Theories of personality development play a crucial role in facilitating the understanding the diverse ways through which personality can be dissected. Using the theories, one can examine the life of a person and their actions and identify precisely where certain behaviors developed. Given that the lives of celebrities are extensively discussed in books and the media, it is easier to analyze them comprehensively using the personality development theories. In this paper, I will explore the personality development of Mary Jane ‘Mae' west using the psychoanalytic, trait, neo-analytic, evolutionary, cognitive, genetic/biological, social learning, behavioral, and the humanistic theory and discuss the different methods that can be applied to evaluate her personality.
Client
West was born on the 17 th of August 1893 in Brooklyn, and died on the 22 nd of November 1980 in Los Angeles, California. She was an American singer, actress, comedian, screenwriter, playwright, as well as a sex symbol. West's career lasted for seven decades, and she is mostly remembered for her outstanding sexual independence and light-hearted double entendres. Before moving to Hollywood to grow her career as an actress, writer in motion pictures, and an actress, she performed in New York City and Vaudeville. West was named the 15 th of the best female artists in the classic American cinema by the American Film Institute. Majorly, West used a hoarse contralto voice, and she is commonly described as one of the most controversial movie stars during her time. Some of the critical problems that she encountered pertained to censorship; she mostly made comedy from the conventional mores, which made her very popular among the Depression-era audience.
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In her formative years, West’s mother, Matilda, popularly known as Tillie, had a great passion of becoming an actress. However, her family disapproved of it and forced her into becoming a garment worker. Later, Tillie gave up her job and became a vaudevillian and a fashion model, going against the demands of her family (Hamilton, 1995). West took after the rebellious nature of her mother. As the oldest of Tillie’s three children, she was her mother’s favorite child. Her mother never disciplined her, but instead used humor to get Mae to comply with her demands. Mae’s response to her mother was often stubborn and mature since her mother’s way of bringing up children contrasted with the conventional norms, which demonstrated that children should be seen rather than be heard.
Sexuality is one of the critical things that Mae West is remembered for today. By the age of 18, she had appeared in her first show, Sex, which she was engaged in directing, producing, and writing. The more significant part of the play and that of the play that followed, Drag, focused on homosexuality. The shows, which she directed and wrote, led to her arrest due on the basis of explicit sexual content. In 1927, Mae was prosecuted on moral grounds (Mae West, 2016). Much of Mae’s motivations and career was shaped by the media attention that she received.
On the other hand, Mae's father worked as a prizefighter before working as a special policeman for crime and local business bosses. Both Mae’s father and mother supported her career, although Tillie had a significant influence on Mae's relationships. Given that Mae was an extremely sexual person, she chose to have dalliances over marriages. However, one case member persuaded her into marriage, and her mother advised her to get married since she would end up pregnant and single. At the age of 17, Mae married secretly and lied about her age so that she could get a certificate (Hamilton, 1995). In an attempt to get married the second time, she was still secretly married when another suitor asked for her hand in marriage. However, Tillie advised Mae that the suitor was not good for her, and she immediately ended the relationship.
Mae was one of the primary reasons that the Production Code of Motion Pictures (MPPC) extensively edited her plays and minimized her settings to ensure compliance with the censor regulations. During the implementation of the compliance, West responded by escalating her double entendres and innuendos (Mae West, 2016). Bert Williams, an African American entertainer, is of the key figures that strongly influenced Mae, mainly since she learned the art of innuendo and double entendre from the entertainer (Hamilton, 1995). She was also involved with a man 30years her junior in her later life. Mae is also remembered for some of her brilliant quotes, including ‘ Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before’ and ‘I'm no angel, but I've spread my wings a bit’ among others.
Theories
Psychoanalytic Neoanalytic Theories
The psychoanalytic theory by Sigmud Freud was developed from an analysis of individuals who could not perceive their inner conflicts, but they perceived their existence through the physical and mental problems that their existence produced (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). The theory resonates with Mae's personality development particularly from the perspective of the id in psychoanalysis. The id dominates and operates the part of the adult personality that seeks for pleasure. The aspect is largely shaped by the people that one respects, including parents. For West, both her parents were extraordinarily rebellious and focused on fulfilling their hearts desired instead that remain limited by tradition, as evidenced by their career choices. On the other hand, the superego is the personality structure that helped to internalize the rules (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). Some of the strengths of the model in analyzing Mae's behavior is that she demonstrates an obsession with overt sexual behavior, which suggests that she was stuck in the phallic stage.
