Humanistic and biological approaches to human personality

Personality Approaches

Biological Humanistic Approaches

HUMAN PERSONALITY

Humanistic and Biological Approaches of Human Personality

Basic Aspects of Humanistic Theory Incompatible with Biological Explanations of Personality

The purpose of writing this essay is to analyze the two approaches of personality; humanistic approach and biological approach. These two approaches are opposite to each other; since humanistic approach allows free will and gives an optimistic view of personality while the biological approach is deterministic. Due to being pessimistic in nature, biological approach is often criticized and considered incompatible with the basic aspects of humanistic theory.

Humanistic Approach

Humanistic approach of personality does not accept the determinism and the Freudian Theory of unconscious forces. It emphasizes on the person's own perception of the world, his basic goodness and his free will to make decisions for his fulfilling his needs. According to this approach, feelings of self acceptance, spirituality and personal responsibility are the key factors that bring differences in the personality.

Biological Approach

In contrast to this, the biological approach of personality declares that biologically humans are very complex and their brains, genes and hormones play a central role in the development of their personality. Therefore the personality development is initially ruled by the biological maturation of the person. Researchers believing in biological approach claim that environmental factors do not play a significant role in the development of the personality, except in few critical conditions.

Biological Factors influencing the formation of personality

The formation of personality is influenced by two biological factors; heredity and environment. It has been found out by the researchers that personality is the product of these two factors; that is why the psychological characteristics of genetically similar twins show similarities.

Heredity

Genetics, which is the science of heredity, contributes about the details of the impact of the heredity on the humans and ultimately to their personality. Baller and Charles (1961) gave some statements about how the behvaiour of personality is inherited due to some characters. They stated that we inherit "a tendency toward a certain structure" and "a tendency to function in certain ways."

Tendency towards a Structure

This type of tendency can be inherited toward a certain structure and include following behaviors:

Gain a particular body weight.

Have a particular body shape; for instance body skeletal structure, length of limbs and proportion of muscle and other fats tissues.

Be a particular sex

Have a certain physical appearance; eye color and shape, hair color and texture, ear, nose and face shape.

Have a certain internal structure; size of body organs, physically active ability etc.

Tendency to Function

Response: Slow or quick, functioning of nervous system

Operation of body systems: Circulatory, respiratory, digestive system

Efficiency of sensors: vision, small, hearing, touch

Physical growth

Relationship of Biological Factors to Maslow's Theory of Personality

Abraham Maslow is one the famous humanistic psychologists and is considered as the father of Humanistic psychology. He did not oppose psychoanalysis and behaviorism like other psychologist but added these concepts in a wider structure (Maslow, 1971).

Maslow considered humans as growing organisms that are complete and healthy; therefore he was against to study only a limited portion of humans. According to Maslow, humans never reach at a state where they don't have a need. Keeping in mind this, he proposed a hierarchy of needs which start from the basic needs also called 'meta needs' to physiological and other high level needs. When a person achieves one level, he moves on to the next level of needs. The needs keep increasing in the direction of hunger, love, affection, trust, security, self-esteem, self-actualization, deficiency needs and so on.

Maslow pointed out that humans have many physiological, psychological and growth needs. Therefore it is very important to satisfy basic needs before person can move forward to personality development and enhancing the potential. He further claimed that every person has some essential biologically inherited and unique inner structure which cannot be changed.

The basic needs of person for his life, love, belongingness and self-esteem are natural. These make up the inner structure of person which is very delicate. Suppressing this inner structure makes a person sick while encouraging these needs allow the person to grow and stay happy (Maslow, 1968). This inner structure cannot be invented but can be scientifically discovered.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Growth Needs Influence Personality Formation

Maslow's theory of personality is his famous work in which he has pointed out the hierarchy of needs which play an important role in the development of human's personality. As stated above, Maslow was the great humanistic psychologist who emphasized on the capability of the human to improve personal growth.

Maslow stated different types of needs; physiological, affection, esteem and self-actualization. He divided this hierarchy into basic deficiency as well as growth needs. He was of the view that if needs will be satisfied than the person will not become selfish; in fact he will grow and prosper. On contrary, if his basic needs are not satisfied, he will keep struggling for achieving his 'deficiency needs' and will not be able to reach at the self-actualization level, which is a growth need and can only be met until the deficiency needs are met.

The growth needs identified by Maslow include need for affection and love, knowledge, understanding and self-actualization. The self-actualization need is actually a need to enhance the potential and improve the personality but humans cannot reach at this level until their other needs are satisfied. They move forward step by first fulfilling their basic needs and then move towards the higher level. Needs at the lower level have less power to motivate to persons to grow compare to the needs at the top level. The personality of a person keep improving and developing if his basic needs are satisfied and growth needs also met. His growth needs keep changing and he will keep moving forward but if his basic needs are not satisfied, his personality will be badly affected.