By Dr. Berney Wilkinson Ledger correspondent

Although he takes a bad rap on late night TV and he is roundly criticized by many in the profession, it is good to stop once in a while to give Freud the respect he deserves. He was, for example, the first to argue that children were not just little adults who didnt know how to act and talk. Thankfully (at least for kids) he taught us that they are still a work in progress, and that we shouldnt expect children to think like or behavior like adults. Likewise, he was the first to offer a unified theory of personality. Prior to Freud, we relied on religion and philosophy to explain human behavior. Freud gave us a biological and more human explanation. And while he may have been wrong about some things and only partially accurate about some others, he gave the foundation on which all other personality theory is built. Simply put, your personality is who you are and why you act and react the way you do. Your personality forms the foundation and provides the lens through which you perceive, interpret, and interact with the world around you. And while it explains why we do the things we do, our personality generally functions in the background. Thus, while we can often identify certain personality traits in others, we sometimes have a difficult time identifying our own. We are who we are, and we generally assume that other normal people are exactly the same. Personality is rooted in our biology. If you are a parent, for example, you were able to identify your childs temperament from very early infancy. Whether easy or difficult, that early appearing temperament formed the foundation from which personality develops. What we build on that foundation, though, is based in large part on our experiences. If a child is nurtured, develops a secure attachment, and has his or her needs met early in life, the child develops a healthy and safe view of the world. Conversely, if a child is neglected, abandoned, or abused, the child is at increased risk for developing a suspicious, fear-based, or even angry world view. Since Freud first wrote about personality, theorists have developed numerous organizing schemes to describe personality. Currently, most professionals refer to the Big Five theory of personality. The Big Five consists of five dimensions of personality that include Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Extraversion refers to the extent to which you direct your energy and focus to the outside world. Openness to Experience is related to the manner in which you actively seek new and interesting experiences. Conscientiousness explains your degree of organization, motivation, and self-discipline. Agreeableness refers to your interactions with others. Neuroticism identifies how prone a person is to psychological distress. Together, these five traits help to offer an understanding and appreciation of how individual manage their world and make decisions. It is important to keep in mind that while this Big Five model helps explain typical personality traits, it does not offer an adequate basis for a discussion on personality disorders. The latter are extreme or pathological variations in personality that can exert a negative influence and impair a persons ability to function. And that is a discussion for another time. For now, remember that who you are is rooted in an intricate combination of biology and experience. And that our understanding of this critical aspect of ourselves comes from one of the fathers of psychiatry, Dr. Sigmund Freud.

Dr. Berney, a licensed psychologist with Psychological Associates of Central Florida in Lakeland, is a national speaker and the co-author of "Handbook for Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child." You can hear Dr. Berney on his podcasts, "The Mental Breakdown and The Paedeia Education Podcast on iTunes.

Link:
Wilkinson: The history of personality theory - The Ledger