3 Approaches To The Study Of Personality

Everyone knows what personality is, but no one can explain it in words. This is one of the main problems in the study of personality. Each author has their own scientific definition of the concept. Despite this, personality is known to be a construction that consists of certain behavioral characteristics.

What is the problem with the study of personality?

The study of personality has encountered many methodological problems. One of them is that there are no tools that can measure it.

In this article, we discuss the different approaches or models that have been adopted in the personality study. The three most important approaches are property theory, situationism and interactionism.

Property theory

This theory believes that a person is a fundamentally active and defining factor for their behavior. The most important characteristics it studies are the subject’s personal variables. Therefore, this theory emphasizes each person’s personality traits.

This theory states that the person’s personality will always be the same in different situations. Therefore, if we can identify and isolate certain characteristics, we can predict a person’s future behavior. This theory is the basis of many personality tests, such as the Five Factor Model (FFM) .

This theory is somewhat old and unrealistic. Even for the untrained eye, it is clear that people change their behavior, depending on each situation. For example, we do not behave in the same way with our family as we do when we are with friends.

In addition, it is really a complicated matter to try to categorize a subject’s personality by analyzing only a few stable factors. The data taken from personality tests show the person’s self-concept, more than their true personality.

Situationism

Situationism says that people are passive and react to certain situations. Situational variables are thus those that influence a person’s behavior. This approach does not assess a person’s characteristics, but is based on the assumption that all behavior is learned.

Although this theory is more realistic, it is also incorrect because it does not consider personal variables, although it is obvious that a person’s attitude influences their behavior. If this were not true, all people would behave in the same way in the same situations.

Interactionism in the study of personality

This approach tries to combine the previous ones. It believes that behavior is determined by the interplay between different internal dispositions and situational factors. This theory states that personality is a product of the person’s interaction with their context.

This approach states that a person is an active subject who observes and constructs his world through his own perception and behavior. Thus, the interplay between personality variables and situational factors is what makes them preoccupied in one way or another.

The problem with that is that it is difficult to study or explore. Despite this, it is definitely an interesting approach to the study of personality.