Juan Paolo R. Alberto
PSY3A
Theories of Personality
Sullivan’s Interpersonal Theory Reflection Paper
Tension is seen as potential for action, it has two types; needs and anxiety.
Needs results in productive actions as opposed to anxiety which leads to nonproductive behaviours. From infancy we already develop needs, which is from a
biological imbalance both inside and outside of the organism. Tenderness is the
most important basic need because it is concerned with the well-being of the person.
For an infant it is very important to satisfy this need from the primary caretaker.
Anxiety, on the other hand, calls forth no consistent actions to relive this. Tension is
disruptive and does not allow the person to grow and learn from their experiences
and mistakes. Actions for needs is positive because we as people want to satisfy
those need in order to survive and create a happy lifestyle whereas in anxiety is
negative because it only brings about a hindrance to growth and makes the person
look back instead of forward and thus blocks the satisfaction of needs.
Tensions that are transformed into actions covertly or overtly are called
energy transformations. These are behaviours that satisfy our needs and reduce
anxiety. Examples of such behaviours are thoughts or emotions which evolve into
dynamisms. Dynamisms are distinctive traits or patterns that characterize a person
throughout a lifetime. It has two major classes; those related to specific parts of the
body and those related to tensions. And the second has three categories; the
disjunctive, the isolating and the conjunctive. Malevolence is disjunctive and is the
dynamism of evil and hatred. This can manifest if during 2-3 years old the child is
ignored or punished. Intimacy can grow from tenderness but involves two people
with a close interpersonal relationship. On the other hand, lust; an isolating
dynamism requires the only the single individual for satisfaction. It is an obsession
with the desire to do sexual activity towards the person but not acting upon it. The
self-system is a consistent pattern of behaviour that protects the person from
anxiety. It gives a favourable change in personality.
Juan Paolo R. Alberto
PSY3A
Theories of Personality
Erikson’s Post−Freudian Theory Reflection Paper
Erikson extends Freud’s theory of developmental stages into old age. Erikson
suggested that each stage in life has a psychosocial struggle which contributes to
the formation of personality. Erikson said that our ego is a positive force that creates
a self-identity, a sense of "I". During childhood the ego is weak but during
adolescence it should gain strength. Erikson also emphasized the ego to come from
a cultural environment with social and historical factors to be aware of.