Chapter 1    Introduction to Personality Theory13
fei75766_ch01_001-018.indd 13  02/06/20 10:41 AMTheories thatrelyheavily onunobservable transformations intheunconscious 
areexceedingly difficult toeither verify orfalsify. Forexample, Freud’s theory sug-
gests thatmany ofouremotions andbehaviors aremotivated byunconscious tenden -
ciesthataredirectly opposite theonesweexpress. Forinstance, unconscious hate
might beexpressed asconscious love,orunconscious fearofone’s ownhomosexual 
feelings might taketheform ofexaggerated hostility toward homosexual individuals. 
Because Freud’s theory allows forsuchtransformations within theunconscious, it
isnearly impossible toeither verify orfalsify. Atheory thatcanexplain everything 
explains nothing.
Organizes Data
Auseful theory should alsobeabletoorganize those research datathatarenot
incompatible witheachother. Without some organization orclassification, research 
findings would remain isolated andmeaningless. Unless dataareorganized intosome 
intelligible framework, scientists areleftwithnoclear direction tofollow inthepur-
suitoffurther knowledge. They cannot askintelligent questions without atheoreti -
calframework thatorganizes theirinformation. Without intelligent questions, further 
research isseverely curtailed.
Auseful theory ofpersonality must becapable ofintegrating what iscurrently 
known about human behavior andpersonality development. Itmust beabletoshape 
asmany bitsofinformation aspossible intoameaningful arrangement. Ifapersonal -
itytheory doesnotoffer areasonable explanation ofatleastsome kinds ofbehaviors, 
itceases tobeuseful.
Guides Action
Thefourth criterion ofauseful theory isitsability toguide thepractitioner overthe
rough course ofday-to-day problems. Forexample, parents, teachers, business manag -
ers,andpsychotherapists areconfronted continually withanavalanche ofquestions 
forwhich theytrytofindworkable answers. Good theory provides astructure for
finding many ofthose answers. Without auseful theory, practitioners would stumble 
inthedarkness oftrialanderror techniques; withasound theoretical orientation, 
theycandiscern asuitable course ofaction.
FortheFreudian psychoanalyst andtheRogerian counselor, answers tothe
same question would beverydifferent. Tothequestion “How canIbesttreatthis
patient?,” thepsychoanalytic therapist might answer along these lines: Ifpsychoneu -
roses arecaused bychildhood sexual conflicts thathavebecome unconscious, thenI
canhelpthispatient bestbydelving intothese repressions andallowing thepatient to
relive theexperiences intheabsence ofconflict. Tothesame question, theRogerian 
therapist might answer: If,inorder togrow psychologically, people need empathy, 
unconditional positive regard, andarelationship withacongruent therapist, then
Icanbesthelpthisclient byproviding anaccepting, nonthreatening atmosphere. 
Notice thatboththerapists constructed theiranswers inanif-then framework, even
though thetwoanswers callforverydifferent courses ofaction.
Alsoincluded inthiscriterion istheextent towhich thetheory stimulates 
thought andaction inother disciplines, suchasart,literature (including movies 
andtelevision dramas), law,sociology, philosophy, religion, education, business Final PDF to printer