Introduction to Psychology Personality
Dec 25, 2015
Personality
A person’s unique and relatively stable behavior patterns
The various styles of behavior an individual habitually reflects
Personality vs. Social Psychology
Personality: emphasis on the individual; personal traits; dispositions
Social: the role of the situation; how external conditions shape behavior
Trait Theory
Gordon Allport
Traits: a stable, enduring quality that a person shows in most situations
Common Traits
Traits common to a culture
Americans: independent, competitive Eastern cultures: interdependence,
altruism
Cardinal Traits
All of one’s qualities/actions can be traced back to one specific trait (rare)
Example: Mother Theresa: compassion
Big 5: Costa & McCrae
Five factor model Derived from factor analysis
10,000 participants: narrowed the list to five traits
Questionnaire
Sample Questions
I see myself as someone who: Is talkative Is original and comes up with new ideas Can be moody Is sometimes shy Is emotionally stable and not easily
upset Is curious about many different things
Dan McAdams: Life History Approach
Level 1: traits Level 2: goals, strivings Level 3: life story: reflexive
understanding of the self
We live “storied lives”
Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Cultures
Individualistic: emphasis on success, personal achievement
Collectivistic: emphasis on altruism, contribution to the group
Self-esteem is derived differently
Psychoanalytic Approach
Freud Id/ego/superego: personality works
in a dynamic system
Unconscious conflicts/urges shape personality
Psychosexual Stages
Oral stage: 1st year of life Erogenous zone: mouth Fixation:
Oral dependent: gullible, passive, needy
Oral aggressive: exploits others; manipulative, nasty
Psychosexual Stages
Anal stage: age 1-3 Erogenous zone: anus; potty training Fixation:
Anal retentive: compulsive, stingy, orderly, compulsively clean
Anal expressive: disorderly, destructive, messy, excessive spending, dislikes authority
Psychosexual Stages
Phallic Stage: age 3-6 Oedipal Complex/Electra Complex Boys: castration anxiety Girls: penis envy
Resolution: identification with the same-sex parent
Psychosexual Stages
Latency: age 6-puberty: psychosexual development is dormant
Genital: puberty: desire for adult sexual relationships
Freudian Defense Mechanisms
Repression: pushing thoughts/conflicts out of consciousness
Displacement: changing the recipient of our feelings to express them more safely
Freudian Defense Mechanisms
Sublimation: redirecting sexual urges/other emotions toward productive and prosocial activities
Reaction Formation: behaving the opposite of how we actually feel
Freudian Defense Mechanisms
Projection: transferring your feelings/beliefs to others
Identification: identifying with/taking on the characteristics of another; often, an aggressor
Carl Jung
Neo-Freudian
The conscious and unconscious should be in balance; like the ebb and flow of the tides
Carl Jung Persona: the “mask” we show the
world; our public self
Shadow: our repressed “dark side”; the opposite of what we take ourselves to be Acknowledge the shadow or it may
overtake you
Carl Jung
Personal Unconscious: mental storehouse for an individual’s thoughts/feelings/memories
Collective Unconscious: unconscious images/ideas that we all share archetypes
Alfred Adler
Individual Psychology: individuals are unique and subjective: how do we make meaning of our experiences?
Alfred Adler
Fulfillment Model We are trying to overcome perceived
inferiorities
We develop a sense of inferiority in infancy/early childhood: the felt minus
Alfred Adler
Overcoming inferiority: striving for superiority
Inferiority complex: we are crippled by our perceived shortcomings
Alfred Adler
Organ inferiority: a physical problem/abnormality may be the root of our sense of inferiority
Circus performers Adler’s health problems in childhood
Alfred Adler
Birth Order
First born: receives full attention, then is dethroned Problem children, neurotic, criminal
behavior, conservative, authoritative, leaders
Alfred Adler
Middle child: may feel envious, neglected Tries to find a place in the family Rebellious or revolutionary Creative Concerned for the underdog
Alfred Adler
Youngest:
Pampered, dependent Tries to compete in many areas,
lacks focus Optimistic: “everyone is nice to
me”