Moreover, the theory focuses on the identity of individuals and interpersonal relations as well as life adaptation. Hence, using the theory would be a disadvantage since Mae had several personal relationships that shaped her identity, including that of her parents. On the other hand, the new analytic theory heavily relies on interpretation to disclose unconscious drives, which makes it disadvantageous for West’s case since she always demonstrated her free will, which according to the MPCC, her content was always censored (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). The key advantage of the new analytic theory is that Mae demonstrated a force that motivated her actions, further pushing her towards an ideal self (Friedman & Schustack, 2013).
Psychosocial Theory
According to the theory, personality develops through a person's entire life in predetermined stages, where the critical force that drives such development includes interaction and social influence (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). West’s childhood involved many instances of conflict resolution. The major disadvantage of applying the theory is that West was a very independent person and demonstrated none of the defense mechanism signs, including moving away, against, or toward people (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). However, the advantage with the theory is that Mae's interaction with her lovers, parents, as well as her portrayal of her life in shows, illustrates her neurotic needs through a persistent dominant attitude throughout her life. West emphasized the idea that she preferred being looked over than being ignored (West & In Weintraub, 1967). Another advantage of the theory is that Mae's parents treated her with affection, and warmth, which explains her fear of getting ignored.
Trait Theory
According to the theory, individuals possess biological traits that influence individual behaviors and temperament (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). Mae’s behavior was mainly characterized by her speaking her mind, surrounding herself with leading men, and partying, which indicates aspects of openness, neuroticism, and extraversion. Some of these aspects can be inherited; which demonstrates an advantage of the theory since her parents shared almost similar characteristics.
Evolutionary, Genetic, and Biological Theory
The evolutionary theory maintains that the differences between men and women can be explained using an evolutionary perspective, which explains genetic heritability (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). Based on the theory, the sexual behavior that West demonstrates cannot be explained since she never experienced conflicts relating to parental investment. However, the advantage with the theory is that West constantly sought sensation from the public to the extent that she risked her reputation.
Assessment
One of the tests that I would conduct with West as my client is an objective personality test. The test would involve the client self-reporting about her behavior on the basis of the 16PF, the NEO Personality Inventory, and the MMPI-2. A completed MMPI-2 would be essential for assessing psychological disorders (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). The NEO Personality Inventory would be necessary for establishing the biological and genetic components that may be essential to evaluate Mae’s personality. On the other hand, the 16PF would be essential in determining the personality dimensions that are most dominant in the West to gain a better understanding of the factors that that motivate her behavior. One of the critical strengths of self-reports is that they include lie scales, which help to determine whether a client is lying (Friedman & Schustack, 2013).
I would also apply projective testing, which involves clients interpreting phrases and pictures that further reveal their feelings and needs (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). The tests include the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and the Rorschach test. Rorschach test is helpful in scoring the answers derived from the responses obtained from the client, which are crucial in enabling therapists to understand the stress that a client could be facing as well as the personality traits of the client (Friedman & Schustack, 2013). The test would be particularly essential in understanding the internal needs that West could have as well as her feelings towards the needs and life in general. TAT, on the other hand, would be essential in understanding her personal needs by analyzing her recurrent themes when analyzing pictures.
References
Friedman, H. S., Schustack, M. W. (2013). Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research, Vitalsource for Kaplan University, the 5th Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://kaplan.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781269309431/
Mae West. (2016). The Famous People website. Retrieved 09:08, Feb 15, 2016, from //www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/mae-west-2213.php . Read more athttp://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/mae-west2213.php#gH5MofsGdXLdabRw.99
West, M., & In Weintraub, J. (1967). The wit and wisdom of Mae West . New York: G.P. Putnam. Retrieved from http://www.mindspring.com/~hsstern/maewest/mw_quote.htm
When I'm Bad, I'm Better: Mae West, Sex, and American Entertainment by Marybeth Hamilton. ISBN# 0-06-019031-0. Copyright 1995. Published by HarperCollins Publishers.
