Free Custom «Biological and Humanistic Approaches to Personality» Essay Paper

Introduction

Personality is a model of relatively permanent traits and inherent qualities of the human mind and character resulting in consistent manners and behaviors of individuals. Humanistic, as well as biological approach, can be applied while assessing the personality of an individual. While the biological approach to personality has a deterministic nature, the humanistic approach helps recognize personality and improve the overall satisfaction of people with a focus on liberated will. However, for a time, many psychologists and researchers highly condemned the biological approach for its negativity and pessimism. Despite the fact that both humanistic and biological approaches are quite different by its features and nature, they are significant in assessing an individual’s personality.

1. In 1954, the famous American psychologist Abraham Maslow tried to synthesize numerous studies related to motivation of the human being, creating hierarchy of human needs. The model includes deficiency and growth needs. Minor needs should be satisfied first before moving to the next level. Once these needs have been satisfied, a person may detect other deficiencies in the future. In this case, people should act properly in order to remove them. According to Maslow (1954), deficiencies do not drive and motivate self-actualization as the highest level in human behavior since a person’s desire for growth and a need to do what individuals can do stimulate self-fulfillment.

People can achieve the growth needs in case if scarce needs are satisfied. The initial conceptualization offered by the psychologist comprised self-actualization as the only growth need. Self-actualized individuals can be characterized by their ability to deal with hard experiences, concerns regarding personal growth, problem-focused aspects, and permanent freshness of life appreciation.

Later, Abraham Maslow (1993) distinguished the growth needs of self-fulfillment, identifying each of them as an integral part of the overall level of self-actualization. The fundamental aspect mentioned by the psychologist is the following: as individuals become more self-transcendent, they become sensible and wiser (developing wisdom), and they automatically know what to do in various situations. The ultimate conclusion made by Maslow (2011) is that the highest level of self-fulfillment is transcendent by its nature. It is often described as the most important contribution to the studies of human motivation and behavior made by the psychologist.

2. According to Maslow (1954), such biological factors as heredity, environment, and individuality significantly affect the personality’s formation. The biological maturation influences the development of personality based on the biological guidelines. Ecological perspectives and dispositions based on the biological factors focus on the prospects of environmental development. The biological approach to personality is guided by collective actions, as well as mental, self-willed, obstinate, and emotional traits of individuals. Various traits including human consciousness make up human beings. A person can call these traits as personality traits or a gift of human character.

Inheritance of different traits is relevant to personality of an individual. Primarily, human beings inherit a propensity toward a certain structure and tendency to function in a definite way, which affects the individual development of personality. Regarding the environmental factor, the contact between children and mother for the biological fulfillment play a significant role in the personal growth. The intense feelings of love and care enhance a sense of human security and protection. The level of mother’s indulgence in feeding her children influences personality. Humanistic theories, in particular, the theory of hierarchy of needs represented by Abraham Maslow, describe one’s personality.

3. According to McLeod (2014), hierarchy of needs developed by the famous psychologist focuses on shelter and food as the main biological factors that should be met. The whole theory and psychological needs are often related to personal biological needs. According to the needs mentioned in the Maslow’s theory (McLeod, 2014), the biological component is the constituent element that includes such requirements as sex, thirst, and hunger. Once the human needs are satisfied and psychological factor is met, then the biological component ceases to be a driving force. These are the biological elements of needs presented in the Maslow’s work. Once the security and psychological demands are met, the belongingness and affection of individuals and society around them will appear. The realization of the esteem needs makes people more useful, adequate, and confident. The self-actualization as the highest human need in the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is directed toward the goal and meaning of life. The biological factor is closely related to the psychologist’s theory by these important components in the case of the theory’s needs.

4. Substantial association of the humanistic theory can be applied for individuals’ identification in the society. Humanism advocates the humanistic perspectives of the whole world. Certain circumstances and human needs can be offered by humanism. According to Glassman (2011), such forms of humanistic approaches as national, religious, racial, and gender’s identification in the world oppose the biological perspectives. The objective of meaning and behavior of meaning are described as the humanistic approach that can be contradictory and incompatible with the biological perspective. In addition, focusing on the personal growth rather than pathology in the humanistic approach is also incompatible with various biological factors.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that biological and humanistic approaches to assessment of personality are conflicting in some cases, they deserve a thorough understanding. From the psychological studies, neither humanistic approach nor biological approach is better, since both approaches substantially explain the assessment of personality bringing understanding to why certain areas call for significant efforts and others come easily in people’s lives.