.He is generally weak long,thin and poorly
developed.He is generally week physically.Temperamentally ,he is
cerebratonic.Such persons are characterized by excessive
restraint,inhibation,and avoidance of social contacts.
5. B.Theory Based on Body Build and Strenght(Ernest
Kretschemer).An individual may be classified under
any of the following types.
1.Asthetic type-of the individual are whose whore are thin,tall and
emaciated.They look very sickly and weak.They want to be alone maybe
because of frailty .They tend to cough or show signs of other physical
illnesss.
2. Pyknic Typic-is the opposite of asthenic.Such type of individuals can
be called “human ball” because of their short statute and round solid
body.A pyknic person never walks but waddles like a duck or rollslike a
ball.
6. 3.Athletics type-is between the asthenic and the the pysknic types who
are extremes in body build which is wiry. He is a picture of good health
and his personality is often the object of envy.
4. Dysplastic type-are those persons who cannot be classified among
the three type above.
7. C.Psychological Type theory.Carl Jung gives the
following classifications of Individuals:
1.Introverted Individual.This type of person tends to withdraw into
himself in timesof emotional stress or conflicts. His characteristics
include shyness and preference to work alone.
2. Extroverted Individual- An extrovert tends to be very sociable,well-
dressed,and outgoing.His decisions and actions are determined
primarily by objective relationships.His Attention and interest are
centred on the immediate environment,and he tends to loose himself
among people.
8. D. Theory Based on Body Chemistry,Endocrine
Balance and Temperaments.Galen categories
individuals into sanguine,phlegmatic,melanchonic
• A sanguine person is warm-hearted and pleasant.He looks alive and
very optimistic.
• The phlegmatic type is listless,slow ,unexcitable and calm,attributes
to the phlegm.He is cautiouns,and thinks twice before doing anything.
• A melancholic- person is ne who suffers from depression and sadness
because of having too much black bile.He is very pessimistic.
• The choleric persons is easy angered or temperamental as influenced
by his yellow bile.He is serous,easily provoked and aggressive.
9. E. Theory of Personality Based on Birth
Order(Maxine Abrams,1978)
• The advicates of thin theory,amidst controversy ,stress that a growing
personality trait is attributed to family rank.They say thet whatever kind of
personality you prosses is in one way or another influenced by the rank you
occupy in the family.
• The birth-order influences grow out of interactions of the various
relationships within a family,parent with parents,parents with children,and
siblings with each other and these several relationship fraught as they may
be with a brother.He then tends to be unquarrelsome and minerring.
• On the other hand,an oldersister of two girls may feel in competition with
the younger sister and go to great ends to be a “good girl” to win approval.
10. The birth order and the common personality
taints manifested are as below.
• First Born- they can keep secrets than the other siblings.They are
conscientious,task-oriented,and responsible,high achievers.They also
resent sharing parental attention and may not be happier than the
other siblings.Because of strong parental influence,they are jealous of
the latter-borns so they spend the rest of their lives in subconscious
effort to regain the spotlight.They tend to require their partners to be
dependent so as to dominate them.This is an attempts to asset one’s
dominance on others
11. • 2. Middle Borns-They talk the last.They are diplomatic and skillfull in
interpersonal relationship because of the interpersonal relationship
because of the interpersonal give and take they share with the other
older and the younger siblings.The middle of the tree girls tend to be
the most difficult because of an attempt to get parental attention
especially from the father.
• 3.Later Borns-they very creative,charming and playful ,very
popular,and often are spoiled.They are sometimes deprived because
constantly receiving hand-me-downs and financial leaftovers.Some
develop a low sense of responsibility,some especially in
large,encouranging families become high achievers.
12. • 4.Only Child-The only child is very dependent but may enjoy a high
sense of self of self –esteem and optimism,reflecting the unchecked
attention of two adults who praise him as he grows.Others may have
diffulty with
