1. Theories of Personality

2. Warm-Up Activity
In your own words, define theory. Are you familiar with any theories of personality development?

3. Essential Questions
What are some key ideas associated with Freud’s theory of personality development?
What are Erikson’s eight stages of personality development?
What is Maslow’s theory of self-actualization?

4. Theories of personality
What is a theory?
An organized set of ideas used to explain something
Three important theories of personality were proposed by:
Sigmund Freud
Erik Erikson
Abraham Maslow

5. Freud An Austrian physician interested in mental illness (late 1800’s)
He concluded that each individual’s personality is made up of three parts: Id
Ego
Superego

6. Freud Id
Consists of biological urges such as hunger and thirst
Ego
Is the thoughtful, decision-making part of the personality
Example: if the id urges you to eat, the ego would help you find food
Superego
Is the part of the personality that judges right and wrong, or what you might refer to as your conscious
Example: the superego would direct you not to steal the food that your id urges you to eat

7. Freud Conscious thoughts are those thoughts of which a person is aware
Unconscious thoughts are those of which a person is not aware
Example: a forgotten childhood event
Freud believed that adult personalities are shaped mainly by early childhood experiences and conflicts
He believed these memories are stored in the unconscious

8. Freud
Freud believed that by undergoing psychoanalysis, a treatment technique that brings memories into the conscious mind, the inner conflicts can be resolved

9. Erikson
Erikson devised an eight-stage theory of personality development
He believes that an individual’s personality continues to be influenced by experiences beyond childhood
According to Erikson, people continue to develop socially and psychologically up until their death
Look at Figure 2-5 on page 29…

10. Maslow
Believed that everyone has a basic drive to achieve his or her fullest potential
Maslow used the term self-actualization to describe the process by which each person strives to be all that he or she can be

11. Maslow Personality traits of self-actualized people: Realistic
Accepting
Independent, self-sufficient
Appreciative of life
Concerned about humankind
Capable of loving others
Fair, unprejudiced
Creative
Hardworking
Not afraid to be different

12. Maslow Maslow found that few people ever reach their full potential
Maslow suggested that before people could achieve self-actualization, their basic needs had to be met
Maslow put these needs in an ascending order, called the hierarchy of needs
At the base of the hierarchy is what Maslow considered to be a person’s most urgent needs: physical needs of the body
Getting enough sleep, exercising, and satisfying hunger and thirst

14. Chapter 2 Lesson 2 Review
Answer questions 1 thru 5 on the bottom of page 32