Chapter Two Discussion
Brown’s second chapter regarding trait and factor and
developmental theories brings many interesting ideas to light. After reading the description of trait and
factor theory, the assumptions and ideas behind the theory appear to be logical
due to the fact that many of the same assumptions are the ground work of
theoretical research which has been engrained in psychology students as far
back as undergraduate studies. Examples
of these assumptions are cause and effect relationships exist and can be tested,
and if random sampling occurs with valid and reliable measures, then results
can be generalized to other people (Brown, 2012, p. 29). Of course these assumptions sound good to a
psychology student who has been taught these values for several years. The theory also appears to make logical sense
by understanding that individuals develop themselves and create their own
traits while selecting environments that are conducive to those traits (Brown,
2012, p. 29). Essentially, let your
interests and personality guide your career choice and environment so a “best
fit” is established. This sounds good in
theory, but is it really that simple?
After thinking about this idea, I reflected upon my
current job. I thought about my
interests and traits and how those aided my selection of my work environment
and career. I posed the question to
myself, “Do my traits and environment match as this theory implies they should?” The answer was yes and no. In many ways I feel my personality fits my
job. I am a foster care manager, so my
caring personality and desire to help people parallels my work environment;
however, I am also someone who likes structure, organization, and mathematics. I have relatively no involvement with
calculations or numbers except for calculating my mileage reimbursement each
month, and certainly structure and organization are lacking in this profession
as crises arise and sometimes things don’t pan out as you would hope for a
child or family. Therefore, yes the job
fits my traits, but at the same time it doesn’t fit due to the reasons
mentioned above.
I
also began to ponder if I am the exception regarding the trait and factor
theory. So in addition to myself, I
analyzed a few co-workers’ personalities to attempt to answer my own
question. I quickly realized that my
co-workers each have traits as well that would answer the above question with
yes and no. One co-worker is very
patient with clients and caring; however, they lack patience in handling conflicts,
which occur frequently with providers and families. Another co-worker is very empathetic and
compassionate; however, they lack organization and prioritization in regards to
paperwork which is a huge portion of the job.
My
conclusion is that trait and factor theory has logical reasoning and seems true
in some circumstances; however, it appears to be flawed in other aspects. It is difficult to pose an idea that is
accurate and true 100% of the time, and the inability to do so is what leads to
further research and other ideas. I am
curious about other theories and how they relate to my experiences, so I am
looking forward testing more theories according to my experiences.
References
Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career
counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.
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