Any person experiences growth of different aspects of personality during various points of time. In fact, it is the day to day good and bad experiences that shape the personality of an individual. There are different theories of growth of personality of an individual. In this assignment, I will take up the case of well-known figure Oprah Winfrey. Based on different theories of personality, I will study the factors which contributed to the growth of personality of Oprah Winfrey.
Experts have worked on the science of personality development. They have presented the various theories of growth of a personality. The term personality is the product of learned behavior. (Bergland)This means that many traits are inborn and many others are learned. Certain traits are learned through interaction with individuals in the society. A very important factor in shaping personality of an individual is social interaction. After all, man is a social animal.
Photo of Oprah Winfrey at her 50th birthday party ...
English: Oprah Winfrey at the White House for the ...
Winfrey as Sofia in The Color Purple.Important theories of personality are trait theory (Allport), psychoanalytic theory (Freud), humanistic theory (Maslow) and social learning theory (Bandura). Trait theory refers to characteristics of a personality. Other theories explain the underlying principle of behavioral pattern found in an individual. Psychoanalytic theory analyses contradiction between selfish instinct of an individual and his imbibed human values and ideals. Humanistic theory gives importance to healthy concept of self in a personality (Lehey). Social learning theory believes that development of personality of an individual is the result of social interaction.
As it is known to many of us, Oprah Winfrey is an individual who is a very successful black American. She has produced numerous talk shows organized for American audience. Even though she had a tough time with her mother until the age of 14, when she was sent to live with her father, Oprah Winfrey?s life changed. Her father was...