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Running head: How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice 1

How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice

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How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice 2

How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice

Introduction

Personality theories explain how different traits are developed in humans and how

behaviors are generated. The theories explain why different individuals react in a certain way

and how the factors that dictate a human destiny. The main emphasis of trait theories is the

identification of features possessed by individuals and the extent to which such individuals

possess them. Trait theorists discuss how the motivations and goals of individuals dictate the

development of different traits and the degree of their possession. Psychodynamic theorists,

on the other hand, try to explain human behaviors by arguing that human beings are

controlled by internal forces which are unconscious. Such forces include opinions, images, or

feelings that determine who the individuals are and their career and destiny in life (Fontana,

2000). The paper will relate psychodynamic theory with trait theory to highlight different

factors that determine the career choice of an individual. It will show how the two theories

can be used to describe, explain, predict and assess human behaviors in relation to their career

choice.

As seen above, theorists describe internal forces that push individuals in different

directions thereby dictating their career choice. The forces are biologically oriented and

dynamic. The unconscious nature alluded by psychodynamic theorists show that individuals

do not know the reasons that make them behave in a particular way which makes them strive

and learn the factors that dictate their behaviors. Sigmund Freud is the primary theorist that

tried to explain psychodynamic theories. He used psychoanalytical theory to explain the

physiological functioning of different individuals in society. Freud observed that human

How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice 3

behaviors are controlled by instinctive forces which exert its effects on individuals out of their

consciousness. The instinctive forces trigger the mind which has three components according

to Freud. The first component is the id which offers impulsive gratification on individuals’

instinctual desires and urges. It is the one responsible for career desires the choice generates

fulfillment and happiness in life. The second is the ego, and it is this component that

individuals are able to adapt to the real world. The third component is the superego, and it is

the one that generates irrational strategies for individuals to enable them to avoid punishments

that are caused by internalized moral structures. The three components ensure that individuals

stay alive and enjoy life in the real world. It also eliminates any guilt that may occur to an

individual. It is through the three components that individuals can choose their careers and

live by their choice without feeling any guilt (Smart et al., 1986).

The psychodynamic theory was also explained by Alfred Adler who deviated from

Sigmund explanation of the three components. He observed that human body function as a

whole to achieve set goals and objectives which determines the personality of an individual.

Such goals enable an individual to plan and chose the career one wants to undertake during

their development. Alfred argued that every individual is born with an inferiority complex.

Such sense of inferiority causes individuals to start their worldly life as helpless and weak.

Individuals later on adapt and strive to overcome their inferiority complex and other

deficiencies by working hard to become more superior to those individuals around them. It

makes individuals choose careers that make them better and superior to those people around

their environment. He observed that psychological phenomena and career objectives of

different individuals are dictated by their need to exert influence and feel superior to others

How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice 4

(Staggs et al., 2003). For some people, they have a feeling that they cannot be able to attain

superiority in their surrounding which leads to the inferiority complex in their lives.

Carl Jung analyzed psychodynamic theories based on analytical approach but

observed that subconscious forces in an individual entailed more than Sigmund’s explanation.

He observed that both adults and children exhibit some features that are similar across culture

and time. Some of those features include certain behaviors, fears, and thoughts which all

humans share regardless of age. He named his observation as collective unconscious since the

similarity was not by coincidence. He asserted that unconscious forces of an individual are

caused by both collective and personal unconscious. Different individuals exhibit different

personal unconscious which explains why individuals choose different careers in life. He also

observed that the personality of an individual does not act as a whole as self-engages in a

constant struggle with opposing part of an individual personality for unity (Saunder, 2002).

One chose the career path subconsciously since the whole system of the body dictates to an

individual the path one will follow in his life.

Erikson was another theorist who weighed in psychodynamic theory. He introduced

the issue of ego psychology but agreed on Freud argument regarding the structural

components of human personality. He also agreed with human id, ego, and the superego. He,

however, emphasized the role of ego in dictating the personality of an individual. He observed

that ego was very important in determining the behaviors and personality of an individual

(Staggs et al., 2003). The ego drives an individual into taking a particular career path where

the needs and different cravings in life are achieved.

How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice 5

Psychodynamic theorists show that biological drives and forces are the main

determinants that influence development and choice of career for different individuals.

Development of interests in certain careers happens to an individual subconsciously which

makes it hard for an individual to understand and explain why he chose a particular career

instead of others. The interest towards certain interests and careers happen subconsciously

which according to these theorists shows that the choice towards a certain career happens in

subconscious minds of individuals (Saunder, 2002). Subconscious mind dictates the

personality, career path and interests of an individual in a particular field.

The trait theories main focus is explaining the personality of an individual as opposed

to drivers of physiological phenomena. These theories try to measure and predict the

psychological characteristics of a person. Cattell was one of the theorists who attempted to

explain trait theories on an individual. He described the personality of an individual in a

structural based system. He asserted that personality system of an individual generates in

relation to the environment. He described personality as the characteristics that explain how a

person will react and behave when subjected to a particular situation. He noted that the

behavioral response of an individual is triggered by the individual’s personality and the

situation such a person is confronted with (Staggs et al., 2003). The environment that an

individual is subjected to determines the career path such an individual will take in future.

The second person to weigh in on trait theories was Gordon Allport. He argued that

the personality of an individual is dictated by personal dispositions which are unique to every

person. He argued that personality is dictated by the interaction of physiological and

biological processes in humans. He also noted that personality is a whole thing with

How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice 6

interdependent cognitive, physical, and psychosocial aspects. He also noted that personality is

dynamic which means that it grows, develops, and changes as humans mature and learn new

things in life. The personality of an individual provides motivation and directs the behavior

and careers of individuals. According to him, the personality provides characteristics that are

unique to individuals’ behaviors, attributes, and thoughts which enable different people to

start different careers and adapt to different environments and situations (Saunder, 2002). It is

the same reason that the society consists of different individuals with different career choices

and interests.

Trait theories depict the behavior of individuals as enduring and able to adapt to

different situations in the environment. They depict how individuals learn and develop in their

careers to become better persons and generate fulfillment in life.

Conclusion

Different personality theories explain the behaviors and interests of individuals

extensively compared to others. There is no theory that can completely explain personality,

behaviors, and interests of different individuals. We cannot predict with utmost certainty the

career of an individual using any of the theories, but they can be used to give projections and

probabilities of career choice of an individual. Personality theories depend on the context and

situation by which they are applied to predict the personality of an individual and choice of

their careers. Trait theories are however different from psychodynamic theories in many

aspects. Trait theorists do not concern themselves with understanding or explaining how

personality develops in individuals. As opposed to psychodynamic theories, trait theories do

not attempt to predict the behavior of a person in a given situation. Trait theories main focus

How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice 7

is comparing different individuals based on degrees and aspects. Trait theorists, unlike

psychodynamic theorists, do not provide a medium through which individuals can understand

personality changes.

How psychodynamic and trait theories determine career choice 8

Reference

Fontana, D. (2000). Personality in the workplace. London: MacMillan Press Ltd.

Patton, W., & McMahon, M. (2014). Career development and systems theory: Connecting

theory and practice (Vol. 2). New York: Springer.

Saunder, W.B. (2002). Personality. US: Harcourt Health Science Publishers.

Smart, J.C., Elton, C.F. & McLaughlin, G.W. (1986). Person-environment congruence and

job satisfaction. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 24(1):216-225.

Staggs, G.D., Larson, L.M. & Borgen, F.H. (2003). Convergence of specific factors in

vocational interests and personality. Journal of Career Assessment, 11(3):243-261.

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