The Behavioral theory considers that personality results from an individual's interaction with their environment. Psychologists can identify and connect incidents and behavior to predict how a person's personality is shaped. These interactions might include lessons learned from parents or teachers, movies or other media forms, and traumatic life experiences. The relationships one has and all the things that someone has observed are excellent examples of ways that may contribute to how one behaves. According to behaviorism, these types of conditioning shape all of our later decisions and, eventually, our personalities.
Psychologists have categorized behaviorism into two different processes, classical conditioning and operant conditioning (Braat and others, 2020). Classical conditioning involves learning an association between two stimulus events that you can't control, whereas operant conditioning involves learning an association between your voluntary behavior and consequences.
An example of classical conditioning would be a kid fearing the doctor's office because the child received a shot the last time they were at the doctor. Understanding this learning process in my personal development has led to a better knowledge of how specific fears and anxieties can be acknowledged and put at ease.
There are four ways to discourage or encourage any behavior in operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. A type of positive reinforcement would be receiving a raise for performing well after the spring quarter. Negative reinforcement would be a significant other repeatedly asking to clean out the fridge. Eventually, they will stop asking to clean out the refrigerator once the task is complete. To prevent a behavior, someone can add positive or negative punishment. An example of positive punishment would be receiving a speeding ticket in a school zone. You add the fine to decrease the behavior of speeding. Negative punishment is whenever you remove something to decrease the behavior. An example would be to take away someone's driving license for a year when they get a DWI or DUI. You decrease the behavior of driving while intoxicated by removing the license.
After studying Behavioral theory, it seems we can change our personalities and improve our behaviors. It becomes effortless to observe daily habits there rewards or punishments. When studying the daily rewards and punishments, one can find details about why they do something or why they do not do something. In this way, observable behavior can be scientifically measured.
The Humanistic Theory is an optimistic approach to human development and nature. For a person to grow, they need an environment that provides them with acceptance and empathy. Carl Rodgers proposed a concept called Self-Concept, a set of perceptions and beliefs about themselves (Rodgers, 1957). Self-concept is influenced by our childhood and the way society perceives us. It is our analysis of what we think we consist of, and it is broken down into three components, Self-worth, Self-image, and Ideal-self. Self-worth is what we are worthy of as people and what we deserve in life, and it is a factor in the treatment one receives as a child from their parents. Self-image is how we look at ourselves as human beings as a part of society. Carl Rogers emphasizes self-concept, psychological growth, free will, and inherent goodness.
Abraham Maslow defined behavior as motivated by a hierarchy of needs and striving for self-actualization (Maslow, 1943). He developed the hierarchy of needs which can be illustrated as a pyramid form. All of our needs are built on each other. At the base of the pyramid is our physiological needs which we must fulfill first. Once met, our need for safety is next, then love, self-esteem, and self-actualization, the top of the pyramid, can be achieved. Self-actualization is extremely rare. Maslow considered only one percent of the entire population will ever reach self-actualization.
After studying these concepts, one can understand that being genuine in relationships (being true to who we are) with others and acceptance from others allow us to be our authentic self instead of an ideal self that people rarely become. Our environment shapes much of our personality and who we are. We have a will, but it has to operate within the limitations of our environmental influences. To create a lasting change, we must start from the outside.
Hernández, Timothy Alexander, 1242, Tuesday, March 8th, 2022, Strings, Apartment
References
Braat, M., Engelen, J., van Gemert, T., & Verhaegh, S. (2020). The rise and fall of behaviorism: The narrative and the numbers. History of Psychology, 23(3), 252–280. https://doi.org/10.1037/hop0000146
Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21(2), 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045357
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96.
