Psychodynamic Categories Of Personality Theories Essay

Personality Theories There is an array of theories under the psychodynamic category of personality theories. Many theorists contributed to these, and all have his or her own outlook on how personality develops within individuals. Each theory’s main assumptions will be covered, as well as comparing the source of behavior in regards to free will and the conscious or unconscious state of mind. As Smith (2007) describes, there are three ways in which an individual will resolve anxiety with others: moving toward people, moving away from people, or moving against people. The use of these three is not limited to just one, but a healthy and stable individual will use all of these strategies depending on the specific situation, and use them in a positive context. A person with neurosis, on the other hand, is not able to interchange these strategies, and therefore uses a strategy in its negative context (Smith, 2007). In…show more content…
Both remain similar in that social and environmental experiences are the main factors of personality development, and not as much on biological factors like Freud suggested. Psychoanalytic social theory focuses on childhood experiences, while interpersonal theory focuses on developmental stages throughout a lifetime. There is an essence of free will that resides behind both theories, and personal behavior can be changed and modified through self realization and understanding.

References
Feist, J., & Feist, G.J. (2009). Theories of Personality (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Smith, W. (2007). Karen Horney and Psychotherapy in the 21st Century. Clinical Social Work Journal, 35(1), 57-66. doi:10.1007/s10615-006-0060-6.
SULLIVAN’S THEORY OF PERSONALITY. (2006). In Elsevier’s Dictionary of Psychological Theories. Retrieved from