Psychoanalytic Approach:
· Definition: the theoretical view of personality, based on the writings of Sigmund Freud, which emphasizes the unconscious processes of the mind.
· Strengths: explanatory emphasis; description; explanation; prediction; control; comprehensive theory
· Weaknesses: construct validity and reliability; lack of predictions; not falsifiable;
Lack of interpretive rules or regulations
Phenomenological Approach:
· Definition: the theoretical view of personality that emphasizes experience, free will, and the meaning of life.
· Strengths: explanatory emphasis; control; subjective; seeks unique aspects of individuals; emphasizes the importance of self-actualization
· Weaknesses: construct validity and reliability; qualitative data is difficult to apply; investigates issues such as emotion and consciousness which are difficult to study objectively
Learning and Cognitive Approach:
· Definition: the theoretical view that focuses on how behavior changes as a function of rewards and punishments.
· Strengths: explanatory emphasis; prediction; reliable; effective; explains a great deal of phenomena using only a few simple principles
· Weaknesses: personal control; ignores important mental processes involved in learning; highly deterministic; questionable ecological validity
