Untangling Personality Maladjustments: A Theoretical Journey Through Psychology

This study was undertaken to give researchers, educators, parents and the general public, an understanding of some foundations of maladjusted personality and by inference, some root causes of indisciplined behaviour in society. Four fundamental psychological theories of maladjustment namely Person-Centered Theory, Psychosocial Theory, Psychosexual Theory and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) were reviewed from some prominent databases to explain and give understanding to some root causes of indisciplined behaviour in society. The analysis of each of the theories concludes with how to avoid malfunctioning personality from the point of view of the theorist, and how to bring about a functioning personality on the part of the individual. Recommendations are made for educators, parents and significant others in the individual’s life, to use these theories as means of better understanding, preventing and managing personality maladjustments in school and general society.