PERSONALITY THEORY PAPER

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Personality Theory Paper
PSYCH-504
Stephanie H!phries
"ar#h 1$% &014
'r( An)ela *illia!s
PERSONALITY THEORY PAPER
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Personality Theory
This Personality Theory paper +ill ,e +ritten on The -lin. Si.e( This !o/ie +as ,ase. on a tre li0e
story o0 Sean Tohy an. Lei)h Anne( It ,e)ins +ith a Ca#asian 0a!ily +ho ta1es this ho!eless A0ri#an
A!eri#an teena)er +hose na!e is "i#hael% ,t #alle. 2-i) "i1e(3 *hile "i#hael4s !o! li/e. in a .r)
in0este. pro5e#ts% he ne/er 1ne+ +ho his 0ather +as( "i#hael ha. /ery little to no e.#ation an. /ery li!ite.
s1ills to help hi! )et ahea. in so#iety( A0ter +at#hin) this ho!eless yon) !an% Leann .e#i.es he +ill #o!e
an. li/e +ith the! an. help pro/i.e hi! the opportnity to s##ess0l( -e#ase o0 "i#hael4s si6e% his e7presse.
in interest% in 0oot,all so Lei)h !a.e e/ery e00ort to ensre that .rea! ,e#a!e the reality 0or hi! e/en )i/in)
the #oa#h so!e pointers on the ,est +ay to tili6e "i#hael4s s1ills% an. no+ a !e!,er o0 the 0a!ily thro)h
a.option% he no+ ha. so!e+here to #all ho!e( -e#ase his )ra.es +ere not the ,est% Lei)h an. her hs,an.
hire. a ttor to assist +ith his )ra.es allo+in) hi! to "i#hael 8ali0yin) 0or an NCAA 'i/ision I s#holarship
0or athleti# an. he +as a 0irst ron. pi#1 0or -alti!ore Ra/ens in the &009 .ra0t(
At the a)e o0 se/enteen% "i#hael Oher% +ho +as /ery lar)e% an ne.#ate. ,la#1 yoth )ro+in) p in
the pro5e#ts +as no lon)er in the .r) in/este. en/iron!ent +ith his !other( "i#hael a #hil. in the +el0are
syste! +as pla#e. in 0oster #are #onstantly rnnin) a+ay an. sleepin) +here e/er he #ol. ,e#ase o0 his
#ir#!stan#es an. en/iron!ent( Coa#h Cotton 1ne+ he +ol. ,e a /ale to the tea! 5st on his si6e alone an.
!o/es( Altho)h 8ite% "i#hael ha. a #hil.li1e personality an. en5oye. s!all #hil.ren% they +ere a0rai.
,e#ase o0 his si6e% ,t not S(:(% +ho +as the !aster !in. o0 )ettin) the /i.eos ot to 0oot,all s#ots( "i#hael
+as a##epte. into the pri/ate *in)ate Christian S#hool #ontrary to his (0; )ra.e point a/era)e( Li1e !any
#hil.ren to.ay% tea#hers 0elt "i#hael #ol. not ,e ta)ht% tho)h his s#ien#e tea#her( "rs( -os+ell ,elie/e. in
hi! an. n.erstan.in) he ha. a .i00erent +ay to learn(
"i#hael4s ne+ 0a!ily% not only are they Ca#asian ,t Rep,li#an% a s##ess0l ,siness o+ner% +i0e%
!other% t+o a.oles#ent #hil.ren Collin% an. S(:(% #rrently atten.in) *in)ate( On a #ol. rainy ni)ht% "i#hael
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+as pi#1e. p a0ter the )a!e an. in/ite. to stay at their ho!e( That one ni)ht #han)e. 0or the Tohy 0a!ily
an. "i#hael% it +as the ,e)innin) o0 the a..ition to the Oher 0a!ily( Lei)h )eninely #are. a,ot "i#hael an.
reali6e. that he ha. potential an. that he 5st nee.e. an opportnity in li0e an. also as a h!an ,ein)( "i#hael4s
en/iron!ent hante. hi! +ith lo+ )ra.es% lo+ sel0-estee! an. ,arre. hi! 0ro! parti#ipatin) in a0ter s#hool
a#ti/ities% his #ripplin) learnin) .isa,ility a00e#te. hi! thro)hot his a.oles#en#e years #asin) the str))le in
later years(
Personalities Theorists or Theories
Col!n A sho+s ho+ "i#hael Oher !entality is asso#iate. +ith psy#ho.yna!i# theory( "i#hael
.ealin) +ith se/eral isses )ro+in) p on the Eastsi.e o0 "e!phis% li0t the +ei)ht o0 .epression% n+orthiness
an. nlo/e.( Altho)h% he +as in a #ons#ios state )oin) thro)h the ne)ati/e an. .o!inatin) the ne)ati/e
e/ents he e7perien#e. in the n#ons#ios territory o0 his !in.( The tra!a an. ,attle 0on. +ithin his
n#ons#ios !in. =Cer/one > Per/in% &011?( Interestin)ly eno)h +hen people re!o/e the!sel/es 0ro!
