Unit 10 Personality. Personality Personality – an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking feeling and acting – Example –

Unit 10 Personality

Personality

• Personality – an individual’s characteristic pattern of thinking feeling and acting –

• Example –

Personality Theories

• Historical– Psychoanalytic Theory– Humanistic Theory

• Modern – based on scientific Method– Trait Theories– Social Cognitive Theories

HistoricalTheories1. Psychoanalytic Theory

(Freud) –

– Included stage theory of psychosexual development

2. Humanistic Theory (Maslow, Rogers)

–

– Maslow’s Hierarchy– “Man is Good” philosophy

Psychoanalytic Theory• Psychoanalysis –

• Techniques used to expose the

unconscious included:1. 2. 3. Free association –

• Example:

Our Personality• Conscious-

• Preconscious-

• Unconscious-

– Repression –

• Expressed in disguised forms

– Freudian slips– Dreams– Forgetting

Freud’s Idea of the Minds Structure

Parts of Personality

• Id - unconscious impulses that want to be gratified, without regard to potential punishment.– pleasure principle –

• Ex.

• Ego– moderates the impulsive demands of id and restraining demands of superego.– Reality principle -

• Ex.

• Superego - tells us right from wrong and our ideal standards– Moral principle -

• Ex.

ID

Freud’s Psychosexual stages

• Psychosexual development – a series of developmental stages that forms their personality

• erogenous zones -

• fixation -

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

• Oral (0-18 months)• Anal (18-36 months)• Phallic (3-6 years)• Latency (6-Puberty)• Genital (Puberty on)Owen And Phillip Like

Girls

Oral Stage• Important

erogenous zone = •

• Fixation– Weaned too early =

– Example:

Anal Stage• Develops during toilet

training (2-4).• Important erogenous zone

=

• Focused on

• Fixation– potty training too early =

• Examples:

Phallic Stage• Period of time when children first

recognize their gender (4-7).• Important erogenous zone = • Unconscious sexual desires for parent

of the opposite sex– Oedipus Complex –

– Electra Complex –

• Penis Envy - • Castration Anxiety -

• Identification – children incorporate same sex parents’ values into superego =

• Fixation

Latency Stage

• Libido is hidden (7-11).• Cooties stage• • Boys hang with Dad, Girls

hang with mom• Fixation -

Genital Stage

• Libido -

• Maturation of sexual interests

• All stages resolved =

Psychosexual Stages

Defense Mechanisms

• Defense Mechanisms tactics of the ego to reduce anxiety by distorting reality• Ex:1.Repression2.Rationalization3.Reaction formation4.Projection5.Regression6.Displacement7.Sublimation8.Denial

ScenarioQuarterback of the high school football team,

Brandon, is dating Jasmine. Jasmine dumps Brandon and starts dating

Drew, president of the chess club.

Drew Brandon Jasmine

Repression• Pushing anxiety arousing

thoughts into our unconscious.

•

• Slips of the tongue =

• Why don’t we remember our Oedipus and Electra complexes?

• Ex.

Denial

• Denial -

Displacement

• Displacement –

• Often displaced on less threatening things.

Projection• Projection –

• Believe that the feelings one has toward someone else are actually held by the other person and directed at oneself.

Reaction Formation

• Reaction Formation –

• Cootie stage in Freud’s Latent Development.

Regression

• Regression –

• Excessive Fixation

Rationalization• Rationalization –

• Brandon thinks he will find a better girlfriend. “Jasmine was not all that anyway!”

Sublimation

• Sublimation –

• Sometimes a healthy defense mechanism.

Neo-Freudian TheoristsPsychodynamic Theory

• Accept Freud’s basic ideas– Struggle with – Importance of – Personality develops in

• Different– More emphasis on – Disagreed with the importance of – Adler and Horney – tensions

are important to personality development

The Neo-Freudian Theorists

• Adler – – inferiority complex –

• Horney – sense of helplessness –

– Women’s superego is not weaker as Freud claimed

• Jung’s – collective unconscious -

• EX.

Getting into the Unconscious

• Psychodynamic Psychologist – contemporary Freudian Psychologist

• Projective Tests - – Examples

• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) –

• Rorschach Inkblot Tests -

– Criticized for lacking

Criticisms of Freud’s theory:1.   Freud had no

2.   Freud’s theories (unconscious, libido, etc.) cannot be

3.   Theory explains behavior

4.  Doubt that conscience and gender identity form as child resolves Oedipus complex at age 5-6—

5. Research contradicts that painful memories are

Criticism’s of Freud6. Neural networks not

7. Freud overestimated and underestimated

8. New ideas of why we dream dispute Freud’s belief that dreams

9. Slips of tongue can be explained through

Pros of Freud’s theory• 1. Argued that are

important in personality development.• 2. Information outside of awareness influence us, but much

different than Freud’s concept of unconsciousness – Examples:

• 3. Defense mechanisms—good descriptions of some of our behaviors.– Examples:

• 4. Defense Against Anxiety– Terror management theory –

Humanistic Theory of Personality

• Do not believe in Determinism –

• free will - .• Humans are

innately good and as long as our

• Studied healthy ways people strive for

Abraham Maslow’s Self Actualizing Person

• Hierarchy of Needs

•Self- actualization –

•Self-transcendence –

•Studied healthy people

Who did Maslow study?

Self-Actualized People• Problem centered rather than

Focused their energies on

Few , rather than many superficial ones.

Self-Actualized People

Share certain characteristics:

• • • • •

Carl Rogers• Objective of humans -

become self-actualized.• We are like Acorns• What do Acorns need to

grow?• Water sun and soil.

