The basic building blocks of psychological theories

There are many psychological theories, each aimed at providing a unique perspective on how we view the world. Think of them as glasses that, when you put them on, change how you see things. They are helpful in that they reveal some aspects of an experience that would otherwise not be visible. But there is no single theory that reveals everything. After a psychological theory is developed, it can be used as a framework for person and personality analysis or therapy.

Now, each of the theories is composed of building blocks (dimensions) that define it. Think of any building block as a dial that can be turned to some position. A unique configuration of dial values can roughly describe a specific psychological theory.

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Let’s explore what those basic building blocks are.

One extreme	Other extreme	Question
Determinism	Free will	Is behavior pre-determined, or do I control it?
Nature	Nurture	Am I the product of my ancestors or my environment?
Stability	Change	Is my personality fixed or does it change over time?
Universality	Individuality	Am I the same as everyone else, or am I unique?
Conscious	Unconscious	Am I aware of why I act, or are my motives hidden?

The basic building blocks

Each of these building blocks contains sub-blocks, for example:

Determinism vs Free Will contains Causality (what caused X) vs Teleology (what X serves)
Stability vs Change contains Past vs Present/Future
Conscious vs Unconscious contains Reflective thought vs Habitual response

The list could go on, but we can use these five already to capture a lot of what forms a theory.

Example theories

The dials of a few example theories:

Psychoanalysis
- determinism > free will
- nature > nurture
- stability > change
- universality > individuality
- unconscious > conscious
Gestalt Therapy
- free will > determinism
- nurture > nature
- change > stability
- individuality > universality
- conscious > unconscious
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- free will > determinism
- nurture > nature
- change > stability
- universality > individuality
- conscious > unconscious

Why does it matter? Remember, they help us see the world in a different way. Consider the following scenario:

Alex freezes in meetings. The thought is there, the body tightens, the moment passes, and afterward there’s shame.

Now, viewed through different lenses:

Psychoanalysis: Their experience is shaped by unconscious processes rooted in nature, unfolding largely through determinism rather than choice; because these dynamics are universal and formed early, their personality tends toward stability over change.
Gestalt Therapy: Their experience is shaped by conscious awareness and free will, emerging from nurture and present context; because the self is lived as an individual, it remains open to change in the here and now.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Their experience is shaped by conscious thoughts learned through nurture, allowing free will to interrupt patterns; since these processes are universal, deliberate practice supports reliable change.

While all theories may be true in essence, some are experientially truer. Which is the truest, though? That’s for Alex to figure out what resonates most with their lived experience 🙂

Opposites

In reality, not everything is black and white. While these extremes allow us to build a mental model and think in those terms, this is not to say that we must pick either left or right – in fact, in between there’s a lot of interesting things. Different theories often mix different parts of the other extremes, even though in general they favor one extreme.

Interestingly enough, opposites in general often form frustrations within ourselves. Should I speak or listen? Should it be A or B? The most useful answers to those questions are often found in the tension between the two 🙂

What’s your dial configuration?