sitations that are pain0l% they !st 0in. a pla#e +ithin that ,rin)s the! pea#e in the !i.st o0 +hat4s )oin) on
aron. the!( "i#hael share. he +as a,le to es#ape the pro5e#t ,e#ase his ,iolo)i#al !other +ol. say to hi!%
+hen I .o ,a. thin)s #lose yor eyes% so that staye. +ith hi!% an. to open the! a0ter the ,a. thin)s +ere o/er(
-e#ase his eyes #onstantly staye. #lose% he +as a,le to es#ape all o0 the ne)ati/ity that srron.e. his li0e(
Col! - represents the pro#ess "i#hael share. +ith ,ein) asso#iate. +ith the here.ity an. en/iron!ent
#on#ept o0 Cantell( -e#ase his en/iron!ent +as nsta,le% )oin) 0ro! one 0oster ho!e to another sin) the
positi/e s1ills to o/er#o!e the ne)ati/e en/iron!ent that pla)e. his #hil.hoo.( He #on.itione. his !in. to
n.erstan. in or.er 0or hi! to #han)e his en/iron!ent it ha. to #han)e +ithin hi! 0irst ,y lettin) )o o0 the
o,sta#les that trie. to 1eep hi! .o+n( Personality is the !a1e-p o0 in.i/i.als@ it .oesn4t +ai/er or #han)e
o/er-ni)ht .e to the #on.itions that srron. s% its part o0 +ho +e are as in.i/i.als =Cer/one > Per/in%
&011?(
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Col!n C represents "aslo+4s hierar#hy 0or "i#hael4s 0eatres 0o#se. on the ,iolo)i#al an.
psy#holo)i#al nee.s( His satis0a#tion nee.s 0or 0oo. an. +ater +ol. ha/e ne/er allo+e. hi! to sr/i/e i0 ha.
he ha. not 0lly .e/elope. the satis0a#tion nee.s o0 others( Anless in.i/i.als n.erstan. an. #on8er the
"aslo+4s lo+est le/el o0 nee.s( 'e0i#ien#y nee.s are .ri/en ,y the a,sen#e o0 so!ethin) at a lo+er le/el@
satis0a#tion #o!es +hen the pre/ios nee.s are !eetin)( The i!!e.iate nee.s o0 "i#hael nee.e. to ,e !eet
prior to hi! ,e#o!in) part o0 his en/iron!ent so% the ne+ 0a!ily )a/e "i#hael 5st that% lo/e% pea#e o0 !in.%
shelter% #lothin) an. 0oo.% there0ore% ,y pro/i.in) the ,asi# nee.s there +as hope =Cer/one > Per/in% &011?(
Theoretical Approach
"aslo+4s hierar#hy in.i#ates in.i/i.als are na,le to !o/e to the ne7t le/el ntil the lo+er le/el has
,een #o!plete.( Sel0-a#tali6ation is rarely !eet% yet% not i!possi,le( "aslo+4s theoreti#al approa#h +as the
one 0or "i#hael% o0ten +hen in.i/i.als ha/e ,een pro/i.e. +ith an a,n.an#e o0 ne#essities +e ,e#o!e
#o!pla#ent in or sitation( I0 "i#hael4s nee. as a #hil. ,een !et% his str))le #ol. ha/e ,een .i00erent@ he
+ol. ha/e learne. )oo. an. ,a. #opin) s1ills( "i#hael4s a.oles#ent years a00e#te. his so#ial ,eha/ior na,le
to e00e#ti/ely #o!!ni#ate% e.#ation opportnities an. .i00i#lty openin) p or a.5stin) to +hite r,an
li0estyle an. +ay o0 li/in)( He +as pro0on.ly a!a6e. to 1no+ ho+ easy 0inan#es #ol. !a1e a person4s
li0estyle( Bortnately% his !other4s a..i#tion .i. not i!pa#t his nerolo)i#al syste!(
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Con#lsion
The i!pa#t an. e00e#t o0 "aslo+4s Hierar#hy Theory e7plains ho+ a person4s per0or!an#e an.
#hara#teristi#s #an ,e interprete. .epen.in) on a theoreti#al approa#h( An.erstan.in) ho+ a person4s
so#ial% #ltral an. ,iolo)i#al en/iron!ent #an a00e#t an. in0len#e an in.i/i.al4s ,eha/ior(
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Re0eren#es
Cer/one% '(% > Per/in% L( A( =&010?( Personality Resear#h an. Therapy( 19C;D &4D91-94
Ho,o1en% N:D :ohn
"o/ieD The -lin. Si.e