Personality Theories Paper Assignment
Chapter 15
Select a movie (any movie BUT the Breakfast Club) and observe the personality of a character from film.
Prompt: How might the following theorists explain one of the character’s personality?
Directions:
- Choose ONE character from the film
- Give specific examples from the movie that back up the theory
o Suggestion: During the film you should make notes about your character including quotes that could
help support your analysis
- You are at liberty to make assumptions about your character’s profile to a certain extent. Your assumptions
should be appropriate with the theorist’s perspective
- Each theory application and analysis should include
o a description of the theory (all parts need to be included)
o how the theorist would explain your character’s personality
o quotes and examples from the movie that gives your analysis support
- Your notes from class, Myers and Barron’s are appropriate sources
Other requirements:
- Paper needs to be at least two pages double spaced.
- Paper should have 7 separate paragraphs
- Cover page should include movie title, Character’s name, your name, Class Period and Date
- Staple in upper left hand corner (no need to submit in a folder)
Using each of these theorists’ perspectives, explain your character’s personality. You do not have to talk about every aspect
of the perspective. Choose at least one aspect from each theory that works best with your character’s personality.
1. Skinner – Behaviorist Perspective
a. Impact of the environment
b. Reinforcement and/or Punishment
c. Law of Effect
2. Freud – Psychoanalysis
a. The Unconscious
b. Id, Ego, Superego
c. Defense Mechanisms
3. Bandura – Social – Cognitive Perspective
a. Reciprocal determinism
b. Self-efficacy
c. Modeling
4. Maslow, Rogers – Humanistic Perspective
a. Self-actualization
b. Free will (self-determinism)
c. Developing a self-concept
d. Unconditional Positive Regard
e. Empathy,genuineness
5. Eyesenck, Myers-Briggs – Trait Perspective
a. Traits / Characteristics
b. Use any of the following nomothetic
approaches
i. Eyesenck
ii. Cattell
iii. OCEAN
iv. Myers – Briggs
6. Sheldon – Biological Perspective
a. Somatotype theory
b. Temperaments
c. Genes