US High School Psychology Complete Practice Exam 2026

The correct choice emphasizes the aspect of personality that is shaped largely by unconscious processes. Personological and life-story theories delve into how an individual’s unique life experiences, often beneath the surface of conscious awareness, contribute to their identity and behavior. This perspective includes influences from unconscious motivations, personal narratives, and the cumulative effect of experiences that an individual may not be fully aware of or may not articulate openly.

This understanding contrasts with cognitive-behavioral theories, which primarily focus on observable behaviors and conscious thought processes rather than unconscious influences. Similarly, Gestalt psychology emphasizes the perception of the whole while prioritizing immediate conscious experience rather than exploring the unconscious. Humanistic theories, while they do advocate for the importance of individual experiences, primarily emphasize conscious awareness, personal growth, and self-actualization rather than the unconscious motivations ruling personality. Thus, the focus on unconscious processes found in personological and life-story theories is what distinguishes it as the most fitting choice for this question.