Six Major Tenants of Personality Theory
Karissa Stuart
Liberty University

Abstract
This paper will review the six major tenants of personality theory. The first discussed are the foundations of psychology, which are: nature versus nurture, the unconscious, and view of self. Each of these foundations are important to the development of a psychologically healthy person. Nature versus nurture is a long time debated concept within psychology that argues whether a person’s behaviors are derived from genetics and what are derived from the things we learn. The unconscious is a part of the mind that humans are unaware of, but it is responsible for dreams, sexual desires, and even aggression. The view of self is important because it …show more content…

Self-concept is important because the beliefs or feelings a person develops about themselves decide how they will handle any given situation. The self is also described by Freud as the ego. Many times self-concept is thought to only pertain to self-esteem. While having a high self-esteem is important, self-concept goes above just the reason of self-esteem. Self-esteem is based largely on feelings and input from outside sources, whereas self-concept is derived from our own thoughts and opinions from within. An individual’s self-concept is important to their psychological health because when a person has a healthy self-concept they are positive, confident, and self-assured. Different theorists have created many ideas on the self. The article listed below delves into Bandura’s view of self, known as self-efficacy. The article “Do People’s View of Self Matter?” Says:
“In his social cognitive theory, Bandura (1986, 1989) defined perceptions of self-efficacy as “people’s judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances” (Bandura, 1986, p. 391). Theoretically, efficacy self-views influence the choices people make, the effort they expend, how long they persevere in the face of challenge, and the degree of anxiety or confidence they bring to the task at hand. Although these perceptions do not alter people’s capabilities, they help determine what