There are many theories about how personality develops. These are based on different schools of thought in psychology. Some major perspectives on personality are:
• Type theories are the early views on personality. They argued that there are a few “personality types” which are related to biological influences.
• Trait theories considered personality as theresult of internal characteristics that are genetically based.
• Psychodynamic theories of personality are heavily influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud, and emphasize the influence of the unconscious on personality. Psychodynamic theories include Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual stage theory and Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development.
• Behavioural theories suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the environment. Behavioural theorists study observable and measurable behaviours, rejecting theories that take internal thoughts and feelings into account. The best known Behavioural theorists are B. F. Skinner and John B. Watson.
• Humanist theories emphasize the importance of free will and individual experience in developing a personality. Humanist theorists include Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
We mentioned the above theories as brief background. Interested students can refer to elementary psychological texts for more details.