“Amongst, the personality theories discussed in Chapter two, I have chosen to compare and contrast the Humanistic theory versus the Traits theory.
Humanistic theory is quite simple; it is based on the belief of basic goodness of man and respect of humankind. It solely focuses on the present rather than dwell on the past and predict the future. It is based on the reality that people must take full responsibility for their actions and themselves. The humanistic theory targets self-improvement and self-knowledge with a goal of achieving personal growth and understanding. As stated in the Developmental Psychology Student Net letter:”The focus of the humanistic perspective is on the self, which translates into "YOU", and "your" perception of "your" experiences. This view argues that you are free to choose your own behavior, rather than reacting to environmental stimuli and reinforces. Issues dealing with self-esteem, self-fulfillment, and needs are paramount. The major focus is to facilitate personal development. “
What are traits? According to Webster’s dictionary a trait can be defined as a distinguishing characteristic, quality or feature. The traits theory is geared towards the personality of humankind. It is based on the assumption that people are born with characteristics and traits that are inherited. In essence leaders are born not made. For example some people are born with leadership traits and genes, if anyone could find the right combination of those traits they too could become successful leaders. The traits theory places a high level of emphasis on the personality characteristic that people exhibit for example introvert or extrovert.
When comparing the Humanistic theory to the Trait theory we realize that they are in accordance that one’s personality is partially established by the choices that one makes. However, they each have a completely different approach to personality.
The humanistic theory of personality views each individual as unique but also, states that an individual’s personality can be influenced by their surroundings, and has direct impact on the type of person one is able to become. While the Trait theory believes that all personalities’ characteristics are derived of one basic group of traits and individual personalities.
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