Personality Theory

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PersonalityTheory
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What is Personality?

• Personality includes the important differences in
  the way people behave

• Personality includes the consistent way in which
  people behave.

Personality is defined as distinctive, unique,
and relatively enduring ways of thinking,
feeling, and acting
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Personality
Personality refers to a persons unique and
relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings,
and actions

• Personality is an interaction between biology and
  environment

Genetic studies suggest inheritability of
personality characteristics
Other studies suggest learned components of
personality
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PHRENOLOGY The study of personality based on
the distinctive shapes of a skull. Phrenology is
one of the earliest attempts to explain
personality.
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Some people believe in the value of phrenology
today however other theories of personality are
now more accepted.
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Four Theories of Personality

• 1. Trait
• 2. Psychoanalytic
• 3. Humanistic
• 4. Behaviorism and Socio-Cognitive

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TRAIT THEORIES

• Trait Theorists describe personality according to
  the traits (characteristics) that people display
  on a consistent basis.

All Trait Theorists have two fundamental beliefs
1. All people possess all traits
2. All traits can be quantified
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The First Trait Theory
Hans Eysenck (1916-1997) theorized that
introverted people share certain traits, while
extraverted people share the opposite traits.
His Dimensions of Personality theory includes
Stability vs. Instability, Extraversion vs.
Introversion, and Psychoticism.
(Somber and Sad)
(Easily Irritable)
(Cool and calm)
(Cheerful and Confident)
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Personality Traits

• Gordon Allport (1897-1997)identified about4500
  traits that all people possess and divided them
  into two groups

Common Traits those that apply to everyone
Individual Traits those that apply to a
specific person. The individual traits are
1. Cardinal Trait a trait that is so strong it
almost identifies the person.
2. Central Trait a trait that makes us
predictable.
3. Secondary Trait our preferences, such as for
food or music. Because secondary traits change
from time to time they are the least important to
our personality.
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Personality Traits

• Raymond Cattell identified personality according
  to a mathematical technique called factor
  analysis.
• It describes the extent to which different
  personality variables are related.
• Using factor analysis Cattell theorized that
  there are 16 source traits traits that are at
  the core of personality. By measuring these
  traits, psychologists could predict peoples
  behavior in certain situations.

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Raymond Cattell
(1905-1998)
Cattells Sixteen Source Traits
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The Big 5
All trait theorists have devised a number of ways
to measure personality. Each involves a
different number of traits or factors. However
all trait psychologists have shown that five
traits appear repeatedly in their studies. Those
five traits are called The Big 5.
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Evaluating Trait Theory
The Big 5 Trait Theory model is able to
describe personality
Based on cross-cultural human studies that find
good agreement for the Big 5 model in many
cultures
Since there appears to be highly correlated
behaviors not only in adulthood, but also in
childhood and even late preschoolers
Criticisms of trait theory include
1. The difficulty of explaining transient versus
long-lasting traits
2. Lack of explanation as to WHY traits develop
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PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

• Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) developed
  Psychoanalytic theory, to explain personality on
  the basis of unconscious forces affecting
  behavior.

He stated that we are unaware of some aspects of
our mental states because we have different
Levels of Consciousness
Freud argued that Personality is made up of many
parts, some of which are unconscious (below our
level of awareness)
Freud argued that as we have impulses that cause
us anxiety our personality develops Defense
Mechanisms to protect against anxiety
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The Construct of the Mind
1. Id the part of the unconscious personality
that contains our needs, drives, instincts, and
repressed material. It operates on the pleasure
principle.
2. Superego the part of personality that is the
source of conscience and counteracts the socially
undersirable impulses of the id. It contains
values and ideals.
3. Ego the part of personality that is in touch
with reality and strives to meet the demands of
the id and the superego in socially acceptable
ways. It operates on the reality principle.
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Freudian Theory

• Freud proposed that there are three Levels of
  Consciousness

• 1. Conscious
• What were aware of
• It is the location of the Ego and some aspects of
  the Superego

• 2. Preconscious
• Memories etc. that can be recalled

• 3. Unconscious
• Wishes, feelings, impulses that lies beyond
  awareness
• It is the location of the Id and some aspects of
  the Superego

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Freudian Theory

• Anxiety occurs when there is a conflict between
  the Id and the Superego and as a result the Ego
  feels threatened.

Impulses from the id threaten to get out of
control and the ego perceives danger from the
environment
The ego deals with the problem through
coping strategies by dealing with the problem
directly or through the use of Defense
Mechanisms
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Defense Mechanisms

• Defense mechanisms are unconscious mental
  processes that protect the conscious part of a
  persons personality (ego) from developing
  anxiety. Some examples are

Sublimation person channels energy from
unacceptable impulses to create socially
acceptable accomplishments
Projection person attributes their own
unacceptable impulses to others
Denial person refuses to recognize reality
Repression anxiety-evoking thoughts are pushed
into the unconscious
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Defense Mechanisms (cont.)

