Lourd Sydnel P.

Roque
12-PLC00112

Comparative Analysis of the Theories of

Personality:
Hans Eysenck, Ludwig Binswanger and Julian
Rotter
I. Theories
A. Hans Eysenck
Eysencks theory of personality is Biological Typology, wherein he postulates
that the personality is based on the individuals neurobiological structure. In
this sense, traits can be found in the structure of the brain and ones neural
responses. He believed that types of individuals, unlike Allport, do not fit
exactly into a category, but instead can be placed among dimensions
ranging from extreme extroversion to extreme introversion. Eysenck used
factor analysis in determining his theory and to measure his experiments.
Eysenck definition of personality was stable and enduring organization of
character, temperament, intellect, and physique. The organization or
structure of an individuals personality (most important to least) is as
follows: Types/Super Traits, Trait Level, Habitual Responses, and Specific
Response Level.
His three factors of personality or dimensions of temperament are:
Extraversion (Extroversion-Introversion) which he adapted from Jung, the
degree or level of excitation and inhibition of the brain to either produce an
outgoing and interactive individual or a reserved and introspective
personality; Neuroticism (Stability-Instability), the degree of emotional
instability (calm to anxious), which he associates with the limbic system; and
Psychoticism, the degree of aggression and interpersonal hostility (solitary to
hostility), he also believes it to be highly genetic.
With the use of the polarities of Neuroticism (N) and Extraversion (E) he
compared them to the four personality types of Hippocrates.

High N and high E: Choleric Type (Touchy, restless, aggressive,

excitable, changeable, impusive, optimistic, and active)
High N and low E: Melacholic Type (Moody, anxious, rigid, sober,
pessimistic, reserved, unsociable, and quiet)
Low N and high E: Sanguine Type (Sociable, outgoing, talkative,
responsive, easygoing, lively, carefree, and leadership)

Low N and Low E: Phlegmatic Type (Passive, careful, thoughtful,

peaceful, controlled, reliable, even-tempered, and calm)

He also attributed psychoticism, schizophrenia and genius to come from

divergent thinking or thinking in unusual and non-traditional ways.

B. Ludwig Binswanger
Binswanger theory of personality is called Existential Psychology, like Freuds
Psychoanalysis, it is a school of thought and was propagated by many
others. Existential Psychology found its roots from Phenomenology and
Existentialism, both of which are philosophical studies, the former about
view and nature of phenomena and the latter about the view and nature of
existence.
Binswanger believed that personality was determined by freedom of choice
rather than genetics. He was also optimistic about human existence, unlike
Freud, and that man grows as a person by achieving an authentic life and
finding sound values. Change is normal and that man is needs to be future
oriented in order to have fulfillment. Present affects the future and helps
build behavior.
He suggested three modes of existence: the Umwelt, the world around, or
the non-personal, these are the biological drives, needs, and instincts, as
well as the physical world around a person; the Mitwelt, with the world,
means the relationships with others and with the world, the meaning others
design into the social world; and Eignewelt, own world, personal world, this
is mans relationship with himself. To be a healthy person, balance between
the three worlds must be obtained and to exclude one would make one
fragmented. Daisen was what he called human existence, literally meaning,
being there. Daisen is achieved with the three modes. Authenticity in life
must be found. To live authentically means to be aware of yourself, of your
circumstances (thrownness), of your social world (fallenness), of your duty to
create yourself (understanding), of the inevitability of anxiety, of guilt, and
of death. It means further to accept these things in an act of self-affirmation.
It means involvement, compassion, and commitment.
Existential Psychology focuses on a persons existence and how they live
their lives. The past is not something that they should focus or dwell in and
that man always has to transcend themselves.

C.Julian Rotter
Rotters theory is the Social Learning Theory, also known as the Expectancy
Reinforcement Value Model. By doing so he purposefully moved away from
the psychoanalysis and drive-based behaviorism, wherein personality is
formed by a persons needs and psychosexual drives. His theory represented
personality as an individuals interaction with his or her environment, and
that they are a relatively stable set of potential for responding to situations

in a particular way. The main idea in Julian Rotter's social learning theory is
that personality represents an interaction of the individual with his or her
environment. One cannot speak of a personality, internal to the individual
that is independent of the environment. Neither can one focus on behavior
as being an automatic response to an objective set of environmental stimuli.
Rather, to understand behavior, one must take both the individual (i.e., his
or her life history of learning and experiences) and the environment (i.e.,
those stimuli that the person is aware of and responding to) into account.
Rotter sees personality and behavior as changeable. Change either the way
a person thinks or the environment and behavior will change. He believed
that an individuals personality is not set after a period, but rather due to the
buildup of beliefs and experiences, effort and intervention required to
change is greater than when the individual was younger. He believes that
people are naturally optimistic and goal-oriented.
He posited that there are Six Psychological Needs: Recognition Status (Need
to excel), Dominance (need to control), Independence (need to rely on ones
self), Protection Dependence (need for protection), Live and Affection (need
to be liked, cared and accepted), and Physical Comfort (need to experience
pleasure, with comfort and security).
The four main components of Rotters social learning theory:
1. Reinforcement Value, refers to an individuals degree or order of
preference of the outcome of our behavior, importance we attach or
desirability of activities, it is subjective and depends on a persons life
experience.
2. Expectancy, refers to the subjective probability that a given behavior will
lead to a particular outcome, or reinforcer, belief in the likelihood that the
behavior will lead to the outcome? Expectancies are formed based on
past experience. The more often a behavior has led to reinforcement in
the past, the stronger the person's expectancy that the behavior will
achieve that outcome now.
3. Behavior Potential, is the likelihood of engaging in a particular behavior in
a specific situation. In other words, what is the probability that the person
will exhibit a particular behavior in a situation? In any given situation,
there are multiple behaviors one can engage in. For each possible
behavior, there is a behavior potential. The individual will exhibit
whichever behavior has the highest potential.
Predictive Formula. Behavior Potential (BP), Expectancy (E) and
Reinforcement Value (RV) can be combined into a predictive formula
for behavior:
BP = f(E & RV)
4. Psychological Situation. Although the psychological situation does not
figure directly into Rotter's formula for predicting behavior, Rotter
believes it is always important to keep in mind that different people
interpret the same situation differently. Again, it is people's subjective

interpretation of the environment, rather than an objective array of

stimuli, that is meaningful to them and that determines how they behave.
Rotter also formulated the Locus of control which refers to people's very
general, cross-situational beliefs about what determines whether or not they
get reinforced in life. People can be classified along a continuum from very
internal to very external.
People with a strong internal locus of control believe that the responsibility
for whether or not they get reinforced ultimately lies with themselves.
Internals believe that success or failure is due to their own efforts. In
contrast, externals believe that the reinforcers in life are controlled by luck,
chance, or powerful others. Therefore, they see little impact of their own
efforts on the amount of reinforcement they receive.

II.

Analysis
Eysencks theory of personality weighs heavily on physical attributes in the
brain and in the physique. On the other hand, Biswanger and Rotter attributed
most of personality not from genetics but due to environmental factors, the
former believing in freedom of choice within the environment, while the latter
through interaction with the environment.
Eysencks theory was highly scientific, using statistical data and
experimentation to postulate it. Rotters was done using experimentation but
not as intensive as Eysencks, while, Biswangers was highly philosophical.
Eysenck believed that people are average and not generally unique; while
Biswanger and Rotters view on man is that they are optimistic and goaloriented.
Their theories, after these similarities have varied differences seen in the earlier
pages.