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Personality Theories, 7th Edition
The Seventh Edition of Personality Theories continues its sound tradition of providing accurate and thorough coverage via an easily accessible text enhanced by pedagogical features and a focus on critical thinking. Personality Theories is designed both to explain the major personality theories and to stimulate critical thinking about them. Each chapter focuses on one theory or group of theories and provides brief biographies that shed light on how the theories were formed. Engler also provides criteria for evaluating each theory and cites current research pertaining to that theory, in addition to integrating multicultural and gender-related issues throughout the text.
552 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 8, 2021
The analysis and examination of overt behavior has raised some very interesting and intriguing questions concerning the structure of the human personality.
Building on the theoretical foundation laid by Sigmund Freud and his concept of psychoanalysis, behavioral and learning theorists have concentrated their research on empirical observations and scientifically verifiable data in order to better test and evaluate their ideas. Even with the limitations imposed by strict, controlled, laboratory experiments, behavioral theorists reached some surprisingly diverse conclusions about the nature of personality.
Psychoanalytic Learning Theory
Developed by John Dollard and Neal Miller, psychoanalytic learning theory combined empirical lab experimentation with Freudian psychoanalysis (pg 193). Dollard and Miller theorized that human personality is composed of an intricate and interconnected structure of learned associations between a given stimulus and a person’s response to that stimulus.
Radical Behaviorism
In contrast to the ideas of Miller and Dollard, B.F. Skinner discounted Freud’s concepts and postulated that all human behaviors can be accounted for by learning theory principles (pg 203). Skinner disliked the term “personality” altogether. He felt that efforts to rationalize and explain a person’s behavior based on the abstract concepts of internal underpinnings, such as an id or an ego, were absurd and of no real value in empirical analysis. Skinner proposed that an individual’s behavior could be completely and entirely explained based on the forces in the surrounding environment (pg 205). His methodology represents learning theory and behaviorism in its purest form. Skinner’s ideas came to be known as “radical behaviorism” because of their complete omission of psychoanalytic philosophy and its associated abstract concepts (pg 193).
Reciprocal Determinism
Skinner’s extreme expression of Dollard and Miller’s behavioral theory “led to the development of an alternative approach to learning and behavior which, while emphasizing situational factors, also reintroduces covert factors such as cognition” (pg 218). Two of the key theorists who developed and promoted these new ideas were Albert Bandura and Julian Rotter. Bandura and Rotter sought to overcome some of the shortcomings of Skinner’s radical behaviorism by incorporating cognitive and social dynamics into the overall structure of personality (pg 223).
Bandura introduced an interactive view of personality structure and behavioral determinants which he called “reciprocal determinism.” He believed that the individual, the individual’s behavior, and the individual’s environment all influence and affect each other (pg 225). In essence, Bandura’s theory realigned Skinner’s concepts with the more Freudian views of Dollard and Miller.
In contrast to Bandura’s notion of the reciprocal nature of personality development, Julian Rotter’s research and empirical observations led him to conclude that human behavior was generally motivated by more specific variables (pg 242). Although Rotter also based his principles of behavioral development on the ideas set forth by Skinner, his position represents a very different approach to traditional learning theory. Rotter expanded the theoretical realm of cognitive social learning while still maintaining Skinner’s strict emphasis on controlled and detailed methodology (pg 250).
What We’ve Learned
While the learning and behavioral theories outlined by Dollard, Miller, and Skinner are all able to account for learned habits and simplistic human behaviors, they fail to account for the cognitive elements of man’s interaction with his environment.
Bandura and Rotter sought to build on behaviorist foundations by introducing internal thought processes into their respective behavior and learning theories.
Neither ‘radical behaviorism’ nor ‘cognitive learning theory’ promote philosophical introspection or abstract reasoning. They do, however, provide a basis for the concrete and empirical study of human personality and its developmental processes.