• To grow into healthy humans we need interactions with others who are :

•

•

•

Roger’s Person-Centered Perspective

• Carl Rogers– Unconditional positive regard –

total acceptance of another person

• Ex. –

– Self-concept – all of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves

• Central feature of personality• Promoted by unconditional positive regard

– Assessing Personal Growth• Ideal self vs. Actual self•

Evaluating the Humanistic Perspective

• Renewed interest in • Criticisms

–

–

–

The Trait Perspective

Trait Theory• Trait Theory (Gordon Allport) –

describe personality in terms of _____________

• Trait –

– Describe rather than explain– Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

• classifies people according to personality types identified by Carl Jung (flattering terms)

• Used in • Not valid predictor• EX.

Factor Analysis

• Factor analysis – statistical analysis used to identify the most basic personality traits– Factor -

• Ex.

–Eysenck and Eysenck• 2 Dimensions

– –

• Eysenck Personality Questionnaire

Factor Analysis

Biology and Personality• Brain scans

– Brain arousal - • Frontal lobe -

• Genetics– Temperament– Autonomic nervous system

reactivity is• Greater anxiety, less inhibition

Assessing Traits• Personality inventory –

– Example:• Minnesota Multiphasic

Personality Inventory (MMPI) –

– Empirically derived test -

– Objective test– Lie scale – assesses faking

The Big Five Factors• The Big Five – evaluates

personality on 5 dimensions (more comprehensive)– – –

• Emotional stability vs instability

– –

The Big Five Factors

The Big Five Factors

• Stability – Big 5 stable over time

• Heritablity – • Predictability –

– Conscientious people earn better grades and are more likely morning types

– Extroverts – evening types

Somatotype Theory• A biological Theory by

William Sheldon.• Endomorphs -

• Mesomorphs –

• Ectomorphs -

• Study has not been replicated.

Traits and the Stars• Stock spiel – builds on

the observation that each of us is in some ways

• Barnum effect – Peoples tendency to accept

“There’s a sucker born every minute”

• Aries (March 21-April 19): Do some detective work so that you can better understand those you love. Figure out what the other person is going through. Only then will you find out how you can help.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): In your midst, there's a person intent on the worst-case scenario. He or she is a valuable ally today. You'll find humor in the exaggeration, and your laughter is healing.

Gemini (May 21-June 21): Go out of your way to add elements of absurdity to your day. Your quality of life will be increased immeasurably.

Cancer (June 22-July 22): A strength exaggerated becomes a weakness. But does a weakness exaggerated become a strength? Highlight a limitation and you'll find you're better off for having this flaw.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): People pay attention when you walk into the room today. Make your exit with equal grace. Leave before they want you to and they'll want more.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Show up in person. You have more than your fair share of charisma today. Noting your winning presence, others will want to help you succeed.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): You have a talent for making relationships work. You're full of solutions, but it's important to know which problem is the most pressing. Pump the other person for information.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): There is a fine line between sharing and over-sharing. Give others the sense of who you are. But do it briefly.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Relating to others has very little to do with what or who you know. Most people are thinking about themselves and what you can do for them. If you make them feel good about themselves, they'll like you.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're in danger of being too thrifty. Show some disregard for the rules of frugal finance. As you spend, you'll widen the channel for greater earning.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It would benefit you to get involved in a group effort. There is much you could contribute, and you have much to gain. You'll ask excellent questions and learn all you need to know to fit in nicely.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): You will be certain of your course. But that alone will not be enough to make it go the way you want. Whatever happens, don't complain or explain.

The Person-Situation Controversy• Person-situation controversy –

– Traits are stable over time– People don’t act consistently in all situations

(Walter Mischel studies)– Scores on Personality Tests fail to predict

behavior in real-life situations– Ave. outgoingness (expressive style), happiness or

carelessness over many situations is predictable•

• •

The Social-Cognitive Perspective

The Social-CCognitive Perspective

• Social-cognitive perspective (Bandura) – interactive influences on

• learn many of our behaviors either through

• Emphasize the importance of

• Focus on our interaction with the environment (interpretation and response to external events)

Social-Cognitive Theories on Personality

• Focus on how we interact with our culture and environment

• Reciprocal Determinism - traits, environment and behavior all interact and influence each other.• Example *:

Reciprocal Influences

• Ways individuals and the environment interact–Different people choose different

environments–Our personalities shape how we

interpret and react to events–Our personalities help create

situations to which we react

The Biopsychosocial Approach to the Study of Personality

Personal Control

• Personal control – extent to which people perceive

– Two ways to study personal control• Correlate people’s feelings of control

with their behaviors and achievements• Experiment by raising and lowering

people’s sense of control and noting the effects

Internal and External Locus of Control

• External locus of control –

– Can lead to a state of learned helplessness.

– Ex.

• Internal locus of control –

– Ex.

Self-Control• Self-control – ability to control impulses

and delay gratification– Predicts

– Requires attention and energy

Benefits of Personal Control

• Learned helplessness –

• Tyranny of choice –

Optimism Versus Pessimism• Optimism and Health• Excessive Optimism• Blindness to one’s own

incompetence• Positive psychology (Seligman) –

Different from Humanistic –

• Similar to Humanistic -

• Self Serving Bias –

Evaluating the Social-Cognitive Perspective

• Based on • Focuses too much on the

Comparing Research Methods

Exploring the Self

Self• Self –

– Possible selves –

• Motivates us to achieve success and avoid failure

• Ex.

– Spotlight effect –

• Adolescents • Ex.

The Benefits of Self-Esteem

• Self-esteem –

Self-Serving Bias• Self-serving bias – readiness to

perceive yourself favorably– People accept more responsibility for

– Most people see themselves

• Defensive self-esteem -

Culture and the Self

• Individualism –

• Collectivism -

Individualism versus Collectivism