What is Personality? An individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

What is Personality? An individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

1. Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis A. Methods

1.Hypnosis: tried to use hypnosis to enter the unconscious mind

2.Free association: patient says whatever comes to mind, no matter how embarrassing or trivial.

3.Dream Analysis: looking at symbols and situation in a dream to understand a person’s personality.

B. Map of the mind

1. Id: Pleasure Principle, instant gratification

2. Ego: Reality Principle, seeks to gratify the id’s impulses in realistic ways

3. Superego: voice of conscience, forces the ego to consider not only the real but the ideal. (How we ought to behave)

Freud’s Stages of Development Label your table columns : Stage Characteristics Causes and signs of being fixated in

this stage

Stage: Oral

Characteristics: 1st year of life To understand an object, a child puts

it in their mouth Mouth is main source of pleasure

because of food

Causes & signs of fixation: Parents do not give the infant

enough attention Smoking, overeating, excessive

talking, and nail biting.

Stage: Anal

Characteristics: Between 1.5-2 years old Children now understand they can

control their own bodily functions

Causes and signs of fixation: Anal Retentive: perfectionists

Stage: Phallic

Characteristics: 3 years old Children start to recognize the

physical differences between the sexes

Causes and signs of fixation: See the same sex parent as a rivalOedipus Complex-boys want to kill

fathers and have their mothers to themselves

Can lead to depression, excessive guilt, & anxiety

Resolve through identification with father and take on his values

Stage: Latency

6- puberty years old Children in conflict with their parents Repress all aggressive urges

Causes and signs of fixation: None

Stage: Genital

Characteristics: Starts at puberty Become more aware of gender

identity

Causes & reasons for fixation: Conflicts from earlier stages become

more apparent during this stage.

D. Defense Mechanisms

1. Definition: Tactics that reduce or redirect anxiety by distorting reality.

2. Types Denial: ignoring the problem Repression: banish anxiety-arousing

thoughts and feelings from consciousness Regression: retreat to an earlier, more

immature state of development Reaction formation: ego unconsciously

makes unacceptable impulses look like their opposites

e. Projection: Disguises threatening impulses by attributing them to others.

f. Rationalization: self-justifying explanations to hide from ourselves the real reasons for our or others actions

g. Displacement: diverts sexual or aggressive impulses toward an object or person that is psychologically more acceptable

h. Sublimation: transformation of unwanted impulses into something less harmful.

E. Carl Jung

1. Collective unconscious: a common pool of images derived from our species’ universal experiences.

2. Archetypes: symbolic imagery (superman, fairy godmother, mother earth, father time.)

F. Adler and Horney

1. Inferiority Complex: feelings of inferiority because of childhood experiences (Adler)

2. Helplessness: childhood anxiety caused by feelings of helplessness =desire for love and security

G. Testing 1. Projective Tests

a. Thematic Apperception Test: view ambiguous pictures and then make up stories about them

b. Rorschach inkblot test: Reveals our inner feelings and conflicts

H. Criticisms

No proof!

II. The Trait Perspective- Gordon AllportTraits-factors making up personality

1. Definition: people’s characteristic behaviors and conscious motives

2. Testinga. Personality Testing1. Myers Briggs: 126 question test to figure out your personality factors

Raymond Cattell’s 16 Personality Factors (16 PF)

W.T. Norman’s Big Five Personality Traits:

Openness – (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious). Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience.

Conscientiousness – (efficient/organized vs. easy-going/careless). A tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement; planned rather than spontaneous behaviour.

Extraversion – (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved). Energy, positive emotions, surgency, and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others

Agreeableness – (friendly/compassionate vs. cold/unkind). A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others.

Neuroticism – (sensitive/nervous vs. secure/confident). A tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, or vulnerability.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): assesses “abnormal” personality tendencies rather than normal traits.

III Humanistic Perspective Maslow and Self-Actualization The process of fulfilling our

potential

B. Carl Rogers

Unconditional Positive Regard: an attitude that values us even knowing our failings

Self Concept: All the thought s we have in response to the question, “Who am I?”

Self Esteem: How we feel about ourselves

Self Serving Bias: Attribute success to own personal factors but attribute failures to outward factors.

C. Culture

Individualism: culture that focuses on the success of the individual

Collectivism: culture that focuses on the success of the group

D. Criticisms of the humanistic perspective fails to appreciate the human

capacity for evil

IV. The Social Cognitive Perspective A. Albert Bandura

1.Reciprocal determination: your personality affects your environment and vice versa.

2. Locus of control A. External: life controls you B. Internal:you control your life