Building on the theoretical foundation laid by Sigmund Freud and his concept of psychoanalysis, behavioral and learning theorists have concentrated their research on empirical observations and scientifically verifiable data in order to better test and evaluate their ideas. Even with the limitations imposed by strict, controlled, laboratory experiments, behavioral theorists reached some surprisingly diverse conclusions about the nature of personality.
Psychoanalytic Learning Theory
Developed by John Dollard and Neal Miller, psychoanalytic learning theory combined empirical lab experimentation with Freudian psychoanalysis (pg 193). Dollard and Miller theorized that human personality is composed of an intricate and interconnected structure of learned associations between a given stimulus and a person’s response to that stimulus.
Radical Behaviorism
In contrast to the ideas of Miller and Dollard, B.F. Skinner discounted Freud’s concepts and postulated that all human behaviors can be accounted for by learning theory principles (pg 203). Skinner disliked the term “personality” altogether. He felt that efforts to rationalize and explain a person’s behavior based on the abstract concepts of internal underpinnings, such as an id or an ego, were absurd and of no real value in empirical analysis. Skinner proposed that an individual’s behavior could be completely and entirely explained based on the forces in the surrounding environment (pg 205). His methodology represents learning theory and behaviorism in its purest form. Skinner’s ideas came to be known as “radical behaviorism” because of their complete omission of psychoanalytic philosophy and its associated abstract concepts (pg 193).
Reciprocal Determinism
Skinner’s extreme expression of Dollard and Miller’s behavioral theory “led to the development of an alternative approach to learning and behavior which, while emphasizing situational factors, also reintroduces covert factors such as cognition” (pg 218). Two of the key theorists who developed and promoted these new ideas were Albert Bandura and Julian Rotter. Bandura and Rotter sought to overcome some of the shortcomings of Skinner’s radical behaviorism by incorporating cognitive and social dynamics into the overall structure of personality (pg 223).
Bandura introduced an interactive view of personality structure and behavioral determinants which he called “reciprocal determinism.” He believed that the individual, the individual’s behavior, and the individual’s environment all influence and affect each other (pg 225). In essence, Bandura’s theory realigned Skinner’s concepts with the more Freudian views of Dollard and Miller.
In contrast to Bandura’s notion of the reciprocal nature of personality development, Julian Rotter’s research and empirical observations led him to conclude that human behavior was generally motivated by more specific variables (pg 242). Although Rotter also based his principles of behavioral development on the ideas set forth by Skinner, his position represents a very different approach to traditional learning theory. Rotter expanded the theoretical realm of cognitive social learning while still maintaining Skinner’s strict emphasis on controlled and detailed methodology (pg 250).
What We’ve Learned
While the learning and behavioral theories outlined by Dollard, Miller, and Skinner are all able to account for learned habits and simplistic human behaviors, they fail to account for the cognitive elements of man’s interaction with his environment.
Bandura and Rotter sought to build on behaviorist foundations by introducing internal thought processes into their respective behavior and learning theories.
Neither ‘radical behaviorism’ nor ‘cognitive learning theory’ promote philosophical introspection or abstract reasoning. They do, however, provide a basis for the concrete and empirical study of human personality and its developmental processes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2023
DFed. A lot of new information in this textbook though. Incredibly packed and modern!
August 22, 2014
The bottom line: A solid reference and broad overview of the major personality theories.
Personality Theories is a resourceful textbook that details all the chief theories of human personality and psychological development. The book begins by explaining the science and philosophy behind theory development and provides the reader an objective scale by which to gauge all subsequent models. Engler then devotes one chapter each to ... http://www.chesadaphal.com/personalit...
Personality Theories is a resourceful textbook that details all the chief theories of human personality and psychological development. The book begins by explaining the science and philosophy behind theory development and provides the reader an objective scale by which to gauge all subsequent models. Engler then devotes one chapter each to ... http://www.chesadaphal.com/personalit...
January 26, 2008
actually have 4th edition
July 14, 2014
Thorough with lots of great bolded terms and definitions.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews