Johnny Loera
Professor Paulus
Psychology of Personality
May 10, 2018
Independent Study Final
Harry Stack Sullivan’s Interpersonal Theory
First American to develop comprehensive personality theory
As an energy system
Energy existing either as tension (potentiality for action) or as energy transformation (the action
themselves)
Put into two parts:
NEEDS: Relate to the general well-being of a person or the specific zone such as mouth or
genitals. General physiological oxygen or water or interpersonal tenderness and intimacy
ANXIETY: needs are conjunctive and call for a specific action to reduce them….. Anxiety is
