Psychology of Personality: Analysis of Two High School Teachers

Psychology of Personality: Analysis of Two High School Teachers

The individuals that will be used for this analysis include two of my former high school teachers: Mr. Gonsalvez (mathematics teacher) and Ms. Alvarez (art teacher). Mr. Gonsalvez is a middle-aged man who I would describe as a serious and disciplined person. Although he was polite and courteous at all times, he was also very demanding in terms of his expectations. Students were always required to behave in an orderly manner by following all classroom rules and procedures. Ms. Alvarez was a woman in her mid to late thirties. She conducted her class in a happy-go-lucky manner and liked to see students having fun with their art projects. Her emphasis on creativity and self-expression created a classroom atmosphere that was relaxed and free. Thus, I would say that I selected these two teachers because they represent polar opposites of each other in terms of their teaching style and approach to classroom management. Yet, they were also both relatively effective teachers in their respective subject areas. With these two teachers in mind, the following report provides a comparative personality analysis according to three leading theories: i) Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development, ii) Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, and iii) the Five-Factor Theory of Personality. 

Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development and the Identity versus Role Confusion Stage

Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development describes personality development in eight stages across the entire lifespan. According to Erikson, each stage involves a so-called normative crisis which, if resolved properly, results in a sense of competence, or what can be described as strength in ego identity – i.e., the "conscious sense of being" that develops through social interaction (Tatala, 2009, p. 191). Of special interest in Erickson's' model is the fifth stage of adolescence and identity formation. Between the ages of 12 and 18, all teens experience a normative crisis whereby the development of a sense of self and personal identity takes center stage. Teens who resolve the crisis successfully will emerge from the fifth stage with greater ego strength – more accurately, a sense of independence and control. Those who do not resolve the normative crisis successfully will, however, emerge from this stage with a weakened ego identity characterized by feelings of insecurity and role confusion (Tatala, 2009, p. 191). Erikson's fifth stage of psychosocial (personality) development, thereby, represents the most vital prelude to adult behavioral patterns. 

Evidence of Mr. Gonsalvez’ Successful Resolution of the Identity versus Role Confusion Normative Crisis

In applying the fifth stage of Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development, Mr. Gonsalvez seems to have resolved this stage quite successfully. Fundamentally, that is, Mr. Gonsalvez appears to enjoy a strong ego identity. As a teacher, he was always sure of himself and confident in his personal and professional conduct and presentation. When Mr. Gonsalvez delivered mathematics lectures and lessons, for example, he demonstrated calmness, precision in his words, and always came across as pleasantly assured of himself in his interactions with students. He also regularly related many aspects of mathematics to real-life situations in ways that revealed his maturity and wisdom as an adult who fit into society and the world around him - the telltale sign of ego identity strength which Erikson calls fidelity (Tatala, 2009, p. 190). Mr. Gonsalvez can, therefore, be summarily described as a person who received the reassurance and validation of identity he needed during his teenage years. 

Evidence of Ms. Alvarezs’ Unsuccessful Resolution of the Identity versus Role Confusion Normative Crisis

Unlike Mr. Gonsalvez, Ms. Alvarez does not appear to have resolved Erikson’s fifth stage normative crisis successfully. Perhaps most notably, Ms. Alvarez was probably experiencing an identity crisis right in front of her students. As a woman in her mid to late thirties, she dressed more like a teenage girl than a woman of her own generation. In fact, she liked to wear short skirts, provocative tops, and she was almost always festooned with gaudy jewelry and odoriferous perfumes. She was also flirtatious with some of the young males in the class, laughing and joking about things like popular music, MTV, and television shows for teens. Ms. Alvarez also seemed to exhibit signs of weakened ego in the sense that she was a frustrated artist of some type. She often talked about escaping to Greece or some other exotic place that she dreamed about for her future. Overall, Ms. Alvarez, in contrast to Mr. Gonsalvez, is best described as someone who exuded inadequately resolved ego identity - i.e., feelings of insecurity and role confusion (Tatala, 2009, p. 191).

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

According to Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory, personality development is intimately related to the motivation to fulfill basic needs. Maslow's theory identifies a pyramid of five types of needs: physiological, safety, love and belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. Most critically, personality development is a matter of needs satisfaction and graduation from one level to the next. At the most basic level of needs, a person requires physiological sustenance and comfort for survival, i.e., food, water, rest, and shelter (Koltko-Rivera, 2006, p. 310). It is difficult or impossible, however, for a person to experience the proper motivation to pursue higher-order needs like safety and love/ belongingness until lower order needs have been met. Ultimately, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs model (pyramid) provides a framework for explaining and describing a progressive development of personality according to the most fundamental of motivations from raw survival and basic safety of self to friendship, family, sexual intimacy, self-esteem, morality, and advanced creativity (Koltko-Rivera, 2006, p. 310). 

Personality Similarities of Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

Across the first three levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it would appear that Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez have some things in common. Both teachers were obviously able to hold a job such that they provided themselves with physiological and safety needs. Even further, Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez oftentimes talked about their lives in ways that revealed a sense of security and appreciation for their family, friends, and property. Mr. Gonsalvez, for instance, always talked about working in the yard on Saturday mornings with his wife and children. He also loved to describe his garden and plants, his swimming pool, and the fancy barbecues he and his family held on the weekends. Similarly, Ms. Alvarez also liked to talk about her personal life in terms of topics related to friends and home. She frequently mentioned how she enjoyed Internet dating and visitations from her old schoolmates, for instance. And she even had a party at her house on several occasions with some students from the school. In a manner consistent with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, it can be concluded, therefore, that both Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez were motivated by a desire for steady employment, family and friends, personal health care, safe neighborhoods, shelter from the environment, and even more, a sense of love and belongingness (Koltko-Rivera, 2006, p. 310). 

