Review the literature, identify and synthesise relevant information, critically analyse it, and present your conclusions via an Initial Response including specific references to all resources used

Assignment Brief

Freud and Eysenck

• Compare and contrast the personality theories of Freud and Eysenck.
• Which one do you believe represents the development of personality, and why?

APA style, 500 words, 15 references (EU resources)

Sample Answer

Freud and Eysenck: A Comparative Analysis of Personality Theories

Personality psychology aims to understand the patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour that define individuals. Two major contributors to this field are Sigmund Freud and Hans Eysenck, who offered very different perspectives on personality development. Freud approached personality through psychoanalysis, rooted in unconscious drives, while Eysenck proposed a more empirical, biologically based theory grounded in psychometrics. This essay compares and contrasts their theories and presents a reasoned view of which better explains the development of personality.

Freud’s theory of personality (Freud, 1923/1961) is based on the structure of the id, ego, and superego. He proposed that human behaviour is driven by unconscious motivations, primarily sexual and aggressive instincts. Personality develops through psychosexual stages, oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital. Fixations at any stage due to unresolved conflicts, he argued, shape adult personality and neuroses (McLeod, 2019).

In contrast, Hans Eysenck’s theory is more scientific and trait-based. Eysenck (1947) argued that personality is biologically determined and measurable along three dimensions: extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/stability, and later, psychoticism. He relied heavily on factor analysis, a statistical method that reduced personality traits into broad dimensions (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1975). Eysenck believed that these traits were underpinned by genetic and physiological factors, such as levels of cortical arousal.

A key difference between the two theories lies in their methodology. Freud’s ideas were mostly derived from case studies and introspection, making them difficult to test or falsify (Popper, 1959). Eysenck, on the other hand, used statistical techniques and large-scale surveys, making his theory more scientifically acceptable in contemporary psychology (Stelmack & Stalikas, 1991).

Despite this, Freud’s theory remains influential. His emphasis on the unconscious and early childhood experiences provided the foundation for modern psychotherapy (Bateman & Fonagy, 2012). Freud’s work is particularly useful in clinical settings where emotional conflict and trauma need exploration (Fonagy et al., 2002). However, critics argue that his model is culturally biased, male-centred, and lacks empirical support (Sulloway, 1992).

Eysenck’s model is highly regarded in personality research. His dimensions are still used today in psychometric assessments like the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). His theory’s biological basis links personality to brain activity, offering explanatory power supported by neuroimaging and twin studies (Johnson et al., 2008). Nevertheless, critics argue his model is overly reductionist, ignoring the influence of environment and unconscious processes (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011).

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