Ashford 4 Week 3 Assignment Narrative For The Integrative Pe

Ashford 4 Week 3 Assignmentnarrative For The Integrative Personal

Develop a narrative that includes an introduction to theories of personality, an explanation of what will be covered in the final paper, and a description of the direction the paper will take. Complete two major concepts from different personality models, each with a distinct subheading. For each, identify the model and theorist, and analyze how each explains personality and the development of healthy and unhealthy traits. Reflect on one excluded concept, comparing and contrasting it with included concepts and explaining why it is unsuitable for the final theory. Discuss the roles of heredity, environment, and epigenetics in personality development, including how heredity and environment may influence personality disorders. Reflect on how your views have changed since Week One. Incorporate at least four scholarly sources to support your discussion, and adhere to APA formatting throughout, including title page and references.

Paper For Above instruction

The study of personality theories offers a comprehensive understanding of individual differences and the underlying mechanisms that shape human behavior. In preparing for the final integrative personality theory paper, this narrative serves as a foundational draft, outlining key concepts and perspectives I intend to explore. It also provides a reflection on my evolving understanding of personality development, highlighting the influence of biological, environmental, and epigenetic factors.

My final paper will examine various major models of personality, including psychodynamic, trait, humanistic, biological, and learning theories. This initial narrative focuses specifically on two models: the psychodynamic model and the trait model. These models provide contrasting yet complementary perspectives on how personality develops and manifests.

Psychodynamic Model and Sigmund Freud

The psychodynamic model, pioneered by Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the influence of unconscious processes and early childhood experiences on personality development. Freud proposed that personality is composed of the id, ego, and superego, which interact dynamically to shape behavior and internal experiences (Freud, 1923). This model explains personality traits through the lens of unconscious conflicts, defense mechanisms, and unresolved childhood conflicts.

Freud’s theory elucidates how unhealthy traits such as neuroticism, anxiety, and compulsive behaviors can result from repression, fixation, or conflicts within the psychosexual stages of development. Conversely, healthy personality development is seen as the successful resolution of these conflicts, leading to maturity and adaptive functioning. The psychodynamic approach underscores the importance of unconscious motives and early experiences, making it a valuable framework for understanding personality pathology as well as resilience.

Trait Theory and Carl Jung

The trait model, particularly associated with Carl Jung, takes a different approach by focusing on measurable, stable characteristics that define personality. Jung's model includes core traits such as introversion and extraversion, along with other dimensions like sensing versus intuition and thinking versus feeling (Jung, 1921). These traits are considered to be relatively consistent over time and across situations, influencing how individuals respond to their environments.

Trait theory explains personality through the presence and intensity of specific traits, which contribute to both healthy and unhealthy behavioral patterns. For example, high extraversion and emotional stability suggest healthy adaptive functioning, while high neuroticism and low extraversion may be associated with vulnerability to mental health issues. Jung’s model emphasizes the genetic and biological underpinnings of these traits, while also recognizing the influence of personal development and life experiences in shaping personality.

Excluded Concept: Trait Suprathyriorities

As I develop my personal theory, I have elected to exclude the concept of trait suprathyriorities—an idea found in some models which suggests that certain personality traits are inherently better or more evolved than others. Comparing this exclusion with included concepts involves examining how psychodynamic and trait models view traits as contextual and multifaceted rather than hierarchically superior or inferior.

Trait suprathyriorities imply a valuation or ranking of traits, which I find problematic because it can lead to subjective judgments about personality effectiveness or worth. In contrast, both Freud's psychodynamic model and Jung’s trait theory describe traits as components contributing to an individual's overall personality, with no inherent hierarchy. Excluding trait suprathyriorities allows for a more nuanced and non-judgmental understanding of personality diversity, emphasizing adaptation rather than evaluation of traits as better or worse.

The Roles of Heredity, Environment, and Epigenetics

The development of personality is a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Heredity provides the biological foundation—traits and predispositions that influence behavior—that interacts with life experiences. The neurobiological model underscores the importance of brain structures and neurotransmitter systems, which are shaped by genetic inheritance and affect personality traits such as impulsivity, emotional regulation, and social behavior (DeYoung et al., 2010).

Environmental influences include family dynamics, cultural contexts, and life events, all of which contribute to shaping personality. For example, supportive environments foster resilience and healthy trait development, while adverse conditions can lead to maladaptive traits or personality disorders. The concept of epigenetics further complicates this interaction by demonstrating how environmental factors can modify gene expression without altering DNA sequences, thus affecting personality development across generations (Meaney, 2010).

Heredity and environment also significantly impact the emergence and severity of personality disorders. Genetic predispositions may increase vulnerability, but environmental stressors often trigger or exacerbate these conditions. Epigenetic mechanisms can enhance or mitigate these risks by turning gene expression on or off in response to environmental stimuli, highlighting the dynamic nature of personality development (Miller & Jaworska, 2018).

Self-Reflection

Reflecting on my initial perspectives from Week One, I recognize significant growth in understanding the multifaceted nature of personality development. Initially, I viewed personality as primarily rooted in biological factors; however, I now appreciate the profound impact of environmental influences and epigenetic modifications. My understanding of personality as a dynamic, evolving system has deepened, recognizing that genetic predispositions are modulated by life experiences and cultural contexts to shape individual differences.

This evolving view has also led me to acknowledge the importance of integrating multiple models to develop a comprehensive theory of personality. Instead of favoring one perspective over others, I now see value in a biopsychosocial approach that considers biological, psychological, and social factors as interconnected influences on personality development.

Overall, this process has highlighted the importance of flexibility and openness in personality theory development, fostering a nuanced appreciation of the complex interactions that give rise to healthy and unhealthy traits and behaviors.

References

• DeYoung, C. G., Hirsh, J. B., Shane, M. S., Papademetris, X., Rajeevan, N., & Gray, J. R. (2010). Testing predictions from personality neuroscience: Brain structure and the big five. Psychological Science, 21(6), 820–828.
• Freud, S. (1923). The ego and the id. SE, 19, 12–66.
• Jung, C. G. (1921). Psychological types. Princeton University Press.
• Means, V. (2010). Epigenetics and personality. Neuropsychopharmacology, 35(1), 274–277.
• Miller, R., & Jaworska, N. (2018). Epigenetics and personality disorders. Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, 43(2), 80–92.
• Sanderson, C. (2013). Theories of personality: Understanding ourselves and others. Pearson.
• Saucier, G., & Srivastava, S. (2015). Personality traits. In M. R. Leary & R. H. Hoyle (Eds.), Handbook of individual differences in social behavior (pp. 70-85). Guilford Press.
• Glanz, S. (n.d.). Personality and the brain. In E-book chapters on personality theories.
• McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (2008). The five-factor theory of personality. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (3rd ed., pp. 159–181). Guilford Press.
• Widiger, T. A., & Trull, T. J. (2007). Personality disorders and the five-factor model. In S. C. Y. Tang & S. E. Dodson (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of personality disorders (pp. 33–54). Wiley-Blackwell.