Personality Theories 2: Psychoanalytic and Humanistic Approaches

Abstract

Whereas the approaches discussed in the last chapter have their origins in the academy, the two I will be considering here have their roots firmly in the practice of psychotherapy. Trait and biological theories came out of the psychometric tradition, while the cognitive social learning theories were developed in the experimental tradition. On the other hand, psychoanalytic and humanistic theories come from and are still clearly located in the clinical tradition. As we have seen, cognitive social learning theories are related to the practice of cognitive-behavioural therapy. But proponents of these theories cling to a pure/applied distinction, in which the therapy is seen as an application of the pure science. Even so, I have argued that there is a good case that can be made for this traffic to be seen as mainly in the other direction: that the theory’s main support comes from the so-called application. But cognitive-behavioural therapists also differ from both psychoanalysts and humanistic psychotherapists in that their focus is on specific cognitions and behaviours (Beck, 1976).