Theories of Personality
The etymology of the word psychology says that it comes from two Latin words: “psyche” that means soul, or mind, and “logus” that means study. Combining these two terms, psychology is generally defined as “the study of the human soul or mind.” On a more medical approach, MedicineNet.com defines psychology as “the study of the mind and mental processes, especially in relation to behavior.” Meanwhile, Rod Plotnik of San Diego State University offers another definition of psychology in his book Introduction to Psychology. He says that “psychology is the systematic, scientific study of behaviors and mental processes.” Basically, all these are what psychology is all about.
When talking about personality, there are a lot of theories and remarkable individuals who have particularly devoted their time studying this area of psychology. Some of these include the famous names Charcot, Freud, Janet, McDougall, and Stern, who are a number of early personality theorists. Personality, as defined in the book Psychology by Saul Kassin, is the study that “seeks to describe individuals, the ways in which they are similar to one another, and the ways in which each is unique.”
There are several books you can find in bookstores that talk about revealing your true personality. These books present several diverse ways of how to do this. But which exactly is true among all these things they tell you to do?
Knowing and understanding personality has proven to help in intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. It is also helpful in different industries and sectors. Like in advertising, marketing experts categorize their consumers so that their advertisements will appeal to particular segments of the market. In the Federal Bureau of Investigation, psychologists are hired to probe what the terrorists and serial killers have in mind. Personality sketches are also used by novelists and writers to create and develop the characters they make.
There are various theories of personality. And for every person, there is surely at least one theory that fits himself or herself.