Rogers sees people as basically good or healthy -- or at very least, not bad or ill. In other words, he sees mental health as the normal progression of life, and he sees mental illness, criminality, and other human problems, as distortions of that natural tendency. Rogers" theory is a relatively simple one. The entire theory is built on a single "force of life" he calls the actualizing tendency (Personality, 2001). It can be defined as the built-in motivation present in every life form to develop its potentials to the fullest extent possible. Rogers believes that all creatures strive to make the very best of their existence. If they fail to do so, it is .
not for a lack of desire. Rogers believes that the reason we want air and water and food, why we seek safety, love, and a sense of competence, and why we seek to discover new medicines, invent new power sources, or create new works of art is because it is in our nature as living things to do the very best we can.
Abraham Maslow's theory on personality development centers around the idea that individuals have certain needs that must be met in an hierarchical fashion, from lowest to highest (Humanistic, 2001). For example, if you are hungry and thirsty, you will tend to try to take care of the thirst first. You can do without food for weeks, but you can only do without water for a couple of days. Thirst is a "stronger" need than hunger. .
Maslow's Hierarchy Triangle is as follows:.
(Humanistic, 2001).
Maslow also observed that almost all of his psychologically healthy patients reported a high preference for solitude (Burger, 2000). Researchers find that people differ in the extent to which they prefer solitude. People with a high preference for solitude enjoy their time alone but also enjoy time spent with others.
Biological Perspective.
The Biological perspective examines personality development in terms of issues related to the brain and nervous system, as well as hormones and genes.