2 configuration of interacting genes, dfen and his colleagues suggest that ny complex psychological traits, in- iing the strikingly similar idiosyn- sies of identical twins, may result n a unique configuration of interact- genes. Lykken and his colleagues call cer- raits emergenic traits because they ir (or emerge) only out of a unique Tiration of many interacting genes, ugh they are genetically influenced, jenic traits do not run in families, istrate the idea of emergenic traits, ler the couple of average intelli- who give birth to an extraordi- gifted child. By all predictions, ouple's offspring should have nor- iverage intelligence. But because of nique configuration of the child's acting in combination, extraordi- pftedness emerges (Lykken & oth- »92). /id Lykken compares emergenic to a winning poker hand. All the ers of the family are drawing from tine "deck," or pool of genes. But ember may come up with the spe- nfiguration of cards that produces J flush—the unique combination 3s that produces an Einstein or a >ven. History is filled with cases of with exceptional talents and abil- L varied fields who grew up in av- "amilies. illy, it's important to point out that vere many differences, as well as •ities, between the identical twins Minnesota study. For example, one as prone to depression, while the /as not; one twin was an alcoholic, ;he other did not drink. So, even lentical twins, it must be remem- hat personality is only partly de- ad by genetics. A third criticism is that trait approaches generally fail to address other important personality issues, such as the basic motives that drive human per- sonality, the role of unconscious mental processes, how beliefs about the self in- fluence personality, or how psychological change and growth occur (McAdams, 1992). Conspicuously absent are the grand conclusions about the essence of human nature that characterize the psychoanalytic and humanistic theories. So, although trait theories are useful in describing individual differences and pre- dicting behavior, there are limitations to their usefulness. As you've seen, each of the major perspectives on personality has contributed to our understanding of human personality. The four perspectives are sum- marized in Table 10.5. For a critical look at a distinctly different approach to un- derstanding personality, read Science Versus Pseudoscience Box 10.3, Is Your Personality Written in the Stars? Our discussion of personality would not be complete without a description of how personality is formally evaluated and measured. In the next section, we'll briefly survey the tests that are used in personality assessment. Table The Major Personality Perspectives Perspective Key Theorists Key Themes and Ideas Psychoanalytic Humanistic Social cognitive Trait Sigmund Freud Carl Jung Karen Horney Alfred Adler Carl Rogers Abraham Maslow Albert Bandura Raymond Cattell Hans Eysenck Robert McCrae, Paul Costa, jr. Influence of unconscious psychological processes; importance of sexual and aggressive instincts; lasting effects of early childhood experiences The collective unconscious, archetypes, and psychological harmony Importance of parent-child relationship; defending against basic anxiety; womb envy Striving for superiority, compensating for feelings of inferiority Emphasis on the self-concept, psychological growth, free will, and inherent goodness Behavior as motivated by hierarchy of needs and striving for self-actualization Reciprocal interaction of behavioral, cognitive, and environmental factors; emphasis on conscious thoughts, self-efficacy beliefs, self-regulation, and goal setting Emphasis on measuring and describing individual differences; 1 6 source traits of personality Three basic dimensions of personality: introversion-extraversion, neuroticism-emotional stability, and psychoticism Five-factor model: five basic dimensions of personality: neuroticism, extraversion, openpess to experience, agreeableness, conscientious^