Case Study #4 Interactionist Perspective
Ericka Parker
Bowie State University
PSYC307-001-Fall2020 Psychology of Personality
Dr. Blackman
November 13, 2020
Application Questions
Using Sullivan’s interpersonal personality theory, analyze Stacy’s behavior by answering the following questions.
- How could Stacy’s interactions be characterized?
Stacy’s interactions depict an introvert. All her life, she has had trouble initiating friendships with other people. She does not invite others to events and rarely goes out with friends. She also has an inferiority complex and often feels the urge to agree with others to avoid rejection or pissing anyone off. She lacks assertiveness and readily agrees to other people’s interests irrespective of her own. Her willingness to easily give in to the sex demands dating her regardless of her convictions provides a great example of her agreeability and lack of self-esteem. Another example is her willingness to agree to any of her customers’ demands even when they do not make sense.
- How could these interactions be considered personality according to Sullivan’s theory?
Stacy’s interactions constitute a personality as per Sullivan’s theory. She is asocial. During preadolescence (9-12 years), one develops relationships within their gender. Other girls that Stacy interacts with have formed friendships and invite each other to their events, such as parties. However, Stacy is the odd one since her personality (an introvert) makes her lack interest in such engagements. She fails to initiate friendships or invite others for a hangout or parties. Creating friendships is difficult for her making her situation worse. In late adolescence, when others form intimate relationships, Stacy has a challenge maintaining a close relationship due to her agreeableness, which boys found a bit weird. Her willingness to agree to all their arguments makes them uncomfortable.
- What would Stacy have to do to form a true relationship, according to Sullivan’s theory?
For Stacy to develop a true relationship, she would need to refurbish her sense of respect and self-esteem to a point where the positive feeling of self outweighs worthlessness. According to Sullivan’s theory, Stacy will need to undergo intensive psychotherapy (Sullivan, 2011). The therapy should assist her in recreating her preadolescence chumship with a person who has the desired qualities. Such a relationship should enable her to examine her qualities and attain some degree of consensual validation of her humanness at the basic level. She should reexamine her interpretation of reality. Selective inattention is hindering her achievement of consensual validation. Working on her interpretation of reality will boost her sense of self-worth and become more assertive in her interactions with others.
- How did Stacy’s experiences affect her personality? Give examples from different stages of her life.
Growing up, Stacy did not get much of her mother’s attention, mostly due to her middle-child status. She was also more reserved compared to her two elder brothers and younger sister. She would help her mother with house chores managing to get her attention. Her mother would hug, kiss, and congratulate her. The experience made her believe that gaining a person’s attention required one to serve them instead of making demands. In school, she would agree to play any game her school mates wanted her to play even when she did not like the game with the hope of fitting in with the rest. The experiences explain why she strives to please others even when they mistreat her.
- According to Abraham Maslow, which of Stacy’s needs have been fulfilled?
Stacy’s physiological needs have been fulfilled, according to Abraham Maslow. They include food, clothing, drink, sleep, and sex (Taormina & Gao, 2013). However, the remaining four needs above in the hierarchy of needs are yet to be fulfilled. The physiological needs form the basis of human survival since one cannot survive without them. Their fulfillment means that she can pursue the remaining needs, which are secondary.
References
Sullivan, H. S. (2011). The interpersonal theory of psychiatry. Abingdon: Routledge.
Taormina, R. J., & Gao, J. H. (2013). Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: Measuring satisfaction of the needs. The American journal of psychology, 126(2), 155-177.