Traditionally special attention was paid to studying the personality within social psychology, the versatility of this problem involved many scientists, and presently this issue remains topical. So far the theory of the personality who would suit all researchers and could give objective answers on all questions concerning structure of the personality and process of her formation is not found in social psychology.
Theories of the personality in social psychology
- There are different views on this problem, one of the first is the psychodynamic theory. Z. Freud denying free will was her founder, believing that any action can be explained with the sexual and aggressive interests of the person.
- Jung recognizing Freudian guesses about unconscious, formulated the analytical theory. According to it, personal development is influenced mainly by the congenital factors, archetypes received by the person from parents. According to Jung unconscious prevails in structure of the personality, and it is possible to open the world only by means of symbols of art, culture or dreams.
- The humanistic theory of the personality calls the main source of development – need for self-updating. According to this concept, the life purpose – realization of congenital potential, full knowledge of and the opportunities.
- Kelly altered the previous concept a little, having offered the cognitive theory which speaks about the egoistical interests of the person wishing to know only about the future and the past. And in this case a social environment is a development source.
- According to the behavioural theory the personality is a doctrine product, and psychological and genetic aspects do not play an essential role. And the environment acts as a source of development.
- The activity theory considers the personality as a conscious subject which carries out certain socially useful role.
- In terms of the dispozitsionalny theory the personality looks a complex combination of the genetic and social conditions serving as prerequisites of her development.
Social psychology of the personality in group
But not only the diversity of theories of the personality causes contradictions. The social psychology cannot solve a problem of a research of the personality in group in any way. Traditionally any community is opposed to the person that limits possibilities of the researcher. The group is not meant as community of persons therefore also you should not wait for objective assessment of interaction. If to consider a question in more detail, then need of interaction of persons in any group, but not opposition of an individual personality and group of individuals becomes clear. For this reason it is impossible to exclude a possibility of an integrated approach to consideration of a problem.