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Personality Overview

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Personality Overview
Lindsey Schupska
PSY/405
Barry Brooks
September 17, 2012

Personality Overview Over time there have been many theories of personality developed. Each theory has its strengths and weaknesses, along with different ideas and concepts. Some of the different concepts that are related to these different theories are basic underlying assumptions, whether it is deterministic versus free will, and the awareness of self. Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler are two of the theorists who constructed theories of personality. Analyzing the strengths and limitations of each of these men’s theories, along with whether the theory is deterministic or free will and what level of awareness of self consists in each theory will give a better understanding of where these theories came from.
Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud was one of the most influential theorists and the founder of the psychoanalytical theory of personality. Freud believed that the mind was broken into two different parts, the conscious, and the unconscious. The unconscious mind consists of thoughts that are unknown and desires that motivate an individual's behaviors. The conscious mind consists of the thoughts, feelings, and urges that an individual is aware of. According to McLeod (2007) Freud’s theory of personality consisted of three different components, which are the id, ego, and the superego. Freud believed that all three of these components came together to make up an individual’s personality. The id is the first component of Freud’s theory. According to Cherry (2012) “The id is believed to be the only component that is present from birth, and it is entirely unconscious and includes the instinctive and primitive behaviors” (para. 2). Freud also believes that the id is the primary component of a person’s personality because it is the source of all psychic energy. The id is

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