How do psychologists explain and describe personality?
Compare the main theoretical approaches to personality, including psychodynamic, humanistic, trait and social-cognitive perspectives
Personality theories explain consistent patterns of thought, feeling and behaviour. SACE covers psychodynamic, humanistic, trait and social-cognitive approaches, each with different assumptions about what shapes us.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
You need to define personality, then compare the major theoretical approaches: what each says drives behaviour, its key figures and concepts, and its strengths and weaknesses.
Defining personality
Personality refers to the relatively enduring patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that make an individual unique and that are reasonably consistent across situations and time. Theories differ in what they emphasise as the source of these patterns.
The psychodynamic approach
Founded by Sigmund Freud, this approach argues that behaviour is largely driven by unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences. Freud proposed three structures of personality: the id (instinctual drives operating on the pleasure principle), the ego (the realistic mediator operating on the reality principle), and the superego (the internalised moral conscience). Conflict between these structures is managed by defence mechanisms such as repression and denial.
Strengths: it highlighted the unconscious, childhood and internal conflict, and influenced therapy. Weaknesses: concepts are difficult to test scientifically (low falsifiability), it relied heavily on case studies, and it is criticised as deterministic.
The humanistic approach
Associated with Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, the humanistic approach views people as basically good and motivated toward growth. Maslow proposed a hierarchy of needs, with self-actualisation at the top once lower needs (physiological, safety, belonging, esteem) are met. Rogers stressed the self-concept, the gap between the real and ideal self, and the role of unconditional positive regard in healthy development.
Strengths: optimistic, person-centred, and influential in counselling. Weaknesses: concepts like self-actualisation are vague and hard to measure, and the approach can be seen as overly idealistic.
The trait approach
Trait theorists describe personality using measurable dimensions. The widely accepted model is the Big Five (OCEAN): Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. Each person sits somewhere on a continuum for each trait. Earlier work includes Eysenck's dimensions (extraversion-introversion, neuroticism-stability).
Strengths: traits are reliably measured with questionnaires and predict behaviour reasonably well. Weaknesses: trait theory describes personality but does not fully explain why traits develop, and it can underplay the influence of situations.
The social-cognitive approach
This approach, associated with Albert Bandura, argues that personality results from the interaction of behaviour, cognition and the environment, which Bandura called reciprocal determinism. Concepts include self-efficacy (belief in one's ability to succeed) and observational learning. The approach treats people as active processors of information rather than passive products of drives.
Strengths: well supported by research and integrates learning with thinking. Weaknesses: it can underemphasise emotion, biology and unconscious processes.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SACE Board exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
2019 SACE Stage 22 marksPsychodynamic concepts of personality emphasise the role of the unconscious in the structure of personality. Explain one role of the unconscious in a psychodynamic concept of personality.Show worked answer →
Two marks: identify a role of the unconscious and explain how it shapes personality.
In Freud's psychodynamic model, the unconscious holds memories, desires and drives (particularly those of the id) that the person is not aware of but that still direct behaviour. One clear role is that the unconscious stores repressed thoughts and conflicts that the ego has pushed out of awareness because they are threatening or unacceptable. These repressed contents continue to influence personality indirectly, surfacing through defence mechanisms, dreams or slips, and shaping a person's habitual feelings and reactions. Naming a structure (id) or process (repression) and linking it to observable personality earns full marks.
2019 SACE Stage 24 marksHumanistic concepts of personality emphasise personal growth. Using one humanistic concept of personality, explain how personal growth is achieved.Show worked answer →
Four marks: name a humanistic concept and explain the conditions and process of growth.
Using Maslow's concept of self-actualisation: personal growth is achieved when a person moves up the hierarchy of needs. Once lower needs (physiological, safety, belonging and esteem) are satisfied, the person is free to pursue self-actualisation, realising their full potential and becoming the best version of themselves.
Alternatively, using Rogers: growth occurs when a person experiences unconditional positive regard, which narrows the gap between the real self and the ideal self. This congruence allows the person to develop as a fully functioning individual.
A top answer names the theorist and concept, describes the necessary conditions for growth, and explains the end state (self-actualisation or congruence).
2018 SACE Stage 24 marksRenata believes she has to be assertive to get ahead as a woman in a 'masculine' world. She is quick to anger, only interested in work that benefits her immediately, self-centred, and struggles to understand co-workers' perspectives. Describe Renata's personality using one psychodynamic conception of personality.Show worked answer →
Four marks: apply a named psychodynamic structure to the described behaviour.
Using Freud's structural model (id, ego, superego): Renata appears dominated by her id, the part of personality that demands immediate gratification on the pleasure principle. Her interest only in work that benefits her immediately and her self-centredness reflect strong id-driven impulses. Her quickness to anger suggests her ego is not effectively mediating between her impulses and reality. Her difficulty understanding co-workers' perspectives and her lack of concern for others suggest a weak or under-developed superego, the moral and social conscience. A full-mark answer names the structures and ties each one to specific evidence from the scenario.