FAQ

1. I have heard a lot of criticism about Freud's theory. Should we just throw it out completely?
Freud got some things right and some things wrong. He was right that the unconscious mind plays an important role in lives. He was right that people often use defense mechanisms in dealing with anxiety and stress. He was wrong that our personality is determined by the time we are five years of age. He was wrong that many of life's more competent efforts can be reduced to an underlying sexual motivation. So like many major theorists, Freud made some very important contributions to psychology but his theory can be criticized in a number of areas.

2. Are there a core set of personality traits that characterize all people?
Many personality researchers have sought the answer to this question. Currently, there is considerable interest in the "big five" personality factors as core personality traits in all individuals: emotional stability, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Not all psychologists agree that these are the five core personality traits and many psychologists argue that to understand personality we need to focus on the interaction of traits and situations or contexts.

3. I've heard that graphology is a good way to find out about your personality? What is the evidence for this?
The evidence is very strong against graphology, or the use of handwriting analysis, as a strategy for deciphering an individual's personality. You may have seen media reports about the power of graphology in predicting personality. Such accounts are not based on scientific studies. Remember that as a science, psychology urges you to think critically and skeptically about such grand claims.