Personality Dissimilarities of Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

As for the last two levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez appear to have a number of motivational and personality dissimilarities. At the order of esteem needs, for example, Mr. Gonsalvez seemed to consistently display high self-esteem and confidence in his achievements. He always knew exactly what he was talking about in terms of mathematics topics and lessons. And what is more, when he interacted with students he was able to demonstrate higher orders of empathy and tolerance - two characteristics of Maslow’s highest motivational/personality level known as the self-actualized individual (Koltko-Rivera, 2006, p. 310). Ms. Gonsalvez, by contrast, seemed to demonstrate a lack of self-esteem and confidence. If a student questioned her instructions or project requirements, for instance, Ms. Alvarez would almost invariably yield to the objections or complaints of the student. She consistently allowed homework assignments to be turned in after the designated due dates which served as a sign that she was not sure enough of her own policies to enforce them. And even further, Ms. Alvarez often seemed at odds with the idea that she was supposed to be the leader in the classroom. She was deferent to the point, in fact, of seeming like she wanted the students to run the classroom for her. In tying it all together, the reasonable conclusion can be drawn that Mr. Gonsalvez was a mature man to the Maslowian order of self-actualization while Ms. Alvarez was still trying to develop esteem. 

The Five-Factor Theory

The Five-Factor Theory of Personality explains personality development as a function of five specific traits, including openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (McCrae & Costa, n.d, p. 164). Openness refers to a person who is open to a variety of experiences and has an insightful perspective toward life. Conscientiousness refers to a person who is organized and mindful of his/her environment in a way that shows initiative to behave thoughtfully. Extraversion refers to a sociable person who is emotionally expressive and energized by social interactions. Agreeableness refers to a trusting person who has a preference of getting along with others as the way to be. Finally, neuroticism refers to a person who is the polar opposite of the aforementioned dimensions - i.e., moody, anxious, guilt-ridden, and resistant to change (Nevid, 2009, p. 491). The five-factor theory is, thereby, used to describe personality as a composite of the five aforementioned traits according to the varying degrees of presentation, or lack, thereof. 

Personality Similarities of Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez according to the Five-Factor Theory

In applying the five-factor theory, Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez share the traits of openness, extraversion, and agreeableness. Mr. Gonsalvez was always open to new experiences. His personality trait, in this respect, was demonstrated by his love of traveling to new places with his family and learning new things. During one summer, for instance, he took his wife and children to the exotic island of Bali. Ms. Alvarez also liked to experience youthful things like roller-skating and even massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Both teachers were also very obviously extraverts as they almost always behaved in upbeat and demonstrative ways, though in their own unique and special manner. Finally, with respect to agreeableness, Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez always showed a desire to work with others in order to promote harmony and accord in the classroom. All in all, it can be said that both teachers consistently demonstrated the personality traits of openness, extraversion, and agreeableness. 

Personality Dissimilarities of Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez according to the Five-Factor Theory

In terms of conscientiousness and neuroticism, Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez can be characterized as noticeably opposite. For starters, Mr. Gonsalvez was persnickety and highly concerned about maintaining an orderly classroom environment that was conducive to learning. Ms. Alvarez, on the other hand, was a bit lax in her classroom management style as she preferred a loosely ordered classroom with art and learning materials scattered about indiscriminately while, at the same time, due dates for assignments and other learning requirements were not always specified or clear. As for the trait of neuroticism, Mr. Gonsalvez was a stable and consistent man in his behavior and mood. Ms. Alvarez, to the contrary, exhibited the traits of a neurotic personality - namely, mood swings, anxiety, and insecurity (Nevid, 2009, p. 491). Thus, the personality traits of conscientiousness and neuroticism quite evidently distinguished the two teachers from each other.

Summary

In the final comment, personality theories like Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, and the Five-Factor Theory of Personality offer very distinct frameworks and approaches for explaining personality development. Despite the fundamental theoretical differences, however, the application of all three theories has proven to be non-contradictory in providing insights into the personality similarities and differences of Mr. Gonsalvez and Ms. Alvarez. Perhaps even more importantly, the current academic exercise has given me the opportunity to reflect upon the utility and value of personality theories. Each of the three theories provides a unique and valid alternative for assessing and evaluating my own personality in terms of both areas of strength (opportunities to build upon) and weakness (opportunities to improve upon). 

References

Koltko-Rivera, M.E. (2006). Rediscovering the later version of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Self-transcendence and opportunities for theory, research, and unification. Review of General Psychology 10(4) 302-317. DOI: 10.103711089-2680.10.302

McCrae, R.R. & Costa, P.T. Jr. (n.d.). The Five-Factor Theory of Personality - Chapter 5 in Theoretical Perspectives, 159-181. Available from <https://syllabus.byu.edu/uploads/FoAbwzFVg-oc.pdf.

Nevid, J.S. (2009). Psychology Concepts and Applications, third edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Tatala, M. (2009, Dec). The role of personal adjustment to developmental crises in improving quality of life. International Journal of Psychology and Counseling 1(10) 187-193. Available from <http://www.academicjournals.org/ijpc/pdf/pdf2009/dec/tatala.pdf.