comparative theory paper
select two theorists and write a paper comparing/contrasting the following:
How the theory discusses the development of one’s personality throughout childhood
How the theory discusses the development and/or stability of one’s personality throughout adulthood and older age
How the theory accounts for one’s overall behavior and demeanor – why do we do the things we do?
How personality is objectively measured within the scope of the theory
Any other critical tenets of the theories
You must select the two theorists from different categories (i.e. choosing Erikson and Bandura) and cannot use two theorists from the same category (i.e. Freud and Adler). Each paper should include:
An overview of both theories, answering the above questions (3-4 pages total)
An analysis of the similarities and differences of each theories (2-3 pages)
Your opinion on which of the two theories is the most accurate representation of the human personality, and why (1-2 pages)
The length of your paper will vary depending on the theories you choose and the literature available to you for these theories but should be a minimum of 6 pages. You must use AT LEAST four peer-reviewed journal articles (two per theory) to receive full credit, and cannot complete this paper using solely the textbook; you may utilize the textbook to supplement your responses, but should not be using the book to complete the bulk of your paper.
Standard APA formatting is expected. Your paper should have a 12pt font, be double spaced, include a title page and reference page (that does not count towards the minimum 6 pages), and be grammatically correct.
Psychodynamic Theories
Freud – Psychoanalysis
Adler – Individual Psychology
Jung – Analytical Psychology
Klein – Object Relations Theory
Horney – Psychoanalytic Social Theory
Erikson – Post-Freudian Theory
Humanistic/Existential Theories
Fromm – Humanistic Psychoanalysis
Maslow – Holistic-Dynamic Theory
Rogers – Person-Centered Theory
May – Existential Psychology
Dispositional Theories
Allport – Psychology of the Individual
McCrae & Costa’s Five-Factor Trait Theory
Biological/Evolutionary Theories
Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory
Buss – Evolutionary Theory of Personality
Learning-Cognitive Theories
Skinner – Behavioral Analysis
Bandura – Social-Cognitive Theory
Rotter & Mischel – Cognitive Social Learning Theory
Kelly – Psychology of Personal Constructs
