The concept of “personality” has given rise to a great diversity of theories that try to explain what it is and how it can be measured and studied. Some authors have tried throughout history to develop a theoretical model that allows the different existing theories to be integrated with a general theory that explains the existence of individual differences.
One of the most ambitious proposals in this sense is the Royce and Powell’s theory of individuality.
What is Royce and Powell’s theory of individuality?
Royce and Powell’s theory of individuality aims to be an integrative theory of the different theories referring to the study of personality and individual differences Specifically, general systems theory, factor analysis and experimental methodology.
This theory is based on the consideration that the behavior is not caused by a single factor but its origin is multiple (incorporating biological and social factors).
It also considers that personality is a construct that is stable over time although it can vary throughout life or in different situations and that it is aimed at achieving goals and searching for personal meaning. Finally, he also starts from the idea that individual differences can be found in all the different areas of the psyche.
It is a model that considers that each person, although they can be compared with others by having specific traits, possesses them to a different degree from all the others. in a way that makes you a unique individual It is a general and introductory model, very ambitious, on which different investigations can be carried out.
Personality within the model: what is it and what is it for?
The model proposed by Royce and Powell’s theory of Individuality considers personality in a generic way, as an organization of systems that allow you to translate, transform and integrate psychic information. This is detailed in greater detail in the structure proposed by these authors.
Regarding its function, it is established that the main objective of personality is to find meaning in the world and in one’s own person, so that an attempt is made to make reality more manageable.
Personality gives rise to different aspects such as emotions, beliefs, values, lifestyle, personal identity and way of conceptualizing reality.
A structure in three large systems
Royce and Powell’s theory of individuality stipulates that within personality there can be six hierarchically organized systems, which can be grouped into three categories based on their function and complexity. These categories allow divide them into translator, transformer and integrator systems The different systems are acquired throughout development, starting with the translators to generate the rest as they grow.
1. Translator systems
The concept of translation system of Royce and Powell’s theory of individuality refers to all those components of the person that allow, as the name proposes, to translate the stimulation so that the internal passes to the external and the external to the external. inside.
Within these systems the sensory system and the motor system are found In both, temporality and spatiality can be found in the form of a subsystem, so that a sequential and simultaneous translation process is carried out.
It refers to the set of elements that allows capture external reality so that external information can be processed by other systems.
Engine system
On this occasion, the motor system refers to the set of processes that allow energy to be converted into action That is, the motor system is the one responsible for carrying out the movement.
2. Transformer systems
Transforming systems are those that are responsible for processing the information obtained or directed by or to the translating systems. Among the transformative systems, the cognitive system and the affective system stand out.
Cognitive system
The cognitive system is that whose main function is to transform and work on the information coming from the environment so that contribute to making us understand the environment
Within it, the perception or mechanism by which we manipulate information coming from outside, conceptualization (equivalent to intelligence in this model) and the way in which concepts are formed from the transformation of data into verbal and abstract material and the extraction of information about the relationships between elements, and the symbolization or creation of metaphorical constructs based on said data.
affective system
The affective system is one of those that best allows us to see the influence of other personality theories on Royce and Powell’s theory of individuality. This system transforms the information captured from outside in a way that produces alterations in the level of mental and physical activation It is made up of the subsystems of emotional stability, emotional independence and extraversion-introversion.
3. Integrative systems
The third and most important element when explaining behavior and individual differences is the group of integrative systems, whose main function is to direct how information will be processed and what this will mean in the previous systems. Within the integrative systems are the style and value systems.
The main function of the style system is to determine how the information will be processed, directly affecting transformer systems so that it affects the vision we have of the world and the type of affectivity we have.
The style system in turn has three subsystems: the empirical one, which is responsible for aspects such as reliability at the cognitive level and extraversion, introversion at the cognitive level, the rational one, which at the cognitive level allows conceptualization while maintaining independence at the cognitive level. emotional, and the metaphorical one in which symbolization and emotional stability are allowed.
Value system
The value system directs people’s beliefs and motivations , providing interests and needs. Within the value system we can find three large subsystems: the ego, the social and the intrinsic.
The ego system is one that regulates self-preservation and identity, as well as the behavioral patterns that we usually use. It is linked with the emotional stability and the capacity for symbolization The social system is in charge of the procedures that define the type of interaction we have with others and our perception of them. Finally, the intrinsic system is linked to motivation and goal orientation, allowing the generation of concepts and our independence.
