Ted Bundy: A Personality Comparison with the Theories of Rollo May and Albert Bandura

Ted Bundy’s Background

In the late 20^th century a court in Florida prosecuted and sentenced an infamous serial killers known as Theodore Robert Bundy alias Ted Bundy, for allegedly humiliating, torturing, and murdering at least 50 women. Possibly more, since the actual number of Bundy's murderous spree remains unclear. Ted told detectives that he had killed 30 women; however, published estimates stood at high as 100 or more, also he seldom made cryptic remarks, encouraging the speculation (Riaud, 2014). On January 24, 1989, Bundy died of electrocution in Florida after being found guilty of multiple charges.

Growing up, Bundy was a Boy Scout, with his peers, especially in the labor force, believing that he was destined for an exciting future in politics, since he exemplified good citizenry (Williams, 2020). According to Riaud (2014), still, other people, who interacted with Bundy, labeled him as good looking and his persona as approachable, charming, and confident. As a manipulator, Ted depicted this personality to his peers, friends, and girlfriend, which contrasted the underlying character of a cold-hearted serial killer that he concealed from them but demonstrated it to his victims.

Various scholarly works have examined and conducted a personality theory comparison regarding Ted’s life (Ürmösné Simon, 2015). In this case study, the researcher will analyze, understand, and explain aspects that caused or influenced Bundy's disposition, prompting him to kill without any regard to human life. As a consequence, the report will explore Ted's life history using the insights of renowned scholars. For example, the paper will provide a better comprehension of Bundy’s personality development through using theories from Rollo May, a prominent psychologist, majoring in existential character and Albert Bandura, a behaviorist who analyses cognitive movement.

In November 1946, Eleanor Louise Cowell, an unwed mother, in Burlington, Vermont, United States, gave birth to Theodore Robert Cowell (Katherine, 2013). The identity of Bundy's father remains unknown (Williams, 2020). As a result of social stigma associated with being born out of wedlock, Eleanor’s parents, Samuel and Eleanor Cowell, brought him up as their child for four years. The grandparents told relatives, acquaintances, and even young Ted that his Louise was his older sibling (Murray, 2017). Ted’s parentage became a concern when in the mid-1900s, he moved to Washington, with Louise (birth mother) parting with his grandparents as well as the tyrannical and bigotry tendencies depicted by Samuel (Riaud, 2014). A year later, Louise met and wedded Johnnie Culpepper Bundy, prompting Ted to assume his surname, retaining it till his death.

In Tacoma, Bundy's mother got four more children where after school, he looked after his siblings. His stepfather, Johnnie, tried in futility to initiate a relationship with Ted, but he remained distant, making him socially and mentally unattached to him. The failure to create an attachment to his stepfather and siblings, promoted a social withdrawal (Hensley et al., 2018), forcing Bundy to spent more time alone (Murray, 2017). In his study, Ürmösné Simon (2015) trusted that Ted’s difficult childhood was among the predominant issues that constrained his ability to create a functional relationship in society.

During puberty, Ted depicted shyness, self-doubt, and discomfort in social gatherings (Katherine, 2013). For these reasons, Bundy becomes vulnerable to bullies, who humiliated and teased him always, fostering feelings of hate within him. Despite the difficulties, he maintained exemplary results in education. In high school, Ted developed his personality,...