1. Behavioral approaches to personality.

a. Radical behaviorism – B.F. Skinner; classical and operant conditioning

b. The social-cognitive approach – emphasis on the role of the situation; reciprocal determinism; locus of control; learned helplessness

c. Assessing behavior in situations

d. Evaluating the social-cognitive perspective

2. The humanistic perspective.

a. Abraham Maslow – the hierarchy of needs and self-actualization

b. Carl Rogers -- the person-centered perspective; genuineness, acceptance (unconditional positive regard), and empathy; the self-concept.
 

CONCLUSION: Each perspective can teach us something.

• The psychoanalytic perspective draws our attention to the unconscious and irrational aspects of human existence.
• The trait perspective systematically describes and classifies important personality components.
• The behavioral perspective teaches us that we are creatures of learning and we always act in the context of situations that we also help create.
• The humanistic perspective reminds us of the importance of our sense of self and of our potential for self- actualization.