• Rationalization Substituting socially
  acceptable reasons

Intellectualization Ignoring the emotional
aspects of a painful experience by focusing on
abstract thoughts, words, or ideas
Reaction formation Refusing to acknowledge
unacceptable urges, thoughts or feelings by
exaggerating the opposite state
Regression Responding to a threatening
situation in a way appropriate to an earlier age
or level of development
Displacement Substituting a less threatening
object for the original object of impulse
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Assessing the Unconscious

• Projective Tests
• used to assess personality (e.g., Rorschach or
  TAT tests)
• How? provides ambiguous stimuli and subject
  projects his or her motives into the ambiguous
  stimuli

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Assessing the Unconscious -- Rorschach

• Rorschach Inkblot Test
• the most widely used projective test
• a set of 10 inkblots designed by Hermann
  Rorschach

Rorschach
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Assessing the Unconscious--Rorschach
used to identify peoples inner feelings by
analyzing their interpretations of the blots
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Assessing the Unconscious--TAT

• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
• people express their inner motives through the
  stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

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PSYCHOANALYTICS IN FREUDS FOOTSTEPS
Alfred Adler (1870-1937) believed that the
driving force in peoples lives is a desire to
overcome their feelings of inferiority.
He believed that everyone struggles with
inferiority. A person who continually tries to
compensate for his weakness and avoid feelings of
inadequacy has an inferiority complex.
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PSYCHOANALYTICS IN FREUDS FOOTSTEPS
Alfred Adler believed people are motivated by
social interest and develop an agreeable
lifestyle in order to feel superior.
Adler also believed that birth order greatly
affects personality.
First Born - Privileged until Dethroned
Second Born - In shadow of 1st Born ?
inferiority, restlessness
Youngest - Pampered, dependent
Only Child - Higher intellect, timid, passive,
withdrawn
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PSYCHOANALYTICS IN FREUDS FOOTSTEPS
Carl Jung (1875-1961) worked with Freud but
disagreed with Freud in some ways. He believed
that all people have a
Personal Unconscious unique for each person
(similar to Freuds idea of the unconscious)
Collective Unconscious a storehouse of
instincts, urges, and memories for all humanity.
These inherited, universal ideas are called
archetypes.

• Archetypes transcend cultures and can be found in
  cultural myths, religious beliefs, and symbols
  separated by time. Archetypes influence our
  thoughts and feelings and help us build the
  foundation of our personalities.

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HUMANISM THEORY

• Humanistic personality theories emphasize
  personal growth and the achievement of maximum
  potential by each unique individual.

• Humanism views each person as basically good and
  with freedom in making choices. People are
  striving for self-fulfillment.

• Humanism argues that people carry a perception of
  themselves and of the world. The goal for a
  humanist is to develop/promote a positive
  self-concept.

• Humanism rejects the biological determinism and
  irrational unconscious forces of the
  Psychoanalytics

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Humanistic Perspectives

• Carl Rogers (1902-1987) believes the goal of all
  people is to be fully-functioning.

To be fully-functioning we need to rid ourselves
of the conflict between our own self-image and
what we believe other people see in us.
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Carl Rogers Humanistic Theories
Each person has a self your own image that is
acquired over the years by observing how other
people react to you.

• Each person strives for positive regard seeing
  yourself in a positive light as a result of
  feedback received from interaction with others.

• Sometimes a positive regard is only reached by
  having conditions of worth placed upon you.
  (Conditions you must meet in order to be regarded
  positively)

• Our goal is to receive unconditional positive
  regard Having other people value you for who
  your are therefore you develop a positive self
  image and become fully-functioning.

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Abraham Maslow Humanistic Theories

• Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) emphasized the basic
  goodness of human nature. He also believed that
  people try to become the best that they can
  become to fulfill their own unique potential
  (self-actualization).

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Characteristics of Self-Actualized People
They are realistically oriented
They accept themselves, other people, and the
natural world for what they are
They have a great deal of spontaneity
They are problem-centered rather than
self-centered.
They have an air of detachment and a need for
privacy
They are autonomous
Their appreciation of people and things is fresh,
not stereotyped
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Characteristics of Self-Actualized People
(continued)
Most have had profound mystical or spiritual
experiences, although not necessarily religious
in character
They identify with humanity
They have a few deep intimate relationships
rather than many superficial relationships
They do not confuse means with ends
They are creative and resist conformity
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Maslow believed that to become self-actualized
all people must first satisfy different levels of
needs that dominate our thoughts and behaviors.
His Hierarchy of Needs demonstrates the different
levels.
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BEHAVIORISM THEORY
Behaviorists believe that as individuals differ
in their learning experiences, they acquire
different behaviors and, hence, different
personalities.
B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) studied how
Contingencies of Reinforcement (the occurrence
of rewards or punishments following particular
behaviors) shaped behavior and therefore
personality.
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SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORIES
Social Cognitive theorists believe that
personality is acquired by a combination of
reinforcement and observational learning.
Albert Bandura (1925 - )believed that people
direct their own behavior by their choice of
models. (You are more likely to learn new
behaviors from friends of your own choosing than
from friends your parents choose for you.)
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Bandura (continued)
Bandura promoted Reciprocal Determinism the
interaction of the observer, the behavior of the
individual being observed, and the environment in
which the behavior occurs.
The goal of our behavior is self-efficacy our
own view of our ability to succeed - concerning
any decision we make. If our outcome
expectations are met we will make similar
decisions on future similar situations.
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Banduras Bobo Doll Experiment
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WHICH THEORY DO YOU BELIEVE IS CORRECT?
TRAIT THEORY All people possess all traits and
all traits can be measured
PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY Unconscious forces
motivate our behavior and personality is
determined by early childhood experiences
HUMANISM THEORY People are driven toward
self-actualization
BEHAVIORISM AND SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY - People
learn through the consequences of their behavior
and from role models