Personality Theories | Definition & Types

Personality Theories Introduction

Many clinical techniques for counseling and therapy have evolved out of the need to establish helping strategies based on personality theories. While there are many personality theories available to discuss, the following lesson provides information on the three main theories: psychodynamic, behaviorist, and humanistic. Let's take a closer look at each of these and go over an example describing each theory in practice.

Psychodynamic Personality Theory

The first type of personality theory most people are familiar with or identify with is psychodynamic theory originally pioneered by Sigmund Freud in the 1890s. In his work, Freud discovered the usefulness of understanding different states of the brain. This theory is used to treat mental health disorders and might include asking the client to discuss his or her dreams.

The psychodynamic personality theory emphasizes the study of the client's conscious and subconscious states. Further, the id, ego, and superego are explored in hopes of helping the client address the thinking issues associated with their mental health disorder.

Many personality theories have since been developed out of Freud's psychodynamic personality theory. The field of psychology and psychiatry has evolved tremendously since Freud's discussion of how brain function stimulates behavior. Let's look at an example of how psychodynamic theory can be used in practice with a client.

Here's an example of psychodynamic theory in practice:

Let's imagine that Freud is putting the psychodynamic theory into play with a female client. He would explain to her that her childhood experiences have shaped her adult perceptions of the world and how she behaves. If the client was struggling with self-esteem or lack of confidence, Freud may say that she was feeling that way as an adult because as a child, her parents did not provide her with the nurturing she needed to feel secure and confident.

Behaviorist Personality Theory

Of all categories of personality theories, the behaviorist category may be among the most popular and well known in today's current use of theory, as well as the most supported by evidence. Some popular theorists in this category include John Watson, B.F. Skinner, and Albert Bandura. The central theme around the behaviorist personality theory is that one's behavior can be learned, and that responses to situations can be met with either reward or consequence, and that this can improve one's psychological state of mind. In other words, it's all about changing thoughts in order to change behavior.

When thinking about this theory, it's easy to remember the story of the dog and the bell. In his work, Ivan Pavlov trained a dog to salivate every time a bell rang. In order to do this, Pavlov reprogrammed the dog's behavior based on a reward system. When Pavlov would ring the bell, the dog would be given a treat, and eventually the dog would salivate with the sound of the bell even if a treat was not given.

Now let's look at an example of behaviorist personality theory in action:

As we know, the behaviorist personality theory states that one's behavior is often a learned response, or one's behavior can be changed based on changing his or her thoughts. The previous example of Pavlov's experiment with the dog is a classic example used to demonstrate the behaviorist personality theory.

But let's look at an additional situation. Think of a time when you were sad or depressed. If you went to a therapist that worked from the behaviorist personality theory perspective, the therapist might tell you that your behaviors are a result of your learned behavior, something you have done over and over. Therefore, a great way to resolve this type of issue is to change the pattern of reinforcement, resulting in changed behaviors. The clinician would help you identify new ways of behaving to help you feel better. This is, perhaps, among the most favorable personality theories in practice today.